Help, fuzzy plants

[808kb]

Hi, can someone tell me what to do about algae growing on my plants. It started on some java ferns now I see it on my spiral vals.

-My tank is a 92 gallon corner about 27" tall
-I've got 2x65 watt 6500k (one running 12 hours, other 8)
-No Co2
-Temp: 84-85
-substrate- ADA amazonia, bright sand w/substrate heater
-2 albino bristlenose, 6 small discus, 3 rams
I've been doing about a 20% change of water every 3 days.

[lillou]

Can you give a little more information other than fuzzy?

Color?

Can you take a few pics and post em?

[Eyal]

808kb , You didn't say which plants you have there ?
And how much % surface is planted ?

[GrillMaster]

If it is black, fuzzy and hard to remove its probably bba. Get some flourish excel an double dose the directions for a few days. That will zap it pretty quick. It will turn pink, then white, then disappear.

Then just dose normally every other day.

tc
Mark

[808kb]

Thank you everyone for the responses. The algae is growing on my java ferns and corkskrew vals. My tank is moderately planted with a piece of driftwood along with ozelot swords, jungle vals, red melon sword, couple crypts, anubias nanas, and a bunch of amazon swords. I'll try and post some pics. The algae is thick, black and hairlike. Other than the albino Bn's, should I add some sae's (Crossocheilus siamensis ).

[pinkertd]

I also get this algae on my plants. I had an SAE in the tank for a long time and after he died, it took me a long time to figure out why all of a sudden I had this algae growing on the plants. No other fish will touch it, but the SAE's had done such a great job that I never knew it existed. Apparently it can come in with another plant and....very difficult to eradicate. SAE's are the only fish that will eat this algae. They do a great job! From time-to-time the SAE's will pester the discus a little, but they don't have the sucker mouths that pleco's do to suck the slime coat. I've not tried the Excel Flourish to get rid of it, but I'd like to. If you get an SAE, just be sure it is a true SAE, the stripe along the side of their body should go all the way through the tail, not stop where the tail starts.

[808kb]

Thanks Debbi. I was wondering how many more fish can my tank handle. I'm concerned with the bioload especially with this algae battle I have going on. I've got a full blown reef with just one fish, because I didn't want the same problem. I would love to add some true sae's. How many can I add? I've read they do better in schools. So far my 92 gallon tank has:
6 juv. discus
9 rasbora tetras
3 sm. german rams
2 albino bn's (my favorite, always working)

[pinkertd]

My first was really a true flying fox. When he died, I put another flying fox in (72 gallons) and got a pair of SAE's,,,it took me so long to figure out that nothing was different in my tank or water that caused this algea to "suddenly" grow that I had ended up with a crop of it! They cleaned it up in no time and as long as they are in the tank you NEVER see a trace of it. It didn't seem like there was enough algea after a while for all 3 of them so I gave away the SAE's (big mistake!). Now I just have the flying fox and this one isn't eating that algae! My LFS is getting more in next week so I'm going to just get one since it's impossible to catch that flying fox and get him out of there. I'm not moving the driftwood and plants to catch him......unless he starts to bother my discus! When I had the two SAE's they seemed very content, always swimming and twirling around together. They seem always busy eating and they don't hide away like the flying fox. I always hate to just have one of any kind of fish, they all want to be with their own kind and I always think they're lonely:) But I know sometimes I have to do that. I think your tank could easily handle 2 of them.

[808kb]

Haha. You sound like my wife. When we picked up the tetras, there was one left in the tank and she wouldn't leave the shop got him because he was by "himself." Can you or anyone reading this thread recommend any books on planted tanks? I thought it would be cake compared to my reef, but guess not.:p

[willbldrco]

Following are some pictures of plants in my tank affected by various forms of algae. Over the past 2 months as I've worked to migrate my tank from a 3 year old heavily planted Vallisneria americana only tank to a tank with a variety of plants which can live in conditions suitable for discus (which I have yet to add). During that 2-month time, as I've tweaked the various nutrient levels, I've seen blooms of the different types of algae pictured here. Perhaps you can compare these pictures to what you're seeing so that I can tell you what I did to get rid of it. For the past 2 weeks, my tank has seen very little algae, with very little tweaking on my part, and it's looking awesome!

Beard algae (long):
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/432242875_ac5d482ec5.jpg

Beard algae (short):
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/432242873_f0a5f3e6ed.jpg

Spot algae:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/432242883_9381efbd16.jpg

Brown brush algae:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/432242879_ffd4ef08e0.jpg

Here are a couple web resources I used to identify and deal with algae:
http://www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com
http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9

(the second of these two sites has an excellent picture of an SAE pointing out feature-by-feature how to identify them from similar-looking fish)

I have had 4 Siamese Algae Eaters (SAEs) in my tank for a couple of years. At the start of my 2-month migration, I added two tiny Otocinclus (Ottos) who really love to chow down on the remaining algae.

2 of my SAEs:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/432242885_8a12ba449e.jpg

Before and after picks of my aquarium (55 gal):

Before:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/432256165_18a033787a.jpg

After 2 months:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/432256167_cf90a4250b.jpg

Regards,

Will