How to Get Rid of Hair Algae from an Aquarium
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- Hair algae is a pain in fish tanks - it grows fast, it covers everything in a carpet of green and worst of all it can trap and kill small fish if its dense enough. There are plenty of myths out there about the best ways to get rid of hair algae including certain fish that will eat it, but to be honest the only reliable method i have come across for hair algae removal is to do it the old fashioned way of manually removeing and tackling the source of too much nutrient in the water.
My favourite fishy stuff! (yes these are affiliate links :) )
Lights
Nicrew Classic LED - amzn.to/3fG3Uv6 - Traditional led light that's got a nice high output in a white/cool colour range. Makes plants look extra green.
Nicrew SKY - amzn.to/3Ktn45U - really nice light for natural looking tanks, also the one I use for filming.
Filters
Pat Mini - amzn.to/3fE1u0k - popular for a reason, just a superb little filter thats great for shrimp tanks and fish alike.
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Air Pump
AP-3 Kit : amzn.to/34UMA3q - Great little air pump, not a silent runner, but has been very reliable for me.
Tanks
Scaper 45 - amzn.to/3KBxG2H - a lovely high quality tank that comes with a super strong light, and a decent enough hang on back filter - perfect for newbies and scapers alike.
My filming stuff
Camera - Cannon 200D - amzn.to/354OLlc - nice camera, easy to use.
BigTripod - Manfrotto befree - amzn.to/3GLXDdj - pricey but super sturdy and can take being knocked over a lot by clumsy operators.
Lil' tripod - amzn.to/355WmQs - can't pronounce the name but it's been a good tripod for filming things on tables or when I have tanks on the floor. - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
Someone needs to hire you to narrate nature videos. I wouldn't be surprised if your last name was Attenborough! Great video
Agreed! I rewatch old videos just because they’re so soothing
I have been a fan of your videos for a while, but this one is particularly timely. It’s very comforting to see someone you respect and admire in the hobby still dealing with the same issues, because that’s what algae does! It’s one of the most successful life forms on the planet, of course anyone with a water box and lights is going to struggle with it. I am not smarter than billions of years of evolution!
Well, this is strangely comforting. I've been struggling with hair algae for a little while now (it's getting better) and I didn't understand why I couldn't get rid of it, but now I understand it's a tough problem for everyone. Good luck to you too!
Excellent, and yes, you could narrate just about anything. An honest take on Hair Algae.
I do a medium light tank that’s on a timer for 6 hours! I have a low-tech tank with lots of red root floaters, Java ferns windelov, and dwarf tiger lilies that seem to be thriving with less light time. No issues with hair algae!
Love your voice AND the information....but really love how you add a musicality to your story ❣ Another easy algae killer is 3% Hydrogen Peroxide solution. I buy plastic lab droppers in bulk from online for all kinds of liquids used in the aquarium hobby. Turn off the aquarium lights and all water motion units, like filters & pumps. Let the tank calm down to a standstill than hover your filled dropper over the alien intruder and slowly squeeze out the HP slowly spiraling out from the center to get the best coverage. You might want to keep your hand still for a few minutes before pulling it out of the aquarium, since this will disturb the HP. You will notice the algae start forming bubbles, which means its killing the target, which will magically change color AND is readily eaten by a number of critters since you unknowingly became an aquatic chef. The HP is very weak in its structure and will dissipate or turn into oxygen, especially with light, {which is why it's sold in a dark bottles, LIGHT KILLS H.P. } Your hardscape can be removed to be cleaned with HP if its bad, {never use soap, HP or Vinegar is way better.} I've cleaned peoples smothered tanks with this methode off and on over a period of a week with this in tank spot treatment in 3 to 4 areas at a time. Any new aliens pop up, just repeat. Once you get the hang of it, and do tiny steps, wait several hours, repeat, wait a day, repeat....just don't go overboard ! Take your time and the aliens will disappear !
Thanks for these very detailed instructions. Will give it a try.
Great video👍 I had a nightmare hair algae situation in 3 large tanks, after fighting (and losing) for months I tried spot treatments of hydrogen peroxide and it worked perfectly. Within a week the hair algae was gone
I got rid of hair algae in about 4 to 5 months by careful feeding and trimming leaves of affected plants , introducing more plants to the system and water changes of 24 to 30% at least once a week. Mollies and Siamese Algae Eaters helped too.
Love this video. I had it hitch hike into one of my tanks, I did the tweezer thing like you and then my plants became a jungle and took over. I decided it’s also like a plant itself. I just helped a friend setup her first tank (60 gallon) I told her to subscribe to your channel. You give best descriptions of fish
Amazing! I add more neocaradina and as many plants as I can to combat it👍
Forgot to say, two tanks have no hair algae anymore and the others need tons more plants. Happy Saturday!
Amano shrimps work great too!
Great video, I finally got rid of my hair algae problem after a year or so...i added more plants did a couple water changes and stopped being lazy mostly. but my plants are kicking butt :)!
For me the long term solution for old tanks and all new has been to go heavy on the floating plants. Duckweed, frogbit, water lettuce. Strategic placement of feeder rings on the surface to make sure the stem plants are receiving adequate light. Or skip the stem plants entirely, do all floaters above a pure hardscape and chuck in a bunch of catappa leaves go for blackwater semi-biotope. Algae never. And of course be careful about the light duration. New tanks I go 6 hour light cycle for the first couple months then up to 8.
Amanos will eat them, from my experience at least. They have reliably wiped the algae off my pieces of woods. HOWEVER, you need to not feed them at all.
Amanos, pygmy corys, and otocinclus are doing such a great job in my tank I feel like I have to add food every once in a while because they pick the plants clean.
I disagree with the premise that hair algae is inevitable. BBA on the other hand...
@@sot8343 brother, green hair algae functions like a fast growing plants. They mainly are there cuz high nitrate/ nitrogenbased nutrients. BBA is mainly cuz of too much iron in the tank. I never have any problem with BBA, I just stopped /reduced the amount of liquid iron i put in the tank, less light and add more fast growing stem plants, all good.
Green hair algae on the other hand… 💀
@@JS_Gaiserik I should test that iron theory. My tank is fairly stable and the BBA is minute and manageable specks on hardscape. I should supplement iron and see if it grows.
My nitrates and phosphate doesn't register on tests.
@@sot8343 curious about it as well, hope I‘m correct on this one and wish you luck my friend
Nice information and really soo pleasant to listen and watch... And what's that black center piece fish mam
Just spent the last half hour clipping rotala and limno with clumps of hair algea on it. Noticed you uploaded a video and it's like deja vu.
Funny, I never thought a lot about it, but I did have this show up recently in my little (10 gallon) tank. I have totally forgotten about it. I think that the duckweed (or frogbit? I forget to be honest) that I introduced made the environment challenging for the hair algae, since the floating plants took over the surface and the tank light is usually a little dark and green. I remove some of the surface plants when I do water and filter changes and such. I only have shrimps and a few snails.
Hey! Im a new subscriber, I just came across your videos and love them! I was wondering if you have any advice for a 40 litre mini patio pond? Suitable fish for UK etc, thanks!
Timely video! My tank has been running around 6 weeks (so many cpd fry in that time lol) and I've had to remove so much hair algae. I've turned the lights down and shortened the time they're on but, like, I want to be able see my tank!
Could you do a video on on the beard algae’s
Hair algae is not an infection, it's but to an imbalance of phosphates to nitrates. All you need to do is manually remove it or hit it with a little hydrogen peroxide to get it to go away. From there you just need to process a bunch of water changes to reduce the phosphates. Done and done 😊
scuds and pothos. scuds will eat hair algae as long as you don't feed them to much fish food and pothos will suck the nutrients out of the water.
My fancy goldfish eat hair algae. Wouldnt really work to add them into any tank to remove them, though. I pull rocks/wood out from my tropical tank and feed it to my goldfish. They love chomping on it and a day later it's all gone.
Wow. I’ve never even thought to feed it to gold fish. I might try putting a rock or two in the pond and see if they do a good cleaning job. Cheers!
moss ball grew rampant on my carpeting plant...ended up scraping the whole thing after months of trying to pull it out.
The most effective algae eating shrimp I kept is caridina gracilirostris. The disadvantages are they're a little more sensitive than most caridina species and the ones I kept are very voracious eaters that they even consumed almost all of my aquarium plant leaves (after they finished consuming those algaes, they targeted my plants)
I introduced floating plants which pretty much eliminated the hair algae in my tank.
Adding riparium plants also helps significantly.
Thanku, timely advice, just planning setting up my first tank! ✌️
My mature Siamese algae eater eats the hair algae…I have been putting smothered wood into the tank with him and he’s cleaning it in a day or so
Hi! What is the species of that beautiful black cichlid you have in this vid? Great vid btw!!
Heyo. There’s a pair of apisto borellii in there. The male looks blue-grey in bright light and black-blue in shadows. Great little fish and wonderfully hardy.
Came here to ask the same question! ❤️
At least your hair algae is pretty :) I had a dose of black hair algae that was pretty-ish and under control til it wasn't :( Then came the .... pretty much everything you said... Then came the peroxide... Then my black hair algae turned bright red, then disappeared... Fish were fine, most plants were ok, and had a little regrowing to do, but it did save resetting my tank.
Haha. Part of me does quite like the short fur looking one😀. But Black hair algae is something I’ve actually avoided so far, though I know it will get me eventually. It’s practically a waiting game.
how does this compare to staghorn algae
Hair algae is not a negative it's a positive unless all you care about is how fancy your tank looks
The hair algae snail was hilarious to me. It’s hard but do your best not to over feed. Malawa shrimp, and goldfish eat hair algae happily. Guppy grass, water wisteria, hygrophila, and java moss can outcompete it.
NEVER use soap. Hot water and bleach or hot water with hydrogen peroxide, or hot water and vinegar, are safe.
Twizzle a tooth brush in it
You should be a narator yoh have a amazing voice also Siamese algae eater only eat it when young they stop when older
I’ve seen where people use peroxide to kill hair allergy. I’ve never been brave enough to do it myself.
1_menos luz
2_corydoras 5 o mas, se comen todo los restos de comida que cae al fondo!
3-plantas flotantes, consumen los nutrientes del agua y disminullen la luz.
4-photos planta, consume efectivamente nutrientes del agua.
5- menos comida, los peces no necesitan tanta comida, tus danios no se moriran con menos comida.
Your not doing car ads are you?
No, UA-cam ads are based on the watcher and location.
@DashDrones no I heard an ad on the radio the other day and it really sounded like Lauren. :)
@@speckledjim_oh hahaha 😂
Decrease light, hair algae can't grow without strong light.
No hair algue and keeping/measiing my phosphates and nitrates (I have to add nitrates to keep level at near optimum) therefore I don't think my feeding and stoking are an issue but then again even fast growing plants seem to decline over time and in the end do not make it (lighting?). My issue is with having BBA (or Staghorn?) in my tank. Sometimes it grows out of control on the slow growing plants then I remove infected leaves but I tend to keep it under control with 'chemicals', that does not fully remove it though.
Try running your tank water through a uvc unit. Any size, using a small water pump, similar to a water feature pump. This will prevent the spread and the growth. Turn the light off during the middle of the photoperiod for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Combine this with daily water changes of 25% to reduce nutrients and physical removal of the strands. As Lauren said, it's a long haul.