A Ton Of Algae

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

they get fed once a day in the morning and have a fasting day on sunday. i've recently turned off the tank light when it's light outside to allow natural light and to try to reduce algae growth. i've never, ever had a tank get this bad. it's gross. i use to clean it out every two weeks, but with the way it is now, it's impossible to clean it only once a week. it's all throughout the rocks and everything, but if i gravel vac more often than i do, it'll ruin the set up. what did i do wrong?

 

[Castellop123]

Cheers...

 

[lordotterby]

Natural sunlight is one of the biggest causes of Algae blooms...

Cheers...

If you can get hold of them and your fish are about 2 inches or less in lenght, i would get some Amano shrimp. I've got 3 in my tropical tank and with in a week the tank was cleared of algae. I think armoured shrimp do the same thing and they are bigger, so they can go in with bigger fish.

 

[luque]

i agree with corin can you get it out of the sunlight?? if so do and then turn the light off at 12 and back on at 2 to prevent it happening as much or buy some ottos

 

[matug]

when i had bad algae i went and got some bristlenose catfish. They sorted it out within a couple of days

 

[mnbyiuopre]

You could try catfish or snails!

 

[Christine1014]

I just had a look at your profile -- which tank is it that has the algae problem?

 

[mnbyiuopre]

I just had a look at your profile -- which tank is it that has the algae problem?

I did too. Your 10 gallon and your fry tank look overstocked!

 

[lordotterby]

Have a look of here, it list a load of shrimp that you should be able to buy. They really are the best thing at getting rid off and keeping algae under control

http/www.petshrimp.com/shrimpspecies.html

 

[Christine1014]

Yeah, if your algae problem is in your 10, it's probably b/c it's overstocked. I don't have any experience with gouramis, so I'm not sure how messy they are, but my gut feeling is that 4 gouramis is too many for a 10 gallon. The waste from them, and everything else is probably just too much for that size tank to handle. Sorry, that's probably not what you wanted to hear!

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

it's planted pretty decently, and they're not full size gouramis, they're sparkling so they're the smallest ones there are. one of my friends who has been keeping fish for years said this should be fine, maybe slightly overstocked, but nothing that would cause a big problem.

i guess i should have reworded this - its not in direct sunlight - ever, just natural light comes in the room instead of having a direct light on the tank.

 

[SuperColey1]

If its densely planted, then you shouldn't be turning the light off, the plants won't appreciate the small amount of sunlight they get, whereas Algae will take any light it can.

Its not because you are overstocked, because look at my profile and the inhabitants of my 29G. I am about 1.5 x the inch per gallon rule and although I wouldn't advise people to do the sam, it is possible in a heavily planted tank because the plants use the ammonia and with a filter as well you have double filtration.

I would guess that you are not putting the right ferts or CO2 into the tank and therefore with the plants not getting all the nutrients they need, they stop. this leaves all the other nutrients they wouldve taken behing which the algae then consume.

If the plants are growing fast, then theres nothing left for the algae.