Algae Problem

[Bamafishman]

Hello all, I am pretty new to this hobby. I have had a 42 gallon aquarium set up for about 4-5 months now. Everything was going great until somehow I got this really bothersome algae problem. I have been fighting it for 2-3 months now. Through a bunch of advise from pet store workers and recently some researching the internet sites for information I have come to the conclusion that my main problem is hard water. My tests show everything as good everytime I test the water except that it is very hard water. I have been performing 20% water changes every other day or every three days. This takes some of the green out of the water, so I can at least see the fish somewhat, but it is still real cloudy for several days until it turns pretty green again. I do not overfeed my fish, only leave my light on at night for about 6 hours, and my tank is not near a window. Done been asked that many many times, lol.

I have had a local family owned Tropical Fish store owner advise me to try Copper safe since I don't have any live plants or invertebrae in my tank. Everything I read on the net about this stuff says it kills Ick and external parasites but, nothing about killing algae. The store owner tells me it is an "Old time remedy" they have been using for 40 years. I really trust this guy but, the employees at other pet stores advise me not to use it since I am wanting live plants and a natural aquarium. They suggest me buying a UV sterilizer and water pump.

Can anyone help me......???
Advise please, I am so sick and tired of Algae.
TIA

 

[Colin_T]

Algae does not grow from hard water. It grows from light and nutrients. Because you have a light but no live plants, algae is growing instead. Adding some live plants like Water Sprite, (Ceratopteris thalictroides) will help by using the light and nutrients and reduce the algae problem.
You can get a fish breeding net and put it in the tank. Then add some live daphnia to the net and they will eat the algae when it passes through the net.
You can try doing a massive water change75-80% each day for a week but that doesn't always get rid of it. You can also try blacking out the tank for a few days (3 or 4). Without light the algae should die.
Adding some fine filter wool/ floss to the filter will help to trap the algae and remove it from the water. However, you will have to clean the filter more frequently to prevent it blocking up.
U/V sterilisers should be a last resort. Algicides can be used but do harm live plants. Because you don't have any live plants yet, you could use an algicide and then just do a couple of big water changes before you add live plants.

 

[helterskelter]

Ok what algae do u have?

Is the thick and a dark green with a a bad smell, that grows over gravel, rock, plant and glass?
Dose it look like hair and a black colour, growing over the gravel, rock, plant and glass?
Is the water it self green?

The main cause is light either sunlight or aquatic lighting and nutrients in the water as they have to feed off something.
But once we know what type of algae it is then it will help on how to treat it.

 

[Bamafishman]

I realize the hard water didn't cause my algae but I think it is why I can't get rid of the algae with water changes. I did also try a big water change in which I killed about 15 mature fish, quite expensive lesson to say the least. I had just read an article saying that if you do water changes but keep supplying the tank with the same hard water that the phosphorus and I think sulfur and whatever else would keep fueling the algae. I appreciate the advise about adding live plants cause I am wanting all live plants so I can get rid of the fake ones. One thing that I have been waiting on is if I use this Coppersafe I have been told it would kill my plants. I don't really want to use it but, I am desperate and just want to see clear water once again. I am just unsure about what it is I actually need to do.

The algae I have is in the water more than anything. My water is green and smells bad but, the glass is clean and not hardly any algae at all stuck to rocks. It is 99% green water which is not thick or soupy at all, just green. No hair algae at all. My fish look and behave very healthy too. I performed a 10 gallon water change last night with R/O water which really seemed to help until I got up this morning to see the tank water had turned really green once again. It is the same process every time.

All of this has got me to thinking I am going to have to buy a new aquarium so I can drain this one, clean it out real good and just start over. I just worry about killing my fish trying to make such a drastic change. I am at my wits end and actually quite ignorant on what my options are except to either try the Coppersafe to see if it really does kill algae or have to buy the UV sterilizer and powerhead.

 

[helterskelter]

UV would be the best thing you can get intank UV's now which are relatively cheap and will clear the green water in a couple of days.

Keep the water pH stable is more important than anything, if you start using RO this is quite unstable unless you start using minerals to harden it up again.

What i would do is
Get a cheap UV
The do daily 10% water changes as the dead algae will pollute the water, feeding a second bloom.
Water changes for 10 days then go back to weekly 15-20% water changes.

I prefer not to use chemicals unless their rarely needed.

 

[Colin_T]

Copper will kill plants if you use enough of it but it also affects fish and can lead to kidney and liver failure when overdosed. You would be better off using a specific algicide that only kills plants/ algae. When the algae problem is gone do some water changes to dilute the chemical.

If you lost fish after doing a big water change then there was something in the new water. A lot of water supplies in the US have chloramine in the water and this needs to be removed before the water is used for fish. Water conditioners that break down chloramine are available from any pet shop.

 

[always4lora]

I did big water changes daily on my tank for around 2weeks due to not knowing about the cycling process and having fish in from the start and only couple of fish died (most liekly ammonia levels too high )
Just make sure the water is chlorine free and around the same temp as the current water and i wouldnt see it bothering the fish

 

[Bamafishman]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the valuable information. I understand this isn't rocket science but, when your new to all of this it can be a bit overwhelming with information coming from everywhere and a lot of it contradicts each other. I value all of your opinions. Thanks again.

 

[OldMan47]

If I read it right, you don't have any plants in your tank. To me, that makes the problem seem easy to cure. Remove whatever you can of the solid algae and do a dechlorinated water change for the suspended algae. This will not come close to actually removing the algae but will keep too much from decaying in the water when you cut the lighting back to only a few hours a day of total light. If the room the tank is in gets any daylight, don't use the aquarium lights at all for a while. If there is no daylight getting into the room only have the tank lights on for 3 or 4 hours in the evening. After a few weeks, the water will no longer be green. Without enough light to grow, the algae will die.
If you lost fish after a large water change one of the following things were probably wrong:
1. Water was not dechlorinated before being added to the tank
2. Water temperature of the new water did not match the old water well enough (anything within a few degrees is good enough)
3. Old plumbing where minerals dissolved in your homes pipes and then you didn't flush before filling buckets.
4. Too long between water changes and the extreme change in water quality was too much for the fish. They can get used to nasty water and are harmed by the sudden change.