Algae Problems

[FishHobbyist1564]

hi i have a few fish tanks that get algae really bad. I get the regular green, but i also get blackish, fuzzy algae that sticks to the plants, gravel, etc. What can and should i do to help this clear up? Also, if i were to get some algae eaters, what are the best and easiest to take care of? Thank you for replies.

 

[hungryguppy]

Is your tank underneath a window? How much light do you have? How long is it on for? Try breaking up your lighting cyle as it will affect the algae's photosynthesis.

 

[rdd1952]

Besides the 2 questions already asked, what size tanks do you have and what fish are in them? How often and how much do you feed them? Do you have live plants? How often do you do water changes?

The top causes of algae are overfeeding and too much light. Blue green algae is very common on tanks that get too much light and especially those that get direct sunlight. Also, high nitrates (overfeeding and infrequent water changes) are a problem too as the algae feeds off the nitrates.

If you have live plants, break the light cycle with a timer. I run mine 4 on in the morning, 6 off midday and then 6 on in the evening with 8 off at night. If you don't have live plants, only turn the lights on when you are there to view the fish. Most fish would actually prefer that the lights not be on at all.

 

[FishHobbyist1564]

Thanks guys, i think im gonna try to move my tanks away from the windows. I have a 20-gallon, a 75-gallon, a 10-gallon, and 2 tanks that are less than 5-gallons.