beard algae

[dwarf cichlids in Az]

I have a 40 gal planted tank and have beard algae growing on all of my drift wood I just added a pair of American flag fish as well as a nice pair of black sailfin mollys in hope they will eat it. I dont want to use chemicals to kill the beard alge any sugestion on how rid get rid of it.:frown:

 

[slimbolen99]

The only way I've ever been successful at killing it is emptying the tank that it is in, letting it dry for over a week, and scraping every surface. On the driftwood, take it out, let it dry for several weeks, and take a wire brush to it. That stuff is horrible...once it's in a tank, it is on everything. If you just remove it from the driftwood, it will come back, in my experience. Good luck. Not sure I know of any fish that will eat so much of is as to eradicate it from the tank.

 

[animalmgc]

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm
This is a good site I've used with much sucess and its chemical free

 

[jafo]

Had it and beat it with daily water changes and less light time. Also removed all of it I could every day. I can say I've had too much experience with it through the years. Something is out of balance.

 

[ed seeley]

This is caused by low CO2 levels compared to nutrient and light levels within the tank. The best way to get rid of it permanently is to add CO2. You don't have to add gaseous CO2 though but could use a glutaraldehyde based 'liquid CO2' supplement. However if you don't want to use chemicals then this is obviously out! I have used EasyCarbo (the same as Seachem's Excel) on this algae it it goes within weeks. Your plants will grow much better too. This is not an out-and-out algicide but a chemical the plants use as part of the carb on fixation pathway so maybe you might find it acceptable to use? Algae does not like it though!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
What is the pH/hardness of the tank? if the water is soft enough for happy Apistogrammas? the Mollies particularly, and the Flag-fish to some degree, will become stressed and prone to fungal diseases.

I think that there are 2 options with the algae, assuming it's "black beard algae"? you could treat it as Ed describes, or you could ignore it, and just accept it as entirely natural component of the aquarium, and treat it like any other plant.

Have a look at this thread - <http://www.forum.apistogramma.com/showthread.php?t=9042>.

cheers Darrel

 

[ed seeley]

or you could ignore it, and just accept it as entirely natural component of the aquarium, and treat it like any other plant.

I did forget this option!!! It's what I do most of the time with algae in non-scaped tanks!

 

[dwarf cichlids in Az]

beard alge

fist off let me thank you all for all the sugestions my PH is 6.5 so far the mollys and the falgfish are doing ok I dont have but 1 pair of apitos in this tank. The light is on a timer and is on for 4 hours then off for 4 then back on for 6. I dont have CO2 hooked up becaus e I have not seen a real need for it. My plant are growing well. My one question noone anwsered for my will boiling my drift wood kill the beard alge.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Ed's spot treatment with "Excel" and boiling the wood will definitely work (or drying the wood out, or putting it in the freezer in plastic bag). However as Jafo said "Something is out of balance" and any treatment doesn't address the issue of why you have the algae, and whether its necessarily a bad thing. (Personally I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing).

Hi-tech with high light, CO2 and nutrient addition definitely maximises plant growth, and can be a successful approach to Apistogramma keeping. I don't use it because it adds another level of complexity to fish keeping, and I like the "KISS" approach ("Keep It Simple Stupid"), where I just need to concentrate on good habitat, lots of live food and keeping the water the water low in all dissolved salts. (I follow ApistoBob's recommendations, they work for me, and to use another cliche "if it ain't broke don't fix it").

You wrote "my PH is 6.5" now I'm definitely worried about your Mollies, they need hard, alkaline and preferably fairly brackish water, and this isn't going to be doing them any good at all.

As a wider point I think the question we all address, at some point, is whether we want to be:
Fish "havers", who acquires fish because they likes them, and then put them in the tank and see how they get on,
or
Fish "keepers", who builds the tank around the requirements of its inhabitants.
My suspicion would be that at least 99% of successful Apistogramma keepers are exactly that - fish "keepers", rather than fish "havers".

cheers Darrel

 

[animalmgc]

what you need to find out is why the bearded algae there.Is it from high light and no CO2 or ?I haven't boiled my wood and don't have the prob

 

[Nymsley]

I haven't boiled my wood and don't have the prob

I think they mean boiling as a treatment, not a preventative.

I dont have CO2 hooked up becaus e I have not seen a real need for it. My plant are growing well.

Perhaps I missed these bits of information but how much light do you have and what type of lighting?

 

[dwarf cichlids in Az]

beard alge

First off let me say I bought to black mollies because I know that they will eat beard alge I am am concernd taht at some point I will have to move them to one of my other tanks. but so far they are doing well and they will stay where they are. I dont have but one pair of dwarf cichlid in this tank right now they are Nancara Amomala they where a pair that I was trying to breed with no luck. the other fish are assorted tetras. the tank has become a commuity tank and that is the way it will mostly stay.

 

[dwarf cichlids in Az]

beard alge

OK let me start over ocne I get rid of it how do I keep it from comeing back? My light is the one that came with the tank when I bought it what do you suggest that I change it to I dont want to buy a T5. I dont run CO2 on this tank the plant are all growing well .

 

[ed seeley]

OK let me start over ocne I get rid of it how do I keep it from comeing back? My light is the one that came with the tank when I bought it what do you suggest that I change it to I dont want to buy a T5. I dont run CO2 on this tank the plant are all growing well .

The last thing you need is more light with T5s. This algae is almost always caused by unstable CO2 levels. If you have CO2 then use it in conjunction with a drop checker with 4dKH solution in it (this will be green when you have 30ppm CO2) and large weekly water changes to remove organic comounds in the water and this algae will not recur IME. CO2 does not just help plants grow, it also provides stable conditions for them which discourages algae which are more able to rapidly adapt and exploit unstable conditions.

 

[dwarf cichlids in Az]

C/O2 units

Ok I hope that this wont sound like a dumb question but wiil on of the cheap C/O2 units that the BIG BOX STORES sell work I dont have the money to invest in a expenve unit right now the one I saw is made by Jungle labs?

 

[Nymsley]

Jungle Fizz tabs technically do work in that they do produce CO2 but they don't seem to produce a large volume of gas.

You could try a yeast driven CO2 system. You can either make the system with household items (really cheap) or you could buy it (Hagen, not so cheap). The principle will be the same.

 

[dwarf cichlids in Az]

I have decided to try something that when I thought about it and I tlaked to someone at the Shedd aquarium he told me to load the tank down with plants so the alge cant compete for food or light also I am going to do water changes 2 times a week instead of once a week,I have also thought about ading some alge eating shrimp to the tank my concern there is my dwarf cichlids will eat them.