White hair algae

Dinocine

Small Fish
Oct 22, 2002
38
0
0
#1
I set up a planted tank for almost 2 months, but it's getting lots of white hair algae that look like cotton fugus all over the plants and materials. My single oto doesn't seems to remove those algae, so does anyone has effective ways to get rid of it?
 

Oct 22, 2002
347
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0
#2
try algae destroyer, I think that stuff works well on hair algae, although I dont' think I've ever seen any type of white hair algae...
you could also try a few gold fish:) for 10cents each they do a good job of chomping away at it:)
 

colesea

Superstar Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,612
0
0
NY USA
#3
1) DO NOT USE ALGAE DYSTROYER ON LIVE PLANTS! Many algae dystroyers contain copper and other chemicals that kill plants. Algae is part plant after all.

2) DO NOT PUT GOLDFISH IN A TROPICAL FISH AQUARIUM! Goldfish require more O2 for their metabolism, which is only satisfied by cold water.  The warmer water of a tropical tank lacks enough O2 to support goldfish and they will suffocate to death.  Also, if you're buying 10 cent "feeder" goldfish, these animals are probably infected with serious disease and parasites that will be transmitted to your fish.

The best thing you could probably do is re-evaluate your lighting and nutrient levels for your plants. Algae is pretty common in planted tanks that are imbalanced in some way.

Purchase a paintbrush of some kind and try to brush the white algae off.

Or try another species of algae eater like a Siamease Algae Eater or Flying Fox. Plecos and Chinese Algae Eaters are known to munch plants and your fish as well as algae so they may not be the best in your tank.

I have never personally seen or heard of white hair algae before, although I know brown hair algae can be a problem usually fixed with re-evaluating lighting/nutrients, and an oto or SAE.  I've also seen tufts of my own hair caught on stuff, and has accumulated flocculents to look white and tuffy. It could also very well be some filter floss that is accidentally comming out of your filter and getting caught on stuff.
~~Colesea
 

Oct 22, 2002
347
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0
#4
I had a hair algae and beard algae infestation. Algae Destroyer cleaned it up (in my fully planted tank) and didn't visibly harm any of my plants. During the period I used it I also stopped dosing ferts of course, limited lighting and limited co2 also. Plants didn't skip a beat.
So...

Also, I've kept a dozen feeder goldfish in my planted tank for about a month now. they chomp on the rhizomes and did a good deal of damage on the beard algae. I never had any gasping for air in my tank (80degrees) the only problem they had was my rope fish *grin*
and the ones that survived him didn't fair so well against my piranha

Oh, and I haven't seen any visible parasites viruses:)

I've kept 2dozen feeder shiners in a community tank for a week at one point and didn't have any disease:)

Theory, hearsay...I'm speaking from experience.
 

colesea

Superstar Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,612
0
0
NY USA
#5
You've used algae dystroyer with fish and it worked  :eek: Good for you, glad to know you know enough about what you're doing to get that to work.

If I recommened it to any of my customers, they'd probably use it incorrectly and kill their tank then blame me. Most algaecides come with clear warnings on the lables that say in huge letters "DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT WITH INVERTABRATES OR LIVE PLANTS." I don't know enough about live plants to know how to dose it so as not to kill them. I just read the lable and follow directions, and from my experience, the directions on the lables clearly say do not use with live plants and the dosage was strong enough to kill my snails off, so I don't know what type of damage plants would've sustained.

I was very angry at the death of all those poor, innocent snails. *pout* They did a better job of keeping the tanks clean than the algaecide in the first place.

And yes, I will admitt that it is possible, under certain conditions, to keep goldfish with tropical fish dispite the totally opposite polarity necessary for their respective care. I have done it myself.  But I know for -fact- that "feeder fish" (the usually 10 cent goldfish you are refferring to) are not the healthiest or as disease free as one could wish, and it is a terrible risk to stick them in with a community of tropicals. Yes, some shops take care of their feeders. Majority of shops do not. If you cannot personally see the state of the feeder vats (my vats happen to be on my salesfloor, so I have to keep my 3000 feeders crammed into a 90 gallon space drinkable clean or else it would be a disgusting display to have before customers. As it is, I get grossed out having to just work next to the thing, and I know I just cleaned it!), I would not personally put those fish in with anything else unless quaritined and mediated. Even an apparently healthy fish may not be.

Hey, but whatever works for you.
~~Colesea