hair / and or string algae

[Boyam]

I have been developing a problem with this annoying string algae my gib or ottos will not touch. any suggestions besides me shoveling through it every day when i see it :-p it is in a planted tank so i do not believe i can use any algae killers unless i want wilted plants.

thanks in advance!

[ILLUSN]

Try a dose of florish excell, the extra carbon wil proably give your plants an edge to out compeat the algae, other methods ae increasing the number of fast growing plants in your tank, or trying a 3 day blackout to starve the algae of light.

gibbis' love hair/string algae, try not offering any extar food for the gibbi for a few days and see if the algae disapears.

[DiscusDave]

I have been developing a problem with this annoying string algae my gib or ottos will not touch. any suggestions besides me shoveling through it every day when i see it :-p it is in a planted tank so i do not believe i can use any algae killers unless i want wilted plants.

thanks in advance!

You can use Seachem Excel as an algae killer in a planted tank - you squirt directly onto the algae using a syringe (be sure to follow the dosage instructions - it has been reported to be toxic to fish when overdosed). It'll probably come back though unless you address the root cause. You need to make sure your plants have a balance of the right amount of light and CO2 and nutrients - to much or little of any one factor can promote algae.

[Bill Tune]

I don't kow if this helps, but I had a lot of black hairy algae at one stage.
I got these fish called flying foxes & they eat the algae. Worked OK until they got a taste for other stuff.

[Boyam]

i have had a gibbi in the tank before this issue even started. he likes to sit on the beef heart though.... dodgie bugger. good news is he is the best looking gibbi i have ever seen? lol.