Algae Solutions?

[slakey]

Okay I know the general rule of getting algae would be to get a plecostamus of some kind, but well every plecostamus I have bought has died on me *my GBR's outlived the pleco*

Now I've always bought one that is young and small, should I try and much more older one and see how it goes?

The algae is green hair algae I think and is mostly all over my plants ruining the look
Also I have green algae type sheets over some wood, aswell as brown algae from my old filter media still floating around.

It has come to the point where I'm going to maybe sell my fish *wait til they've pasted on* and totally revamp my entire tank, i.e new plants etc and scrub the wood clean, then start again with new water etc...

Or change to Tanganyika fish tank.

I have 3 Otto's in there but it's not going too well and theres too much of it for 3...

What should I do?

Buy loads more Otto's?
Buy a adult pleco?
Go with the total revamp?
Change to Tanganyika?

 

[MermaidMel]

Get a siamese algae eater

 

[slakey]

How big do they grow?
Easy to find? I know theres a fake kind and the real deal...

I have Corys, Kuhli Loach, Guppies and a zebra danio in there aswell atm, really understocked considering its a Rio300.

 

[MermaidMel]

Do you have a Maidenhead Aquatics nearby? Or a really good LFS that know their SAE's from their Flying Foxes?

 

[slakey]

No Maidenhead Aquatics nearby Well unless I want a really long drive or get train.
Or buy online...

Not sure bout the LFS' never really trust any of them.

 

[MermaidMel]

No Maidenhead Aquatics nearby Well unless I want a really long drive or get train.
Or buy online...

Not sure bout the LFS' never really trust any of them.

Buy online, SAE have always worked for me, but ask in the plant section, I think removing hair algae manually is quite effective but not entirely sure

 

[Colin_T]

if you are losing plecostomus then there is something wrong with your tank. Plecos need clean water and regular gravel cleans. if they don't get this then you will have problems with them. They don't normally eat hair algae either. Shrimp are a better choice for this.
If the wood has slimy algae on it then take the wood out and hose it off.
Do a partial water change and gravel clean every day for a week, then on a weekly basis to help limit the gunk in the gravel. If you haven't cleaned the filter in the last month then clean that too. Wash the filter materials out in a bucket of tank water and not under the tap.

Siamese flying foxes (algae eaters) are smaller than normal flying foxes and can be kept in groups. They should be available from most places that sell fish and are quite peaceful.

 

[slakey]

I would've thought that the filter would've sorted some of it...

Some shrimp and I've been told from another forum Rosy Barbs.

 

[slakey]

Brown algae/muck stuff from 125 filter media

Green hair type algae on plants

Green sheet algae on wood pieces

Also if anyones interested I'm selling my Rio125:

£120o.n.o
Collect

 

[Nick16]

hang on mermaid mel, this guy shouldnt be getting more fish if he is killing them. that is one of the top rules, come on read the post properly before 'advising'.

right, firstly you need to address why the algae is there in the first place. you need to do regular W/C and gravel vacs. plecs and ottos are reknown for being very picky for water conditions. are you dosing ferts or C02? what is your lighting in WPG? and filtration?

 

[slakey]

My filteration is the Juwel Rio300 filteration system, same with the lights, no ferts or c02.
My otto's are fine and happy cleaning and eating. Just the plecos are struggle with, so much for being hardy huh

 

[aaronnorth]

the algae on the wood looks like blue green algae (cynobacteria), and i think you also have cladophora. Seen as you have quite a few other species of algae and i dont want to go into deail on all of them, then take a look at the algae guide in my sig, if yyou have any further questions then please ask.

tank size?
lighting (watts & T number)
filtration?
Powerheads?

 

[Nick16]

you may want to increase flow as algae often builds up in 'dead' spots

 

[slakey]

Well on the site it says Rio300's have:

Light tube: 2 x 38W 42"
Power head: 402
Juwel Filter System: Jumbo
300Litres (Dimensions 121cmL x 51cmD x 62cmT)

Lighting goes from 8am - 8pm.

How'd I increase flow?

 

[Nick16]

lighting is on too long, aim for 8 hours, 10 hours maximum. that will help.
flow, you get get 'wave makers' on ebay which are almost identical to the koralias. or shove a fluval 2+ or 3+ in there to increase filtration and provide more flow.