before and after tank pics

[Sorathien]

Before:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/beforeh2o2-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/beforeh2o2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/P1010025-1.jpg

After H2O2 treatment

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/10-14-06-right.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/10-14-06-center.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/10-14-06-left.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/10-14-06.jpg

and here is the empty 45g so you can see the driftwood.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/45gtank-2.jpg

and finally, SID! the reason the 45g tank is being setup in the first place.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/sid.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/Celeste_Eden/pets/sid-2-1.jpg

[onebunnywuv]

looks awesome Sor. Sid is soo cute! :) He's a climbing perch, right?

[LittleHippyGirl]

What kind of algae was that? Beautiful aquarium!

[Sorathien]

black hair algae, or black beard algae. its a form of red algae.

[LittleHippyGirl]

Eesh I've never had it myself, but I've heard its hard to get rid of. What did you do with the hydrogen peroxide? Or is there a thread somewhere about it that I'm missing?

[Sorathien]

no, i don't think i've posted about it here.

basically i used a baby medicine syringe and used it to squirt hydrogen peroxide directly on the algae. the article i read said to use about 1ml per gallon of water once a week before a water change. but i used about twice that about 3 times a week, and it didn't hurt anything. the tank bubbles like crazy because the H2O2 becomes water and oxygen, the high levels of O2 oxidize the algae and the following day it turns red and dies, then the snails and fish eat it.

[honeythorn]

wow. looks great! I also have hair algae in my tank, except it's green and covers the leaves of plant mostly. i keep wiping it off and picking off any leaves that are badly damaged. i bought some treatment for it yesterday so i'll have to see if it works. I'd be really wary of using hydrogen peroxide in case i killed everything!!!!!!!

[Sorathien]

the peroxide doesn't hurt anything. i completely OD'd according to the article i read and it still didn't hurt anything, AND killed the algae.

[Shellie]

Can I hijack Sora? :D I am ready to rip all of Lightning's plants out because they are COVERED with red/brown, whatever color algae that is. It looks really gross. I don't have that problem with my goldfish tank!

Btw, your tank is gorgeous and I love Sid, he's so cute!

[Sorathien]

that is probably brown algae, it is a cyano bacteria. its a symptom of new tanks. ottocinclus catfish LOVE it, but i don't know if they would get along with lightening. its pretty easy to just rub off with your fingers though.

[Shellie]

I know, I keep rubbing it off. Its just driving me nuts.