Algae Cleaning

[Derpeder]

What is the best way to clean the tank in order to keep it the cleanest?

Do those magnet cleaners work real well for the glass?

Or what about those little white balls that are supposed to keep the algae down. Do those work well?

Let me know.

 

[AMS]

ALgae magnets work for scrubbing algae on the glass, but be aware that if a single grain of snad gets caught between the magnet and the glass it will scrath like hell (especially acrylic!).

Im not going to get real technical with algae methods, but IMHO the best way is a good old fashioned rinse under hot water.

 

[nmonks]

Really the only way to stop algae dead is to grow lots of plants. If your brackish water aquarium has an SG of 1.005 or less, this is the best option. A tank with vigorous plant growth will have little or no algae. An SG of 1.005 is going to be fine for figure-8 puffers, gobies, glassfish, mollies, and all sorts of low salinity brackish water fish.

For tanks with a higher SG, as necessary for things like monos and scats, then plants are less of an option. I'd agree with AMS's comment about sand and algae magnets. In sandy aquaria, you need to take care cleaning the glass. Personally, I prefer a soft nylon pad for cleaning glass. For the ornaments and rocks in a brackish tank, I don't see any mileage in keeping them clean at all. The best tanks look "lived in", and for me, that means the rocks are dark and covered in algae, not shiny white lumps.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Derpeder]

so what types of plants would I need to plant?

I have a 43 US Gallon tank, how many plants would I need?

and is it hard to keep plants alive? I've never kept live plants.

Plus is brackish water worse for algae, does it grow more in there then regular fresh water?

 

[nmonks]

You need plants that naturally inhabit brackish water. They don't mind the salt. There are quite a few of these, more than you'd imagine. See this thread for example, as well as my Brackish FAQ.

No, algae is no worse in brackish than freshwater or marine tanks.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[andywg]

An alternative, if you have the abilities and the room, is to have a second area (be it in a different room, or in a sump) in which you give algae a far better place to live and thrive. This will remove the nutrients the algae in the tank would grow on without being unsightly to the tank.

 

[Derpeder]

So are you saying to hook up another tank in a different room or something. I'm not sure how it would make the main tank clean.

Could you explain for me. THANK UH.

One more thing.........

Does More water changes help keep algae down?

 

[andywg]

If there are excessive nutrients causing the algae in your tank then water changes can help. If, however, your tap water is full of phosphates and nitrates then it will not help as much. RO water can help.

The idea with an algae growth elsewhere to stop algae growth is this: Algae grows becuase there are nutrients in the water and light to provide photosynthesis. The alga "consumes" the nutrients through growing. If you provide, elsewhere (in a sump for example) somewhere far more ideal for the algae to grow, then the algae will grow in that spot and not in the tank. By ideal I mean somewhere with a more appropriate waetr rate and better lighting.

This is the basis behind an Alagae Turf Scrubber. Even if you don't go the whole hog with an ATS system, growing algae that you can harvest (take out of the water entirely) will aid in nutrient export. Algae like Caluerpa and Chaeto are used frequently in marine tanks to keep nutrients at a lower, more acceptable level.

If you could find a species of macro algae that likes brackish conditions (I don't know how well those I mentioned above would work in lower salinity) then you could use that to help your filtration.

If there are excessive nutrients causing the algae in your tank then water changes can help. If, however, your tap water is full of phosphates and nitrates then it will not help as much. RO water can help.

The idea with an algae growth elsewhere to stop algae growth is this: Algae grows becuase there are nutrients in the water and light to provide photosynthesis. The alga "consumes" the nutrients through growing. If you provide, elsewhere (in a sump for example) somewhere far more ideal for the algae to grow, then the algae will grow in that spot and not in the tank. By ideal I mean somewhere with a more appropriate waetr rate and better lighting.

This is the basis behind an Alagae Turf Scrubber. Even if you don't go the whole hog with an ATS system, growing algae that you can harvest (take out of the water entirely) will aid in nutrient export. Algae like Caluerpa and Chaeto are used frequently in marine tanks to keep nutrients at a lower, more acceptable level.

If you could find a species of macro algae that likes brackish conditions (I don't know how well those I mentioned above would work in lower salinity) then you could use that to help your filtration.