Hair Algae turning red.

[scans]

I had a little hair algae problem for the past few weeks. Started dosing with Big Al's Multi-Purpose Plant Food, Seachem Flourish Excel, and uped the CO2 a little. Now the hair algae is turning red. Does this mean it is dying off or getting stronger?

Thanks

[discusdave]

I had a little hair algae problem for the past few weeks. Started dosing with Big Al's Multi-Purpose Plant Food, Seachem Flourish Excel, and uped the CO2 a little. Now the hair algae is turning red. Does this mean it is dying off or getting stronger?

Thanks

It means it is dying.
Dave

[scans]

YIPPEEEEE:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[kjmillerfw]

Yep...mine did that after dosing with Flourish Excel. Then is soon disappeared all together. :D

[scans]

IT is good to see the algae going away, but I can't figure out my val's are breaking down. Is there anything specific about them I should know?

[Dissident]

Are you trimming the tops of the valls? That will cause them to melt slowly.
I have to trim the jungle valls in my 110x all the time and after a week or so I have to snip the melting leaves down at the base of the plant.

[scans]

I had not trimmed them. They were all new. I hope it was just a little shock. They seem to be making a comeback. I see a bunch of new shoots comming up out of the sand.

[Dissident]

depending where they came from they could have been emersed growth and just need time to adjust to submersed growth. They should kick back in and grow like weeds if you are seeing new shoots. If you want to give them a leg-up add some substrate ferts around the plants.

[scans]

Got a recomendation for a good substrate fert? Can household plant fertilizers be used?

[Alight]

NO to household plant fertilizers!!! If you read the ingredients, you'll notice most contain a bunch of ammonia! Not good!

Fluorish plant tabs are good, but expensive substrate fertilizers. I'd like to know others that are just as good, but less expensive!

[Dissident]

The Jobe sticks (for ferns) have been very popular in the planted tank community, that is a very inexpensive way to go. I have used them and they work well. I have seen a few cases where somone will make a layer on the bottom of the tank and then cover them with gravel (not that I would reccomend that route though). You only need to use 1/2 and do not dig them up unless you like high PO4 leves and lots of GSA or green water.

Personally I like flourish tabs, sera also makes a good substrate fert that will not foul water.

[scans]

Fluorish tabs it is...Thanks again folks! The liquids worked well but I go through TOO much of them with a constant drip water change.

[Alight]

Also, the root tabs really do encourage root growth in root feeder plants better than liquid ferts, at least in my experience.

In fact, they also encourage root growth in water column feeders, too.

[scans]

Kool !

[Alight]

Your post finally convinced me to give the Fluorish Excel treatment a try. And it IS WORKING. I have a low tech tank, so I guess it's not a surprise, but the BBA and most of the thread algae is gone in less than week, and the plants are doing very, very well, including the Rotala Magenta I bought on a whim.

I may give DIY CO2 a try, too, as preparation for a full, high tech CO2 tank. I have been reluctant to try CO2 as I somehow feel that my overloaded Discus population needed as little CO2 around as possible, but after seeing the effects of the Excel, well I'm tempted!