I don't have anything against the usual algae that grows lightly on the glass and decorations. I have some of that, but it's never been a problem and I think a little bit of it contributes to the charm of an aquarium. However, I'm currently at war with a hideous infestation of beard, or brush, algae. It looks like dark brown furry mud clumping on my plants. It's really ugly, and I hate it! A few weeks ago, I tried the recommended method of bleaching the plants and decorations. For about 3 days, the tank was sparkling clean and algae-free. Then it returned with a vengeance. It thinks it's winning, but I'm not done fighting yet!

Then I spent the last several weeks asking every pet store in the area if they had Siamese Algae Eaters, which are supposedly one of the only fish that will touch this kind of algae, or could order me some. No luck, but they had plenty of Chinese Algae Eaters. Why do stores stock CAE's in abundance, when they don't even eat a lot of algae when they grow up, and get aggressive? Oh well, some sources say that SAE's might not help much anyway.

So my plan now is to take out all the plants, bleach and scrub them, and hang them in the sun to dry for a week or so (these are fake plants, obviously I can't do that with live ones ). During this time, I may or may not treat the tank with an algae killer. I don't like using chemicals unless I have no choice. But I'm worried that the algae may be lurking in the gravel and other surfaces of the tank, and will start growing on the plants once they're back in the water - since that's apparently what happened before. My other option is to take the tank apart and bleach the gravel and everything, but I won't consider that because the upheaval will probably stress and kill many of my fish.

I have clown loaches, dojos, yoyos, cories, ottos, and a kuhli. I'm not sure how sensitive they are to copper. The medicine's ingredients are .67% diuron (dichlorophenyl, dimethylurea) and .05% copper sulfate. Does anyone know if this will kill my scaleless fish, or if a half dose would work to kill the algae?

Is it the same stuff as in my

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I've heard about the Siamese Flying Fox being the best option. Otocinlus, and Green Barbs, will apparently help themselves to some. My young Bristlenose have cleared a few patches off leaf and glass. But I think they do that in passing, not actually there to feed on it.

I guess it's the usual stuff, reduce your lighting, reduce your feeding, increase the water changes, "Put real plants in!". You've heard it all before. If it's the same crap I've got, little seems to impact it. I think the rocks and Stumps look ok with it (it waves in the current - almost gives the tank a Marine feel!), it comes off the glass and equipment easily enough. The trick is ensuring the plants outgrow it, or else they DO look ugly.

Copper treatment shouldn't exceed 0.4 mg/litre. I know Copper is particulary toxic to the Red Tail Black Shark. I would only be taking an educated guess in thinking that Loaches would be susceptible to it. And that would be because they're 'scaleless'.

I'm about to pop out to my local Aquarium now, I'll see what info is available there...

Yeah, my local Aquarium guy agree's with what I've said in regard to the Loaches. There must be Algaecides available to you without Copper tho'?

I've got one here that's made by the same people as Pimafix and Melafix. It's called 'AlgaeFix'. I didn't do the full treatment, but after a few days, my pump inlet was absolutely clogged with waste Algae. So I guess it does something. A friend of mine mis-read the instructions, and dosed at %1000 the rate. He only killed one or two fish, and after a large and hasty water change, he had a crystal clear tank.

We have a local product, that you may not have, called 'Aquarium Conditioning Block'. Made by 'Science Products'. It looks like a small block of white chocolate, the packaging doesn't list contents at all! Some local Aquariums swear by it. I used it at under half dose, and it took out half my plants! Of course this is not a concern for you.

My friend with the crystal clear tank, only has his lights on for a few hours in the evening. He does huge and frequent water changes. And is frugal in his feeding. So I suppose that regime works. But he can't get his plants to grow for nuts! So I guess this is one for the Plastic People...

And a quick Addendum: I remember you were looking at Shrimp - they don't go very well with Copper either!

I think it is the same stuff, it looks very similar, and is very invasive. I've never seen a Siamese Flying Fox anywhere around here (I think those are the same as Siamese Algae Eaters, they just don't stock them), or Green Barbs, but my Otos are new and today I saw one of them munching on a bit of algae! I think the stuff is too well-established for the little guys to make much of a difference, though. My BN won't even touch it.

I can't wait to get real plants! Need to get the bigger tank though. I don't want to plant the 55G only to rip everything up and put it in the big tank. LOL This gross stuff completely obscures the colors and textures of my fake plants, which when they're clean with just a bit of spot algae, look pretty real I think. Right now they just look like giant waving tentacles of mud. Blech!

I feed pretty sparingly, in fact I think my fish hate me because I don't feed them enough. LOL They probably get fed 4 days out of the week yet they still produce enough waste to fertilize my houseplants when I do water changes! The tank isn't in direct sunlight, but I have the lights on probably a bit too long - about 12 hours usually, unless I remember to turn them off early. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I took out one more 3-gallon bucket of water when I do the weekly water changes.

I can't find any other algaecides without copper. Not much selection at my pet stores. The stuff I got is called No More Algae - Tank Buddies by Jungle Labs. It's the only thing they had available.

That's right, I was interested in the ghost shrimp but it seems like just when I decide I want something, it disappears from the stores' stock for a while! LOL I haven't seen any ghost shrimp in months. Oh well, I'm not desperate for them or anything...

Well, in a few I'm going to go pull the plants out and stick them in a bucket until I have time to bleach them, and hopefully get a water change done before bed, as I just bought 2 dojos a few days ago, and wasn't intending to get more fish yet, but bought 3 otos today to try them out with the algae cleaning, and I figured I'd better snap them up because I very rarely see them around here.

Oh, to answer your question in your PM to me a while ago (sorry, I missed it until recently), right now it's 9:00 pm. I'm usually online at night, but it's probably early afternoon where you are? And I think you guys are a day ahead too. It's Monday night here.

I'd forgotten about that message. It must have been the last time you were on-line. It was late afternoon, and I was thinking you must be up in wee hours of the night! I guess you logged out as I sent the message.

Do you have a Hospital Tank? You could put your Loaches in there for a couple of weeks while you dose the main tank.

I suppose we have to assume that most products for the Aquarium are safe on the fish ('yes - I know!'). Perhaps I should post you some of this 'White Chocolate' I have left over!

That's probably exactly what I did! I'm often online after midnight. I'm a night owl!

I have a 10-gallon with a betta and a couple of cories. That could probably serve for a temporary holding tank for the loaches for a couple of weeks, as long as I monitor the water conditions carefully. I didn't think of that!

Sure, if that white chocolate works better than the stuff I have! I'd pay for the postage and product. And no worries about me eating it either, I hate white chocolate!

Trouble is, I don't know what's in the white chocolate... I'd hate to send you this stuff, and have it wipe out your Loaches!

That's alright - I've been using a half dose of algaecide and it seems to be working. The loaches are all doing fine. In about a week I'll put the plants back in and cross my fingers that I won't have any more brush algae problems.

And after all this - I've now got bloody Loaches in my Tank, and Algae to get rid off! My order of Oto's still hasn't arrived...

I love my little Otto, but he's useless at removing the big pieces of algae. LOL I just posted in the Lounge about my terrible mistake of putting algaecide in the tank. It was a while ago, but I'm still getting over the shock of it.