New Lighting - New Algae - SEE UPDATE

[Blue Ram]

I need some advice from you plant experts! I recently upgraded my lighting on a 90 gal discus tank to a 48" double HO T5. I couldn't believe how much it lighted up the tank and brightened up the colours on the discus. It has a 10k and 6500k bulb on for 11 hrs in total with a 3 1/2 hour break in the afternoon. It is mounted on legs above the open tank. The tank has a couple of smaller sword plants and a large group of crypts. I do not fertilize the tank and do not have any CO2. I have always had hair algae growth on the large piece of driftwood in the tank but it was manageable and came off easily when I was doing water changes. I do 2 to 3 large water changes a week on this tank so I don't believe the nitrates are high. With the new light, the hair algae has increased and the plants are now getting covered with hair algae. I don't want the tank filled with plants because it will cut down the swimming area for the discus which are large fish - 5" plus. I'm wondering what my best options are for algae control:

- install pressurized CO2;

- start fertilizing daily with PPS Pro system;

- add a couple siamese algae eaters (not thrilled with this because as they get bigger they are competition with the discus for food)

- change bulbs or suspend lights from the ceiling?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks,

Edited September 15, 2010 by Blue Ram

[jvision]

You can spot treat with Seachem Excel. Adding CO2 and ferts will help keep the algae off your plants, but you may have to add some fast-growing plants to out compete the algae.

[AvianAquatics]

Ugh! Hair Algae is such a pain in the behind. What I found with DIY Co2 was they took care of my slime (and possibly hair) algae in the beginning, but the hair algae are coming back now. I've also been dosing fertilizer but I don't think they can take care of HA either. You might have to change the light after 1 year or more algae will grow. Another way to take care of it is to "removing the source". You will notice some plant will always have hair algae week after week will other's only get them once in a while. You will need to remove the plants (or part of the plant) that is always infected with algae to prevent it from spreading. You'll also need to clean the driftwood REALLY well since it is a source from where the algae came from.

[heff]

Don't otocinclus enjoy hair algae? An oto wouldn't solve your problem of algae growth though. I would go with jvision's suggstion of fast plants to outcompete the algae though.

Edited August 26, 2010 by heff

[Kronosdelsol]

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Edited October 2, 2010 by Kronosdelsol

[Marty]

This might be a risky approach considering this is a discus tank, but my suggestion is putting in a Haplochromis sp. "Ruby Green" (LINK).

I had a similar problem with serious hair algae growth in a planted tank. After a few weeks of having the ruby greens in the tank ALL the hair algae was gone!! They love that stuff. I should also mention that there was a bristlenose and a large siamese algae eater in the same tank and they didn't touch the hair algae.

As a precaution for the discus and other community fish you have in there you could get a small female ruby green to temporarily put into the tank and take care the the algae problem, then remove her.

I would imagine other Haplochromis would have simliar affinity to the hair algae if you have a preference or easier access to another variety. My personal experience was with the ruby green type.

[vince0]

american flagfish will eat hair algea, and excel does work, although the tank seems to get worst before it gets better. I have had problems in my tank when i switched from t8 to HOt5 with hair algea... between the flagfish and excel it took about three weeks for the majority of the stuff to go away, and another month or so for the remnants to be cleaned up by the various algea eating snails and plecos i have in my tank.

CO2 will work even better than excel, and in the long run will prevent many kinds of algea from reappearing as the plant will be competing for the same source of nutrients as the hair algea

[Blue Ram]

UPDATE

This is what I have changed since my original post

- swapped out the "Powerglow" bulb for a "colormax bulb" (the Powerglow light was brighter but for the sake of reducing the algae, the colormax bulb is better

- reduced the lights "on" to approx. 8 hrs (they are off for most of the day)

- added 1 capful of Excel daily

- added fertilizer after every water change (2 to 3 times per week)

- added 5 otos

The tank is 90% algae free. The plants are free of all algae and most of the algae is gone off of the driftwood. The otos are doing a great job even though my wild angel thinks they are food.

I plan to slowly increase the lighting period by 1/2 hr per week so I have 10 hrs on per 24 hrs.

[jvision]

Sounds like a good plan - if it keeps working, keep it going!

[thomas3322]

Yea, i started my aquarium with 8 hourse of lighting too and so far im not seeing any algae. My tank is also full of fast gorwing plants.