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Brush Algae


Cichlids_au

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Hi Gang

I have some corro that I am not able to answer as I don't keep plants. Could someone offer a solution please?

Hello,

I have a problem of “BRUSH ALGAE” in my planted aquarium.  And after trying out varies suggestions from fish shops and from web postings, I’m sad to say that I’m running out of ideas sad.gif

I’ve tried manually ‘pulling them off’ leaves.  Doing this is very tedious and hardly affects the overall population of brush algae!  What’s more, a small proportion of removed algae remain suspended in the aquarium thus collecting in another region when the filters back running; and the cycle continues.

Another advice I got was to try a product on the market that supposably eradicates this nuisance!  Azoo Brush Magic.  Again, this works to an extent, more like above the ordinary dosage!  I tried following the instructions at first, but it didn’t seem to doing anything at all, except make the water cloudy.  The brush algae still grew and spread.  So then I decided to remove the plants and bogwood from the aquarium and treat them in isolation, while adding 3x the dosage on a daily bases and changing 50% of the water every 5 days!  This appeared to work!  After a week or 2, you can see the brush algae turn white and start to reduce in size.  However I found this form of treatment has detrimental effect on the plant!  The leaves often turn yellow around the edges and eventually the leaf dies, probably due to poisoning! 

Then with the bogwood and plants (what’s left of it) back into the aquarium for a couple months, to no surprise, the brush algae is back on them!

Maybe the only way is to ‘start from scratch’; remove everything and replace everything….but I won’t do this until I’ve exhausted every avenue!

I have read of a ‘drastic’ way to remove algae from plants is to soak them in diluted bleach (like 10-25% bleach solution for 2-3 mintues then rinsed clean).  I’m wondering if you have tried this before?  Which brand do you recommend? Was it successful?  More importantly, did it affect the fish when the plants were introduced to the aquarium?

Another thing I read is to introduce a Crossocheilus siamensis (Siamese Algae Eater) into the aquarium, as this is the only ‘known’ fish to eat brush algae.  I think this is the path I’ll try next.  Just have to relocate my red-tail shark to another tank!

In the meantime, if you have other suggestions or know of sites that address this issue, I’d be most appreciative!

Regards

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Another thing I read is to introduce a Crossocheilus siamensis (Siamese Algae Eater) into the aquarium, as this is the only ‘known’ fish to eat brush algae.  I think this is the path I’ll try next.  Just have to relocate my red-tail shark to another tank!

This is the most effective method in my opinion. I had a problem once in a discuss tank, i introduced 4 siamensis and within a fortnight the fish had eaten it all. Within 3 months the fish had doubled in size. I'd say unless the red tail shark is big enough to eat the siamensis it should be ok to keep them together.

Anthony

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I agree, I have Crossocheilus siamensis in all my tanks. I have never seen any algae problems. They are all planted.

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Had BBA for countless of periods during the past years, never once have my SAEs chomped on them or even won the battle at that.

I've just tried a new experiment that i read online.

Battling them with Seachem Florish 'Excel'

On first reading i though that was crap but after an experiment, boy was it true!

Just double the specified dose of excel on the bottle watch them turn red within days or weeks, then watch the fishes go for them or BBA naturally dissapear.

A word of caution though, try it at your own risk, i've heard of some who've lost lifestock after overdosing over 3 times. Just to share my own experience, i've overdosed 2wice the amount everyday and it worked, no casualties, but once again try at your own risk!

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You have to starve them for them to start eating the algie. If they have other food they will not eat it.

Anthony

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An update

Just an update on how things are going.  After introducing 2 SAE's into my 24inch tank yesterday, I am already noticing a difference in my BBA population.  The two are very peculiar in that they alternate between playing and eating, around the clock.  Watching them eat the BBA’s is the most rewarding act!  It looks like using an ‘edge-timmer’ on grass!  The first few nibbles take the BBA’s tips off.  Subsequent nibbles have the leaves looking new again!!!  They don’t take to the larger BBA’s as well, probably because the algae is better ‘rooted’ to the leaf/wood.  So I give them a hand by pulling them off.

My SAE’s are fast becoming my favourite; sorry ‘Bruce – my 3 year old Angel’.

Apart from the above tank, I also bought 6 SAE’s for my Aquaone 850!  These ones are younger than the 2 in the 24in tank and so are taking a little longer to adjust to living with larger tank mates.  I was concerned that my red-tail shark might make a meal of them, bit he doesn’t seem interested; thank God!

Thanx gang thumb.gif

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Glad it worked smile.gif , it's a bit more evidence towards those who don't believe that SAE actually eat the bearded algie.

Anthony

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Yeah these siamese fox r awesome!!!,,,i have a 5x2x2 and this Brush algae was so annoying!!,,,totally killing my anubias on the wood!!,,,so i bought 3 of them and they cleaned it up in a couple of weeks!,,,what adelaide said about making sure they r not full is true,,,my SAE got lazy and started eating what i feed the other fish n it didnt want to eat some some of the other brush algae!,,so what i did was i removed the anubias and put it in a bucket with a heater n the SAE and a few days later it cleaned it!!! thumbup.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good question baz, i Have no idea. It seems to grow if you allow the other forms of algie to get bad enough. My plecos and Bn's prevent it and any other algie from forming in the first place. A mate of mine had a hunch that it comes in through tap water but i really have no idea.

Anthony

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  • 1 month later...

I had a bad casse of bba in my tank so I tried the Seachem Excel overdosing method. It was amazing. In 4 to 5 days all of the bba was gone.

I have a 4x2x2 tank, about 400 litres and I dosed 50ml each day. My discus, tetras, rams and cats were all fine.

It is reccomended that you 2x or 3x the dose.

Dave.

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