RyeGuy411 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 I cycled a 10g tank a couple months ago in hopes of adding my TB to it as they breed out in my 7.5g tank. Once the tank was cycled I added a couple neos as testers, then a few days later a low quality BB. Everything was good until I noticed nasty green thread algae growing on everything, the freaking walls, sponge filter, plants, substrate, its EVERYWHERE! I have been dealing with it by trying to pull it off every few days and it makes no difference. I figure my light is too strong so I raised my light which has helped to slow it down but it is driving me crazy. I was going to break down the tank and start over but I have about 20 buces and a bunch of moss that I cant stand scrapping. So I decided to move the shrimp out of the tank, put the moss and buce in a bucket and declare war. I bought API Algae fix and dosed the tank and plants last night. After I follow the directions on the bottle with three treatments I was planning on rinsing the plants and buce really well then soaking overnight in prime and tap water. I was going to do a couple major water changes on the tank, add the plants back then add a couple neos as testers. I was wondering if anyone has tried anything like this or has used AlgaeFix on thread algae. From what I have read it is toxic to shrimp so im hoping I can dilute it enough to make it safe for shrimp again. But it does look like it is effective at this type of algae outbreak and I am willing to try anything to get this crap gone! I am considering a two pronged attack with h2o2 as well. I tried excel originally and that did nothing but kill my fissidens, so that is out of the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch3fb0yrdee Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hey Rye- I used to have a pretty bad case of this type of algae inside my 10G PRL tank. Lighting is definitely going to be the cause. Firstly, increase the distance between the tank top and light further. I read that you’ve already increased the distance, so if you cannot further increase the distance then you may need to add a sort of tint over the light. Spread the tint evenly out (I can show you a sample of what I did with my T5s when I’m home and can take a photo). Secondly, clean the tank as much as you can. Using a toothbrush clean the algae on the surfaces of the tank. Then using a small airline hose, start sucking out the pieces and bits of the algae that has fallen and settled on the surface of the gravel. Lastly, perform these waterchanges for the next few weeks. Do this frequently to prevent new algae from growing. By reducing the intensity of the light it will slow/halt the growth of new algae. Eventually the tank will balance and the algae is disappear. You probably will avoid swapping out the substrate and start the cycling process again. I’m always cautious of adding algaecides to my tank as I do not know the extent it will have on my shrimps. You can never be too sure on the residuals of a chemical nuke. I think there are a few members here who has adopted the MK-Breed approach and methodology whereas they will cycle with their lights on for 24/7 and cultivate algae in massive amounts. I believe they’ve reported massive success with breeding as their shrimps utilize the algae as a food source (either directly or the microbes growing on the algae). I’m unsure if they reduce the amount of algae growing inside their tanks when it’s cycled but I believe they can chime in and provide great assistance on this subject. MK-BreedERs out there! ShrimpSpoters need further assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 On SD's advice I actually am buying new lights for both my tanks to reduce the lighting intensity. I also bought a diffuser panel for flourescent drop ceiling fixtures which I have cut to size for the top of both my tanks. So after my chemical treatments consisting of AlgaeFix, And H2o2 and blackout, I will have a new lower intensity light raised up as high as I can get it with a diffuser. I am hoping that the combination of all these things will keep the algae from coming back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch3fb0yrdee Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Switching from what? LEDs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Going from the Finnex Planed+ to Finnex Stingray lights. Elo500 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manticore Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 please put some clear pictures with the problems you have. there are 8000 species algae, it would be better to see all that by ourselves in order to give you a fair opinion; please put pictures and wirte us how the light is working (as lighting program, how many hours and when) as water chemistry the most important values to know are pH, KH, PO4, NO3 and conductivity. when we see all that, i will give my personal opinion on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 I will post pictures when I get home. My light is the 20" Finnex Planted + running for 8hrs with a one hour break the light come on at 1pm and goes off at 10pm. The tank is in a basement with almost no natural light at all and gets no direct sun. The ph last I checked with the API test was 6.5, I ordered a pH meter but the probe came before my storage and calibration solutions so I have to wait to use it. The kH is 0, I do not have a phosphate test kit or conductivity tester. I have not done a nitrate test in the last week but last I checked it was <5ppm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manticore Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 i need to see pictures of the tank, and of the algae if possible...all the values i mentioned are important in cases of algae.. it is probably only the fotoperiode, but i will say more after seing the pictures. the solution might be much more simple than you think, but just wait for pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citycode01 Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I had the same problem in my community tank when I made super bright LED lights and added CO2 and fets. You had to see that swamp, all type of algae were everywhere I though this is the end but I decided to try last think - the black out! I covered my tank with bin bags for 4 days without feeding the fish and no light at all. When I removed the bags I couldn't believe my eyes - the water was crystal clear with no algae at all. They all gone. I reduced the light power and cut the duration to 9 hours it's been 4 month since and no sign of algae! Try it you won't regret! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Shrimp Depot Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Rather than reduce the intensity of the light by changing light, I'd reduce the intensity of the lights by putting frogbit or water lettuce (I hate duckweed) floating on the surface. These are nitrate sponges and will easily out compete the algae for nutrients as they have access to unlimited CO2 being exposed to the atmosphere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I tried floaters they will not work in this tank with the filter. It dunks anything under water and eventually kills anything I have tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Have you tried putting a line across the top of the tank so the floaters will not go past it to get dunked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Have you tried putting a line across the top of the tank so the floaters will not go past it to get dunked? Im actually going to alter the filter outlet so it directs the flow horizontal across the water surface instead of straight down. Soothing Shrimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mosspearl Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 I would also be interested in seeing pics of the algae and of the tint ShrimpFan mentioned. Always trying to learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manticore Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 up the point i do not se pictures any comment would be from my point of view pretty far away from any possible reality... have seen many cases.. for 5 years i saw 2/3 cases a day at least... and learned not to talk but ony to get first the facts... any other comment are from my point of view specilations.. because words and ideas can be very missleading. water values/parameters and pictures are facts. more than 90 % of all those cases i also managed to get under control... so still waiting for info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted April 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Ok I retested my parameters ph is 6.3, nitrates are 5ppm, got a phosphate kit and it's 0, kH 0. Can't test conductivity. But TDS is 160 this is not what it looks like. This stuff is everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted April 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Its bright green and hard, it will kind of pull out with a brush but its brittle and just keeps breaking. I remove it and within a couple days its as bad as it was before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miwu Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 I'm on tapatalk so I can't link you, but check out the "Red Nose Shrimp" thread in my sponsor section. I don't have any available but you might be able to find them at an LFS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chibikaie Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Ask John @ Monster if he has those shrimp in stock or can get them for you. He's had them in the past - I didn't see any this past Sunday but wasn't really looking at the shrimp. So ... I also gotta ask ... have we tried rooibos on this type of algae? Soothing Shrimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manticore Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 the easiest solution in this case is take out the mosses and insert a SAE of 4/5 cm. also it would make sense longterm a larger lightbrake of about 3 hours. it is a personal opinion... this would be what i would do in that case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manticore Posted April 2, 2015 Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 if what it is there in the picture is caloglossa, that i would not advise using algicides (from these algicides those containing monolinuron are the most eefective) as caloglossa is also in fact an algae, as most of us know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyeGuy411 Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2015 I did treat the plants with an algacide and it seems to be working. The algae has softened and become thinner and is losing its bright green color. I also treated the tank itself with a double dose since there is nothing alive in the tank anymore, all plants and shrimp have been removed. The tank algae does seem to be dying pretty quickly, I also combined it with a blackout going on four days today. I decided to break the tank down anyway and do a complete reset. I wanted to do a substrate change and completly rescape the tank. I did purchase new lights for both my tanks which seem to already be working much better on my smaller tank. I appreciate the suggestions and I hope to start the tank back off properly without algae and lower intensity lighting to avoid this problem in the first place. manticore 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpy Daddy Posted April 3, 2015 Report Share Posted April 3, 2015 Hi Rye, I forgot whether I told you this before. If the algae is only growing on stuffs that you could take it out of the tank, you could treat it by dripping Revive Vita directly. Take them out and dry them with paper towel. Drip undiluted Revive Vita and leave it for 10 mins. If the it is delicate plant/ moss, then just leave 2 to 5 mins (may need to repeat after 3 days, depending on the type of algae). After that, they should die within 3 days to a week. This method works on all algae. But some kind of BBA is more resilient and need to treat the second time. Cheers. Shrimpy Daddy manticore and RyeGuy411 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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