Strange HAIRS growing...

[FishKids]

For the last 2 weeks we have seen little hairs that grow along the edges of everything in the tank, but primarily on the vegetation, along the top of a large lava rock, and the plastic ornamental diver attached to air that lifts open a treasure chest.

It grows to about ½ inch, seems harmless to the fish, and if removed these hairs will grow back overnight, first white then turning to black.

We are long after a successful ICH treatment, nearly 4 weeks now, and finally enjoying a flourishing tropical tank. The community of fish are on a steady diet and happier then ever. We have a breeder cage of 33-day old fry guppies doing extremely well. We have recently stopped feeding them Liguifry No2 for the TetraColor flakes. We seem to remember something regarding the Liquifry food causing unusual hair-like growth, but since we stopped this liquid diet 7-days ago it should have stopped??

If this is recognizable to anyone…, and can you please recommend a method to stop the growth? Also, are these hairs biological life or vegetation? Cheers!

 

[CFC]

It is hair algea, as you said it is harmless but very unsightly.

Hair algea is caused by a number of factors, the first is excess nitrates which can be the result of any number of reasons from high nitrate levels in tapwater to over feeding and lack of tank maintainance, i suggest taking a nitrate reading from both your tapwater and your tank, if the result is over 40ppm from either then you will need to look at reducing the levels.
The second is too much exposure to light, if your tank is in a position that it recieves direct sunlight or your tank lights are on for too long that can be a major cause, unplanted tanks should recieve no more than 8 hours a day of light and planted no more than 12.
The third is too much surface agitation, algea uses oxygen rather than the co2 that most other plants use and so thrives in tanks which have airstones and powerheads which speed up the gas exchange rates. In a correctly stocked tank just a gentle movement of the waters surface is enough to oxygenate the water.

The cause of the algea can be any one or all of these factors so dealing with all 3 should see a reduction in the algea immiedietly but unfortunately now it has established its self it will be very difficult to remove completely, the only real way to irradicate it for good is to remove all the plants and throw them away and to boil and scrub all the hard decor.

 

[FishKids]

I believe you are *VERY* correct at identifying this problem as hair algae. There was a time when our Nano Cube (...a very brightly lit aquarium) was receiving light FOR 16 HOURS A DAY. We became aware of excess brown algae and the advice we received was similar to yours. We have since used no more then 12 hours of daily exposure.

YOUR WROTE: “too much surface agitation”

Excess aeration causing agitation was also applied not long ago for a period of 5-days during a bout with ICH. The temperature was slowly raised to 86F to accelerate the ICH cycle. We were told to add *LOADS* of air since the high heat tends to lower oxygen. BTW. All the fish survived as well as all the plants using Rid-ICH.

YOUR WROTE: "the only real way to irradiate it for good is to remove all the plants and throw them away and to boil and scrub the entire hard decor"

Yiks! Are you sure that we’re stuck with this hair algae until we remove all the plants and “scrub”? Is there nothing else that could be recommended?

Finally, the Nitrate levels, as all other levels are being *VERY WELL* maintained. The maintenance is *SO* routine that this tank is sparkling. No exaggerations either. I am *SO* proud of the results after all the effort, time, and dollars…, especially after having done some real idiotic things at the very start like filling the tank with too many fish all too quick.

Cheers.

 

[CFC]

I have found through experience that the only sure way to be completely rid of hair algea is a complete tank break down, usually by the time you have removed the leaves that are covered with the hair algea from the plants there isnt much left of them anyway. If any hair algea is left it will just spread again, you can slow it down by taking away its nutrient sources but it is my experience that once it is present it will continue to spread.

I do not recomend any form of ageacide to be used in tanks containing fish, these are very strong poisens that seriously affect the oxygen levels and bacteria colonies in the tank, however if you wish to try and save some of the plants keeping them in a sperate tank or container with a algeacide added to the water can work.