algae treatments

[chris brown]

Hi all i have a bad algae problem (Black Brush (Beard) Algae)and was thinking of treating it with this
http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/f ... 427268.htm
only thing is i don't want to harm the fish or the bacteria in the filters.
Dose anyone no if this stuff will be ok with them?
If not do you have any recommendations?

i have asked the seller the same questions but i don't trust them as much as you guys and girls

[wasserscheu]

laugh about me, but I find brush-algae beautiful - as long as they don't grow on plants. I even bought some root that was full of it, but the algae died. It is also a good "home" for microorganisms. So you are lucky

With a strong plant growth they disappear. I add fertilizer only to the substrate (= fine sand, except CO2) and force plants to take their nutritiuon via their roots - it works (as most plants are swamp inhabitants anyway).

Waterchanges also take away some extra nutrition that boost algae.

To your question re liquid carbon, I've read a lot about it, it is developed somehow out of disinfectant-solution. Some plant experts that also keep fish mean it's harmless. I personally keep everything out of the water, even Fe (Iron fertilizer), if possible.
Liquid Carbon has been tested by fellow aquarists and indeed found working against algae - but they return once you stop using it.

==> I read from reliable sources that spraying at the brush algae (for example with injection nozzle, or the nozzle used for printer cardrige refilling) in the konzentration as it is in the bottle, turns the brush algae redish at contact and it dies. This may help keeping the overall konzentration in the water lower (as long as you watch the amount you bring in during spraying, relative to the amount of water you have in the tank). As it says in the link, to kill algae you may need higher than normal dosage(2-3 times) and I personally would not want to do that - but that's just me.

Good luck

[starsplitter7]

I never use algae treatments. I figure out what the source issue is, and fix it. I am always afraid of adding extra treatments into my tanks.

[chris brown]

thanks for the help i have brought 2 500ml bottles and will give it a go i have a spear 200L tank which i will fill with water from the big tank and swap one of the filters to so if anything goes wrong i can move the fish over fingers crossed it works as all my plants are dying and are covered in algae

i will let you no in a week or 2 how it goes

[wasserscheu]

Your plants will definitely love the carbon, as it is a C-fertilizer in first place. You will for sure not note any sideeffects short term - this stuff is used for years by now, so no worries. It's the long term - over many years, that I would be thinking of, if at all.
What plants do you have? let us know the light and nutrition(fertilizer), you may be able to surprisingly easy turn the picture around. Spezially once you add carbon now anyway. Get some root feeders, feed the roots directly - cover with fine sand, so the nutrition does not come out (Echinodorus, cryptocoryne, ...) and you will see, once the plants start going for it - the algae are history, give it up to 3 month though to get moving. What fish do you have? If you like we can go through step by step. What I do in quaranine tanks, I put a root-feeding plant with fine sand and fertilizer in a bowl or one-way (dark) coffe-cup. That makes ot easy to take out to return ton the main tank, and easy to service (remove leaves with algae, add fert's, ...). Covering the cup with stones and moss makes it invisble.

These are the fert.sticks I use, tested my setup by measuring water values (even a multible overdose scenario), once fish don't dig them out though. Certain parameters need to be watched! Let me know in case you wanted to go that rout and need details. Those sticks are also made for pond-plants.

http://www.compo-hobby.de/duengestaebch ... _5095.file

Any good substrate fert. should contain a composition close to the following (amounts may vary, but proportions should be close), please be aware the below is very high dosed (compared to typical aquarium fert.):

11 % N
4 % P2O5
8 % K2O i.m.o could be even more
2 % MgO not may fert's contain that, but it's good to combine Mg with K
5,2 % S i.m.o. not important, and also does not show on my packages *
0,25% Na ??? NOW, THIS DOES NOT SHOW ON MY PACKAGES never found Na in fert. ingredients of that nature (perhaps a typo?) *
0,04 % Cu IMPORTANT not to have too much here!!!
0,1 % Fe
0,05 % Mn
0,01 % Mo
0,04 % Zn

* I will contact COMPO re this, sorry about the confusion this may create.

EDIT: COMPO has just called back and explained that Na is an ingridient necessary for plants to "take on board" certain components. S and Na have not been shown on the ingridients list for Germany as it is not necessary, however S and Na were shown on a different part on the package (claimed under "starting substances"). I am impressed by their service.

[redshark1]

I have had this algae ever since I rehomed my Sailfin Plec.

I have two Bristlenoses which are dealing with it effectively now after it got out of control.

Here you can see it being removed left to right: