Bleach Dip

[FoundMoney]

Over the weekend I tried to clean my tank of excess hair algae. Aside from the hair algae my tank is in pretty good condition. However, the hair was starting to grow on most of my plants and was very unsightly. It also was covering my dwarf sag, which despite staying alive for the past two months has not really grown at all. I think part of the problem was the hair algae so I was determined to try and clean up the plants.

I mixed up a batch of bleach solution using a ratio of 20 to one. First, I took out all of the rocks and driftwood and gave them a good soak in the bleach solution. Then I pulled them out and scrubbed them with a toothbrush. I rinsed them off and set them aside to dry.

Next I took some of my plants that seemed to be most effected by hair algae and uprooted them. This included my dwarf sag and two amazon sword plants. I soaked each individual plant in the bleach solution for about 2 minutes then pulled them out and rinsed them with running tap water. With the sag the algae seemed to be pretty easy to pull off and I was able to remove most of it. The sword plants on the other hand were almost impossible to clean. I tried as best I could to remove the hair but when they are not submerged it is difficult to see. I removed a fair amount but before putting the plants back in knew there was still algae on them.

However, when I replanted them I noticed, especially the sword plant, that the leaves were now covered in white fuzz. Apparently, the algae that I didn't remove was bleached and is now white. The plants seem to have lost their color as well and are now a paler shade of green. Will the plants survive and will the white, fuzzy (dead?) algae come off the leaves? Is it safe for my otos to suck on the leaves? The bleach solution was thoroughly rinsed off of the plants. I'm not sure I did the right thing. Any suggestions?

 

[Jen]

Geez. I don't know the proper answer here, but I would think using bleach on live plants would 1) damage if not kill them, and 2) even though you washed them afterwards there could still be trace amounts of the bleach left which could be very harmful to your fish. I would really watch your fish/plants carefully for a few days before putting your otos in to suck on the leaves (especially since they can be very fragile)

Have you discovered why you have the algae in the first place?

 

[FoundMoney]

No, not really. It has been suggested to me that because there are phosphates in the tap water that it is the cause of the algae. However, I have also been told that that is poppycock and the phosphate is being used by the plants. I really don't know what the cause could be other than something is out of balance, light, CO2, fertilizer, etc., and it's going to take trial and error to get it right.

I have also read about "estimative indexing" which is where you do heavy water changes each week and heavy doses of macro and micro nutrients for the plants. At this point, 50% water changes are not practical for me and I'm not convinced this isn't detrimental to the fish, which for me are the main reason for having the tank. The plants are there to keep the fish happy, and looking nice is a side benefit.

Anyway, I'm not sure why the hair algae grew in the first place but it coincided with adding additional light and fertilizer. I've cut back on both but still have hair algae.

 

[Discomafia]

Algae problems are because of nutrients not in balance. Since you already know that your problem nutrient is phosphate, then why not get Hagen Phos-X which is supposed to remove phospate in your tank.

http/superfishstore.com/waterworld/nfosc...products_id=540

You also mentioned the bloom of the algae when you added new lighting. This is normal, and one solution is to get more plants so that they can absorb the extra nutrients. There is so much light and so few plants that all the excess nutrients that would be absorbed by the plants is not getting absorbed by the algae. Not good.

Stopping fertilising is a step in the right direction, continue to do so until your algea problem passes (esp. if you're using liquid ferts.) Cutting down on feeding is another thing you have to do. Less food = Less nutrients. Changing 50% of your water won't really help because the same nutrients are just being added into your water, (I'd think so...)

Better wait until one of the real experts come along. Oh yea, one more thing. I always thought that you have to dip it in the bleach solution of 19/20:1 for one minute, then into tap water for another minute, then into de-clorinated water for another minute. Lots of info. if you just do a forum search for "bleach dip" or something like that...

HTH

 

[FoundMoney]

Thanks for the reply. However, things seem to be running around in circles. I understand that phosphates can cause algae but plants need phosphates too. If you remove all the phosphates won't you starve your plants? Couldn't that result in greater algae? It's just what I've read elsewhere. I've been reading the Barr Reports and Tom Barr says that phosphates causing algae is a bit of a myth. It's all so confusing.

Actually, I think my tank has a fair amount of plants. I got the extra light so they would grow better, which they did, but the algae grew also. Now I'm using an interrupted light cycle and stopped the liquid ferts.

That's what I did for the bleach dip: 20:1, one minute; tap water rinse, dechlorinization. It's just that the algae died and is still stuck on the plants. Geez!

 

[Aulonochromis]

The white fuzz should rot away eventually.

 

[Lateral Line]

Higher plants utilise nutrients and light more efficiently then algae and other lower plants. Reducing phosphates and nitrates hits algae before it will higher plants.

I have lots of light, and lots of plants. No algae problems - my nutrients are not in excess.

If phosphates weren't a source of algae, how does this character explain the algae blooms in the sea and inland waterways that occur after agricultural areas in the outwash area have been treated with fertilisers?

 

[FoundMoney]

This "character" is not talking about seas, he's talking about tiny bodies of water called aquariums where it is very easy to adjust the environment. Many people follow the Estimative Index of dosing for their fish tank with good results. For practical reasons I cannot follow that method (I just can't do <50% water changes on a regular weekly basis). Anyway, it was reading posts in the Barr Report, and specifically ones written by Tom Barr that I read that phosphates are not usually the reason for excess algae in an aquarium.

Since I'm not going to be using the Estimative Index method I guess I'll put the PhosGuard back in the filter.

 

[Dubby]

That's what I did for the bleach dip: 20:1, one minute; tap water rinse, dechlorinization. It's just that the algae died and is still stuck on the plants. Geez!

This is normal. The algae will fall off in a day or two. Just make sure you vacuum and pick it off before it decides to grow back

 

[Lateral Line]

Tom Barr that I read that phosphates are not usually the reason for excess algae in an aquarium.

My comment about the sea etc., is a reflection on the established link between algal blooms and the use of fertilisers in the area that drains into the said water body.

If there is excess of a nutrient in an eco system, no matter what it's size may be, something will use it. If nutrients are in short supply, those life forms which use the scant resource most efficiently will replace those which squander them.

The occurance of large quantities of algae in an aquarium where there are also higher plants indicates the presence of more then enough nutrients for the available higher plants. Therefore add more higher plants, or reduce the available nutrients.

I doubt Tom Barr would disagree. Ask him.