# Hair Algae: Phosphates and Nitrates=0



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have a planted tank with these readings:
Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=0
pH=7.8
DH=7
KH=7
Phosphate=0

I know the test kits are good, because my tanks that are NOT planted get WAY different readings, LOL.

Iâ€™ve been getting algaeâ€¦I think itâ€™s hair algae. Grows in green clouds on rocks, background and substrate. Not on the glass, doesnâ€™t wave in the current. Stays relatively short, like Â¼ to Â½ inch.

Three watts per gallon or 96 watts on a 38G tank, and the Vallisneria and Crypts are doing fine (except for snail damage).

6700k lights are on total of 11 hours/day in two photoperiods (on 4, off 6, on 7, off 7).

Iâ€™m at a loss as to how to get rid of it since there are no Nitrates or Phosphates. I just got the Phosphate test kit today.

Iâ€™ve heard Excel works, but also that it melts Vallisneria.

Suggestions?


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## ajanin (Jul 24, 2008)

I've read that doing a water change and then a complete blackout (putting a blanket or something to prevent all light from entering) for a couple days kills the hair algae.

http://aquamaniacs.net/forum/cms_view_article.php?aid=138

pretty helpful article


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## kornphlake (Feb 12, 2004)

The article linked above is pretty good, the only thing I'd add is that you may need to add nitrates and phosphate as well. You may have heard that for a fire to start there are three things that are necessary, fuel, oxygen and ignition, if you take away one of those three things the fire is put out. Well planted tanks are kind of the same but it's more complicated. In general there are three nutrients you need CO2, macro nutrients and micro nutrients, if one of these is missing or low you'll get algae. Where it gets complicated is that macro nutrients include potassium, nitrate and phosphate, if one of those nutrients is depleted you'll get algae. There are more than a dozen micro nutrients that when depleted can cause algae as well. If you go overboard on fertilizers rather micro or macro you can induce algae but it's a lot more difficult than one would think to add enough nitrate for example that it would inhibit plant growth and encourage algae. The 4th major factor would be light, you can adjust the amount of time the lights are on or the intensity of lighting and control how much nutrients the plants will consume in a 24 hour period. Planted tanks are all about balance, unless you spend big money on CO2 injection and powerful lighting it's kind of tricky to find that balance.

One other thing that isn't mentioned in the article is that the light spectrum can help prevent algae, actinic lighting doesn't have much in its spectrum that is useful to freshwater plants or algae, actinic lighting wouldn't be ideal for a planted tank, at the other end of the spectrum are soft white and cool white, these tend to have more wavelengths that are useful for algae and not as useful for plants, most plants have green leaves because they are reflecting the green light they can't use for photosynthesis, algae although green in color can usually make do with green wavelengths. The usable color temperature for plant growth is considered to be between about 5000k and 10000k, 6500k being the optimum as it most closely resembles the color of the sun. Fluorescent bulbs do show some color shift as the bulbs wear out, although the bulb may appear bright to you, the actual color spectrum will change after about a year and may encourage algae growth even though the bulbs were optimum for plant growth when new.

Good luck on solving the algae issue, I'm a little unclear if you've got a thread algae or brush algae, brush algae usually stays shorter and is usually a dark green, red or black. Thread or hair algae looks like the picture in the article above.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Lots of good info kornphlake, can you help me sift through it for next steps, LOL?

I've got brush in my other tank, and also had beard before the Nitrates went to zero, so I'm pretty sure it is hair. Looks like the pictures.

I'm using the 6500K. I've got the right power level for the lights. I've read the article (and seen it before as well), but feel as though I had taken most of the actions. The 3-day blackout is good, but what keeps the algae from coming back afterwards if I don't change the favorable conditions?

I use root tabs and occasionally Fluorish. As a first step after the blackout, would you increase the Fluorish to see if the additional fertilizer tips the balance in the right direction?

Or would you decrease the hours of lighting first?

Thanks!


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## kornphlake (Feb 12, 2004)

I'd start by adding fertilizers in controlled amounts, you want nitrate to be at least 5ppm, it can get upward of 20ppm without any concern, potassium should be about the same, phosphate you want 1-3ppm. The goal with ferts is the same as with anything else in an aquarium you want gradual changes and consistency. Dose Flourish to supply micro nutrients according to the directions on the bottle. When all the nutrients needed for plant growth are available plants will out compete algae, when plants become nutrient limited algae will scavenge nutrients (sometimes nutrients plants don't really need like silicates in the case of brown algae.) Healthy plants should limit algal growth.

You may be able to use Flourish Excel with vallisineria, I had some success using it, but you can't double the recommended dosage to control algae or it will die. Excel is a great product for removing algae if used as a spot treatment, turn off your filters and use a syringe or eye dropper to dispense Excel directly on the algae, let it sit for 15 minutes then turn your filters back on. This allows you to use the recommended dosage or less so there is less risk of killing your Val. Some people use hydrogen peroxide as an algae treatment in the same way, it breaks down to water pretty quickly so it's not a risk to your plants or fish in the long term, but it is apparently easy to over dose and kill everything including your bio filter.

There's lots of good stuff about fertilizers here:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/water ... imes_.html

The chart attached to the first post shows the causes and treatments for algae along with some other neat stuff, you'll probably have to register to view it. Or you can see the same thing here:
http://www.rexgrigg.com/Algae1.html


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Just my experience with Vals and Excel -- no problem. My vals are taking over my tank and I dose frequently with more than recommended doses.

BTW, I am in similar situation with a 33 gallon tall with 3 WPG and injected C02 and a slight but perhaps increasing green hairy algae problem. I dose with potassium, Flourish and Trace and have Eco Complete substrate. I have not dosed this tank with Iron, as I assumed this was sufficient in the substrate, but I may be wrong about that . . .


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

hollyfish2000, I don't use CO2 and it sounds like you're already doing what is being recommended to me...and it's not working. 

kornphlake, this idea occurred to me this am while at work and I've been waiting all day to ask. Since it is the Vals that are consuming all the Nitrate (and I've got too many Vals)...instead of increasing the Nitrate to make the Vals outcompete the algae, *can I remove 50% of the Vals?*

Thinking I can approach the balance by reducing Nitrate consumers (instead of adding Nitrate) thus leaving some Nitrate for the remaining Vals. Then the remaining Vals and Crypts and Java Fern will have Nitrate available to outcompete the algae?

Another question. I looked at the Flourish Tabs I've been using...they advertize no phosphate/nitrate but the Guaranteed Analysis shows Nitrogen 0.28% and Phosphate 0.17%. Which is it??


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