# Algea problem



## ApplestoApples (Jan 28, 2012)

I have brown hairy algae growing all over a 29 gal. Very strong light and zero plants in the tank. What can i do to kill the algae? Will adding a pleco help? By the way, there are 4 multifasciatus in the tank.*c/p*


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## logan84 (Jul 27, 2011)

Is it hair algae or beard algae? The hair algae is more of pain I feel - typically the best things to do are just water changes to remove nutrients, manual removal with a toothbrush (just twirling it around and collecting the strands) and a black out period if you can. 

Beard algae is tough to remove by hand but it grows slower than hair algae, in my experience. But I kind of like the addition of some beard algae - I feel that it adds a texture to my aquariums that I enjoy and my shrimp like picking through. And it never really spreads in my tank - just kind of hangs out on one tip of a branch. 

If it really is hair algae - good luck. It can be a pain in the rear. I'm struggling with some right now, myself!


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## ApplestoApples (Jan 28, 2012)

its about half an inch long and coats everything


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## logan84 (Jul 27, 2011)

That sounds more like beard algae since it stays pretty short. 

Does it look like the algae in the following image? 
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/files/5/4/2/GY1W0390R.jpg

Or does it look like the algae in this second image?
http://guitarfish.org/images/posts/algae/hair.jpg


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## ApplestoApples (Jan 28, 2012)

like the first image
how do i treat that


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## logan84 (Jul 27, 2011)

Ah, shoot. The first image is the Beard Algae. It's stubborn and hard to remove by hand. If it grows on a plant, most people clip the leaf off. If it's growing on tank ornaments like say a ceramic item or plastic item you can take it out of the aquarium and treat it with a bleach solution and give it a good scrub. There are chemicals that will target it however you have to make sure they will be okay for your other tank's inhabitants. Mainly copper which can take out lesser fish. 

Your multifasciatus' enjoy harder water so I would feel getting a higher pH (lace rock or crushed coral?) may help you out too and be natural fix after you get your algae under control. Also cutting back on lighting will help - you say you have strong lighting so with no plants to enjoy it then algae will just naturally take it's place. 

Siamese Algae Eaters will consume beard algae... but I wouldn't consider them for the long haul since they have different needs than your cichlids.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

You can treat BBA with h2o2 (peroxcide) when we spoke earlier you said it was diatoms, but if its BBA you can take the plant out and do a peroxide dip, or can spot treat. Some also reccomend treating with excel on live plants as it is a carbon source and often kills the BBA


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## ApplestoApples (Jan 28, 2012)

i bleach and scrub the rocks and in 2 days its back.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Sounds to me like you may have too much light for your tank. What fixture do you have?


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## ApplestoApples (Jan 28, 2012)

a glo light. i cant find wattage anywhere


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

How long are you keeping the light on for? Not much need to go beyond time when you are there to enjoy it if you don't have plants. The fish don't really need all the light and they can get by with just ambient light. I would do a good cleaning of it, reduce your lighting time to half (get your light on a timer), and then increase a hour every 10 days or so until you see it start to come back. Once there, go back a little in light duration. This is general lighting recommendations for keeping algae under control.

What is there will not be affected by any reduction in light. It has no problem with lower light or blackouts and will stay. Remove all you can and try to keep it at bay with controlled lighting.


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## ApplestoApples (Jan 28, 2012)

lights on 5 hours a day


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