ALGAE BLOOMS

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

cutechic

Sol
Joined
Mar 23, 2003
Messages
3,508
Reaction score
0
Location
Canada
Three days ago, I changed 50% of the water in my 5 gallon aquarium, wiped every speck of algae off the plastic plants, gravel, aquarium glass, and aquarium parts. After just three days, algae has already covered the sides of my aquarium, as well as the plants!

I have tried varying the amount of light the aquarium receives, but it didn't stop algae from growing. The aquarium is not in direct sunlight. My water parameters are as follows:
pH- 7.2 ppm
ammonia- 0 ppm
nitrite- 0 ppm
nitrate- 0 ppm
KH- 3 dKH
GH- 4 dGH

If someone could give me advice on how to clear up the algae, and prevent it from growing again (or at least reduce the growth rate), I'd really appreciate it.

Also, I am considering buying chemical algae removers, but I don't know if this is a good idea.

Thanks for all your help!
 
Dont use anti algea treatments!I learnt the hard way recently and lost some of my best fish :-( .Try adding some live plants which will compete with the algea for nutrients and if space permits some algea eating fish such as ottos. :)
 
Ok, thanks! I'll try adding some live plants. I've never had any live ones before, so can anyone suggest some hardy, inexpensive ones? I'd really appreciate it!
 
cutechic said:
Ok, thanks! I'll try adding some live plants. I've never had any live ones before, so can anyone suggest some hardy, inexpensive ones? I'd really appreciate it!
Elodea densa is one of the toughest of the tough :)
 
You may also have a high pkosphate problem with your water supply. You can purchase filter pads for this, and or try to do water changes with RO/DI water in the future.
 
Thanks William and GL!

I guess I'll take a water sample to the store to get tested for phosphate levels. And while I'm there I'll pick up a few plants (after I've done some more research on them, of course.)
 
Hi cc, :)

just one other thing - are your test kits in date? You would be unlikly to have a zero reading for nitrAte, unless you have something to remove it.....


:)
 
The test kits are, to my knowledge, new. I bought them all last April. . . eleven months ago.

I thought the 'zero' reading for nitrate was odd, too. But I called the store from which I bought the test kits, and the woman on the phone told me that this was normal in established aquariums, and it is the ideal level to have.

I haven't really used anything to get rid of the chemicals in the water. I syphon the gravel and chnage approx. 30% of the gravel every 3 weeks.
 
Hornwort is another very hardy plant and grows like crazy.
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top