BRIDGE@rcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (JOHN BRIDGE) (01/17/90)
I have only had a hair algae problem in one tank. That is a 10 gallon tank which sits in front of a west facing window in my kitchen. I put a metallic coated piece of plastic around two sides of the tank to keep most of the sun out. In summer some sun light does get in by reflection off kitchen walls and through the cracks and holes in the top around the hoses, wires, etc. that enter the tank from the outside world. In the past 6 weeks with no other changes in my treatment of the tank, all the hair algae has vanished and the plants are growing like crazy. The sun is now low enough than it does not shine directly into the kitchen through that window and it has been almost continuously overcast with low sky light levels. There is no question in my mind that direct and reflected sunlight is the culprit in producing hair algae in a shallow tank! The plants in that tank are now the healthiest looking ones in any of my tanks. John