Hair algae killing me

[Wildwhimsy]

I’m looking for some help troubleshooting hair algae that’s absolutely destroying my Wallichii.

The Wallichii was planted as tissue cultures when I first rescaped the tank. The hair algae is heavily attached to the stems and manual removal hasn’t been very successful—it doesn’t want to let go of the plants.

My biggest concern right now is honestly the algae. I know my CO₂ isn’t where I want it to be, but the algae is getting bad enough that I’m worried it’s going to kill a huge portion of the Wallichii before I get everything dialed in.

Current setup:
UNS 20
Skylight Hyperspot at 100 percent
Photoperiod: 7:30 AM–3:15 PM
Apt 3 1 pump per gallon during weekly water change
CO₂ via inline atomizer
Parameters (5/30):

• pH: 6.6
• NH₃/NH₄: 0
• NO₂: 0
• NO₃: 20–30 ppm
• GH: 14
• KH: 4
• TDS : 323
• CO2: 65ppm midway through photo period

I’m also struggling to get my CO₂ dialed in consistently. The CO₂ reading was about 65 ppm around the middle of the photoperiod, but I had just turned the bubbles per second down because it was clearly too high. If I lower it enough to avoid overshooting, it seems perfect at lights-on but ends up too low by the middle of the day. If I raise it enough to maintain levels later in the photoperiod, I overshoot and end up where I am now.

I’ve tried manually removing the algae, but it’s so attached to the Wallichii that I can’t really get it off without damaging the plants.

At this point I’m trying to figure out:

• Is this primarily a CO₂ stability issue?
• Is the Hyperspot too much light for this tank?
• Should I be aggressively trimming/removing affected stems?
• What would you do to stop the algae before it wipes out the Wallichii?

Any advice would be appreciated. I’m feeling like I’m chasing multiple problems at once and the algae is winning.

 

[CincyScaper]

You could target 1 parameter at a time

Light - use the Photone app to get par level at base. A good starting point would be 50.

Co2 - could try keeping at the bubble when overshoots, but increase surface agitation by lifting lily pipes up a little bit

Plants - for fast growing plants trim the healthy tops and replant. Discard the lower algae ridden part.

Would only resort to algicide for hair algae if these don’t work or if the algae affects the healthy part of newly planted stems. I went through a hair algae phase that you can read in my journal

 

[Wildwhimsy]

For the walichi would replanting it be an option? It’s such a small amount that isn’t effected at the top.

 

[Scaper26]

For the walichi would replanting it be an option? It’s such a small amount that isn’t effected at the top.

Wallichii tends to do that when the tank is new and nutrients are high. This will go away as your tank and nutrient level stabilizes. Trim the tops, toss the bottoms and replant the tops

 

[Wildwhimsy]

Light - use the Photone app to get par level at base. A good starting point would be 50

PAR is approx 150-200 at substrate level using the photone app. It’s stronger directly under the spotlights from the hyperspot and a little less not in those areas

 

[Koan]

Chihiros Hyperspot at 100 percent

because it was clearly too high. If I lower it enough to avoid overshooting, it seems perfect at lights-on but ends up too low by the middle of the day. If I raise it enough to maintain levels later in the photoperiod, I overshoot

Are your fish stressed?

In my experience hair algae loves it when CO2 changes up and down and high light just gives them the turbo boost.

Rather than trying to hit some optimum co2, I would target one where your livestock are comfortable, and don't let yourself change it for 2 months. Let the plants settle down.

 

[Wildwhimsy]

View attachment 17450

Skylight hyperspot*

 

[Koan]

Haha didn't even catch that

The 100% is the issue

 

[Wildwhimsy]

View attachment 17450

Are your fish stressed?

In my experience hair algae loves it when CO2 changes up and down and high light just gives them the turbo boost.

Rather than trying to hit some optimum co2, I would target one where your livestock are comfortable, and don't let yourself change it for 2 months. Let the plants settle down.

If you watch the video you can see the fish. They don’t seem stressed to me . At least not right now but I can keep an eye out. I did bump it down the teeniest bit because 65 seems real real high

 

[CincyScaper]

PAR is approx 150-200 at substrate level using the photone app. It’s stronger directly under the spotlights from the hyperspot and a little less not in those areas

Maybe others with high nitrate levels have a different experience, but in my tank with low nitrate I get great growth and coloration with 50 PAR at substrate. I can see how if someone wanting to sell plants or have display tanks to show difficult to grow plants targeting such high PAR, but for the regular hobbyist I think 50 is a good starting and ending point IMHO.

 

[JayP]

I agree with the others. Great light, but that super high par for nearly 8 hours a day mixed with the tank still being "young" and CO2 and nutrients still in flux, I'm actually surprised your not seeing more algae.

 

[CincyScaper]

If you watch the video you can see the fish. They don’t seem stressed to me . At least not right now but I can keep an eye out. I did bump it down the teeniest bit because 65 seems real real high

The biggest mistake I did with co2 injection is underestimating the role of surface agitation.

This is a video of my current agitation (background sound
View attachment IMG_7031.mov
effect courtesy of my kids) which holds co2 steady, it doesn’t seem to be a problem if the water level drops lower causing more agitation. But if I fill it up too much I loose the agitation and co2 builds up and can see fish gasping.

Not sure if it is the lean dosing but I don’t get surface scum unless something is seriously wrong such as a dead fish, but I run a skimmer nevertheless to make sure surface air exchange is good.