Algae on sand

[Colin_T]

Blue Green Algae (Cyanobacter bacteria).

It's a photosynthetic bacteria, which simply means it's a bacteria that can photosynthesise like plants do. However, it doesn't need light to live.

It loves nutrients, dirty tanks, dry food, low oxygen levels, calm water and red light.

To control it you need to clean the tank conditions up by doing big daily water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate for a couple of weeks.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

Try to physically remove as much as possible each day because it grows very quickly.

Increase aeration and water movement.

Reduce the dry food going in the tank.

If you have fluorescent light tubes that are more than 12 months old, see about replacing them with new globes and starters. Use globes that have a 6500K (K is for Kelvin) rating.

 

[Libbyd]

Thanks for the reply. I have turned up the flow as much as I feel I’m able to with the betta, he doesn’t like it too fast. I did think about getting a mini air pump to get some more aeration in there.
I have just some LED lights in blue and white. Should I purchase a new one? They areover a year old for sure.
and should I stop with the fertiliser maybe? I can just feed cucumber to the shrimp I guess but I do worry about hem not getting enough to eat.

 

[Colin_T]

LEDs are fine and don't deteriorate like fluoros do.

Stop using fertiliser until you have fixed the problem.

Shrimp will eat anything.