Algae overload

[ceci]

I have a large 65 gallon tank with one adult oscar fish, and thos tank is GREEN. I have tried for months to clear it up cleaning almost every week and nothing helps. I have tried 3 different clarifing products that have only temorarily semi cleared the tank. I'm tempted to deep clean the tank but i dont want to have to remove the fish since he is so big and lost alot of scales last time he moved. Any advice is great i have a dual internal filter on the tank and a bubbler. Lmk if u need more info

 

[sharkweek178]

What kind of lighting do you have in the tank and how long do you have it on for every day?

 

[ceci]

It cane with the tank im pretty sure its led. They're like a strip light with 8 small 3 light peices if that makes sense. theyre on for 7 hours everyday

 

[sharkweek178]

Don't bother with the chemicals that claim to remove algae. They don't address the root cause. Algae is caused by an excess of light and/or nutrients. To get rid of algae, you have to figure out how to balance those out with your tank's needs.

 

[Byron]

Planted tanks and tanks without plants are two different scenarios. If you have live plants, then establishing the balance of light and nutrients is key. But I would assume that this tank is not planted, given the fish...though that is an assumption and as likely to be wrong as true. But assuming no live plants, then all the food you feed the fish will provide nutrients for algae, which after all is a lower form of plant.

Second observation is that the issue seems to be green water, which is caused by unicellular algae. Again, the fish being fed feeds it, and the light encourages it. It can also come in with the source (tap) water, especially in summer months.

Feed sparingly, do substantial water changes with a very good vacuum into the substrate, and keep the filter well rinsed. You could reduce the light, but seven hours is not bad provided the nutrients are dealt with.

As mentioned by another member, do not ever use chemicals to kill algae or clarify water. Some of these are risky at best, and very damaging to fish.

 

[ceci]

Planted tanks and tanks without plants are two different scenarios. If you have live plants, then establishing the balance of light and nutrients is key. But I would assume that this tank is not planted, given the fish...though that is an assumption and as likely to be wrong as true. But assuming no live plants, then all the food you feed the fish will provide nutrients for algae, which after all is a lower form of plant.

Second observation is that the issue seems to be green water, which is caused by unicellular algae. Again, the fish being fed feeds it, and the light encourages it. It can also come in with the source (tap) water, especially in summer months.

Feed sparingly, do substantial water changes with a very good vacuum into the substrate, and keep the filter well rinsed. You could reduce the light, but seven hours is not bad provided the nutrients are dealt with.

As mentioned by another member, do not ever use chemicals to kill algae or clarify water. Some of these are risky at best, and very damaging to fish.

I had 1 java fern in the tank but it has been reduced to practically nothing, so not planted no. I try to do abt 40% water changes. I had a freind interested in taking the fish and tank so i wanted to see if i could fix the issue, since thos tank has become alot for me.

 

[Uberhoust]

In addition to what everyone else has said, I have found success with an algae blooms by simply adding a polishing pad, between the sponge and the biomedia in the filter(s).

I bought polishing filter material for a different filter and cut them to size to fit an HOB I was using that the time. I would leave them in for 2 days, the remove them, cleaning them by running clean water over them, then replacing. Just speeds up the response from changing the lighting or the feeding schedule. After the algae is gone I remove the polishing pads, leaving only the sponge and biomedia in the filter.

 

[Colin_T]

If you don't want to add live plants, then reduce the lighting to 3-4 hours in the evening. Oscars destroy most plants growing in the substrate.

If you add some floating plants then leave the lighting times as they currently are. Floating plants like Water Sprite, red root floaters and duckweed will use the light and nutrients and should help reduce the algae.

Do bigger water changes. Tanks with large meat eating fishes should get a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every week.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Make sure the filter is cleaned at least once a month. Wash filter media/ materials in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the lawn.