Algae that won’t shift on glass

[Hannah14]

Hi,

I have a fluval flex and the algae in my tank is ridiculous! Its grows so quickly and I try to keep it clean but am struggling to clear it on the glass!

I got sold a magnet and it does not work (the glass is slightly curved too but I was told this would be ok!).

I have real plants, the filter is pert if the tank and 4 ottos! It’s out if the sun but I have no idea why the algae is always bad and how to clear it from the glass!

Thank you.

Hannah

 

[Wills]

Thats green spot algae which is tough to remove you would be best looking for a tool that uses a razor blade which should bring it off. How are your plants doing? Does it effect them or is it just the glass?

How long do you have your lights on for and also do you know what your tap water is like in terms of nitrates and phospates? Lastly, do you use any fertilisers? Either in the substrate or lidquid ones?

Wills

 

[Hannah14]

Thank you Wills.

The plants seem to be doing well but get covered with algae too! Mainly the glass that gets effected!

So with the lights they are on for for about 12 hours! No idea when it comes to tan water! When I do water changes I take out half the tank and use water with the aqua safe and old water mixed in.

Thanks for your help.

 

[FishHobby99]

Hi,

I have a fluval flex and the algae in my tank is ridiculous! Its grows so quickly and I try to keep it clean but am struggling to clear it on the glass!

I got sold a magnet and it does not work (the glass is slightly curved too but I was told this would be ok!).

I have real plants, the filter is pert if the tank and 4 ottos! It’s out if the sun but I have no idea why the algae is always bad and how to clear it from the glass!

Thank you.

Hannah

I scratched the glass on my tank using those magnetic things. The fish had stirred up the sand substrate. I take a kitchen sponge, think it’s called an eraser sponge. White. Works much better than any of my vast collection of tank scrubbers on sticks.

 

[FishHobby99]

Thats green spot algae which is tough to remove you would be best looking for a tool that uses a razor blade which should bring it off. How are your plants doing? Does it effect them or is it just the glass?

How long do you have your lights on for and also do you know what your tap water is like in terms of nitrates and phospates? Lastly, do you use any fertilisers? Either in the substrate or lidquid ones?

Wills

Interesting, Wills. Never heard of that kind. I’d stick my hand in then with a safety razor or something similar.

 

[Wills]

Thank you Wills.

The plants seem to be doing well but get covered with algae too! Mainly the glass that gets effected!

So with the lights they are on for for about 12 hours! No idea when it comes to tan water! When I do water changes I take out half the tank and use water with the aqua safe and old water mixed in.

Thanks for your help.

It would be worth looking at your water companies website and searching your postcode on there you can usually get some good reports. I know my tapwater has high nitrates and phosphates as well as lots of other nutrients that usually equals algae and indeed its a common issue in the UK IMO.

Are your lights dimmable? You could try reducing the time your lights are on and perhaps add a simple dose of plant fertiliser on a weekly basis - the idea being if you encourage plant growth its less for the algae to get. An other option could be to get some floating plants as it doesnt look like you have too much of an issue and they will help soak up excess nutrients from the water before the algae too and help shade the lower parts of the tank, again hopefully helping to stop the algae.

Interesting, Wills. Never heard of that kind. I’d stick my hand in then with a safety razor or something similar.

I use something like this - the handle is about 10-12 inches long and it has a thin razor blade which I use on the tank walls then I have a bamboo toothbrush that I use for the corners.

Wills

 

[FishHobby99]

It would be worth looking at your water companies website and searching your postcode on there you can usually get some good reports. I know my tapwater has high nitrates and phosphates as well as lots of other nutrients that usually equals algae and indeed its a common issue in the UK IMO.

Are your lights dimmable? You could try reducing the time your lights are on and perhaps add a simple dose of plant fertiliser on a weekly basis - the idea being if you encourage plant growth its less for the algae to get. An other option could be to get some floating plants as it doesnt look like you have too much of an issue and they will help soak up excess nutrients from the water before the algae too and help shade the lower parts of the tank, again hopefully helping to stop the algae.



I use something like this - the handle is about 10-12 inches long and it has a thin razor blade which I use on the tank walls then I have a bamboo toothbrush that I use for the corners.

Wills

Yep, I have similar things but never encountered algae I can’t sponge off.

I added a second filter to my goldfish tank that had a bit of an algae problem. A Fluval on sale at amazon for nearly half price. crystal clear water now. Yay!

 

[Hannah14]

I scratched the glass on my tank using those magnetic things. The fish had stirred up the sand substrate. I take a kitchen sponge, think it’s called an eraser sponge. White. Works much better than any of my vast collection of tank scrubbers on sticks.

Thank you so much Jenny. I was worried a kitchen sponge may scratch the glass - but I’ll look for the white one as you have suggested. Thanks for your help. Xx

 

[FishHobby99]

Thank you so much Jenny. I was worried a kitchen sponge may scratch the glass - but I’ll look for the white one as you have suggested. Thanks for your help. Xx

Welcome, Hannah. Don’t think any sponge, at least the soft side, can scratch glass. It was the sand kicked up my fish, pressed against the glass by these heavy magnets. Very upsetting to see those scratches! I notice them more than anyone because I made them & saw them appear.

 

[Byron]

In addition to what has been suggested above, I would use one of those aquarium sponge scrapers on the inside of the front glass at every water change, even if you do not see algae. It is there, believe me, as it lives in all biofilms (on surfaces covered by water) and do this weekly clean will usually prevent it from expanding.

Also, I would definitely reduce the lighting period; 12 hours is a lot, especially if the light is perhaps bright, or depending upon the plant load. My tanks are at 7 hours daily, and for five years now problem algae (it was black brush algae) has been non-existent. Maybe go down to 9 or 10 hours and give it a few weeks, you can also reduce more if this is not adequate. And use a timer, this helps control algae too and is better for fish.

And floating plants are always a good idea. The surface of all my tanks is covered with substantial floating plants like Water Sprite, Water Lettuce, or Frogbit. Stem plants left floating also work.

 

[FishHobby99]

In addition to what has been suggested above, I would use one of those aquarium sponge scrapers on the inside of the front glass at every water change, even if you do not see algae. It is there, believe me, as it lives in all biofilms (on surfaces covered by water) and do this weekly clean will usually prevent it from expanding.

Also, I would definitely reduce the lighting period; 12 hours is a lot, especially if the light is perhaps bright, or depending upon the plant load. My tanks are at 7 hours daily, and for five years now problem algae (it was black brush algae) has been non-existent. Maybe go down to 9 or 10 hours and give it a few weeks, you can also reduce more if this is not adequate. And use a timer, this helps control algae too and is better for fish.

And floating plants are always a good idea. The surface of all my tanks is covered with substantial floating plants like Water Sprite, Water Lettuce, or Frogbit. Stem plants left floating also work.

Do you use floating plants in covered tanks? What about in tanks where fish mostly feed at the surface?

 

[Byron]

Do you use floating plants in covered tanks? What about in tanks where fish mostly feed at the surface?

All of my tanks are covered, I do not want to find dead fish on the floor every morning. And there are other good reasons for using covers...essential for anabantids that breathe air which needs to be warm, and keeping stuff out of the tank, and keeping water in. I would not have an open tank, unless a terrarium/vivarium sort of tank, and then the water level must be low and fish not able to jump out.

Most upper level fish feed from the surface. There are some open areas in between the plants.

 

[Fishmanic]

If it is glass and it is curved, a razor blade won't work very well for removing algae. I use the following scraper on my glass hex tank. It works well. Do not use if your trank is acrylic.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NH8/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[vanalisa]

DROOL
MUST GET
MUST HAVE
WHERE BYE?
@Wills

 

[Essjay]

I've just bought one of these, they are similar to that one ^ in what they do
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000S5JMXI/?tag=

It's removed every last trace of the gazillion nerite eggs off the tank walls (though the nerites are busy laying more )