Algae on anubias leaves, how to clean it?
- Thread starter DMD123
- Start date
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
You can take the leaves between your thumb and a finger and gently rub the aglae off.
FishBeast
Well-Known Member
You can shorten your lighting schedule too... Anubias can tolerate very low amounts of light
I tried cleaning leave off with my fingers and it didnt do the best. Algae was still in grooves of leaves. Saw a thing online about using peroxide. I did this and then used a soft chip brush (cheap paint brush) and lightly brushed the leaves. Nice and clean now.
FishBeast
Well-Known Member
Nice fix!
If this works, it sounds great, but I have a hard time believing it won't harm the plant, as leaves are full of delicate structures. I'll be interested in hearing how these plants are doing in one or two months, so keep us posted!
This info was found on some online forums. You use the 3% household hydrogen peroxide and dilute it out considerably. The instructions said to soak for up to 5 min. I just did a dip, cleaned off with the soft brush and dipped again to make sure it was cleaned. Then a rinse in tank water and returned to tank.
The other choice was a bleach bath which I do to clean plastic plants but that sounded really bad to me for the live plants.
Keiji
Member
I've evolved to stocking planted tanks prioritizing the clean up crew. Critters that help maintain clean healthy plant. Unfortunately this usually reduces the species list inwhich I may keep in a planted aquarium. Pea puffers are amazing but can be turds.
The brown stuff on those leaves does not look like alage. I think it's Diatoms.
Diatoms develope usually in New set up then goes away after a while. They feed off silica.
https://www.aquasabi.com/aquascaping-wiki_algae_brown-algae
The brown stuff on those leaves does not look like alage. I think it's Diatoms.
Diatoms develope usually in New set up then goes away after a while. They feed off silica.
https://www.aquasabi.com/aquascaping-wiki_algae_brown-algae
On the puffer forum someone is keeping snails with their arrowhead and actually are raising them as food for other puffers in there because he wont eat them. The arrowhead is a piscivore so there is a good possibility I might be able to try a nerite with him. I am seriously considering adding a nerite to the tank.
At the moment I have been using an ultra soft bristle toothbrush to clean the leaves off. This type of brush is super soft so no damage to the plant.
At the moment I have been using an ultra soft bristle toothbrush to clean the leaves off. This type of brush is super soft so no damage to the plant.
I don't know what size puffer you're talking about here, but if he fusses with the nerites that will be a problem, even if he doesn't try to eat them. Nerites can't right themselves when turned over, so any inquisitive fishes are a threat to them. Also, the nerites that you can buy locally are tiny, and easily upended. I have nerites in quite a few of my tanks, and they do a pretty good job; even so, don't expect miracles.
I'm still doubtful that this will work for you, but there is another issue you may not have considered- if you get a female you will have nerite eggs to deal with. These won't hatch in freshwater, but they are hard and a nuisance to remove. Knowing how fussy you are about algae, I'd worry that you might be addressing one problem whilst creating an even bigger one...
Hadn’t thought of that...I'm still doubtful that this will work for you, but there is another issue you may not have considered- if you get a female you will have nerite eggs to deal with. These won't hatch in freshwater, but they are hard and a nuisance to remove. Knowing how fussy you are about algae, I'd worry that you might be addressing one problem whilst creating an even bigger one...
The other day I fed a night crawler and if you have ever seen some puffers eat... well it is a bit of a chain saw massacre. Parts everywhere, but he eats it all up. But then I see him “taste” a couple anubias roots because they looked like worm parts... so really, do I even try any moving snail in there? lol
From that description, I would say no. I have to admit I've gotten attached to my nerites; they're cute.
My other puffer is a hairy puffer and has a very different personality. That one might allow a snail whereas the arrowhead seems very driven by eating everything.
