Help algae problem

Calmwaters

Ok I have tried everything I know to fix this tank and am looking for more ideas. The type of gravel is Eco-Complete there is a large Amazon Sword, a red Cryptocoryn Wenditt, some pennywort floating as well as planted, and duck weed floating as well. I have Black Hair algae growing on both the pennywort and the Amazon Sword. I do weekly water changes and have on this tank even tried doing water changes two times a week. All my tanks are on timers and get the same amount of light each day. There is a single betta in the tank. I read that it could be caused due to not enough water circulation so I added a small cascade internal filter but that has not helped yet its been in there for about a month or so. I pull it off as much as I can but it just grows back. Should I trim the affected leaves off to see if that helps? There is no other algae just the black hair algae and my water parimeters are always were they should be so this is really confuseing to me. LOL I am at the point were I am about to take the affected plants out and toss them in the trash and replace them with new plants but I don't think that would fix the problem. This is a 10 gallon tall tank that I have and it is the only tank that I am haveing a problem with and its the only one that has Eco-Complete in it. Could it be the gravel? Here is a picture incase I am calling it the wrong kind of algae:

SinCrisis

Looks like hair algae, i had an SAE and it ate mine... After my SAE dies, i overdosed with excel and turn my lights down to 10 hrs instead of 12 and it died and hasn't come back. I didnt even trim mine off the plant, it just died on its own.

Calmwaters

Tanks already on 10 hours.

SinCrisis

Cut it down to 8? add Excel?

Calmwaters

I have not tried the excel yet. I will pick some up tomorrow if I get out to the store. I can't drive right now due to my back injury and husband has to work. Thank you I had forgot about the excel approach.

Byron

That could be hair algae, or perhaps staghorn or even fuzz algae. Here's a link that may help.
Freshwater Algae Types: An Illustrated Guide - Article at The Age of Aquariums - Tropical Fish

Be careful with Excel. It is a liquid carbon supplement that will upset the existing balance between nutrients/light for your plants. While it certainly works sometimes (not always, note), it would be my last choice.

Byron.

Calmwaters

Byron do you think trimming the most affected leaves off of the plants then cutting the hours down to 8 would be a good thing to try? Some of the leaves on the Amazon that do not have the algae are beggining to pale in color and I am wondering if its because the algae is absorbing the nutrients the plant needs.

Byron

If Echinodorus leaves begin yellowing, they are dying and never recover (the leaves, not the plants). Yellowing leaves can be removed, and with them will of course go that algae so it won't be spreading from there. I have this issue with true brush algae.

All algae occurs when light is in excess, though one has to be careful to keep it sufficient for the plants. If I read correctly that leaves other than those with algae are yellowing, that is a nutrient deficiency. What fert are you using, and how often? And is the substrate enriched?

Calmwaters

It is Eco Complete substrate and I was useing the Seachem Flourish once a week but stopped because I thought maybe it was makeing the algae worse. The other leaves are not yellow just not as green as the larger ones that have alot of the algae perhaps its because they are younger than the larger leaves.

Byron

Yes, new leaf growth is always lighter green. Some say this is because nutrients are lacking, but as long as the leaves darken as they grow and do not yellow, I would leave well enough alone. However, if this has only occurred since you stopped the Flourish liquid, it would support the idea that it occurs from less nutrients. Echinodorus are heavy feeders. Even when I used root tabs, I still had to dose Flourish twice weekly to prevent yellowing (dying) leaves. It is also true that reducing nutrients to slow algae doesn't work (unless they were terribly in excess) because the plants can't use the light without the nutrients and algae takes advantage of the "excess" light. If there are plants other than swords, I would definitely use Flourish once weekly.