Algae

[littleT]

Hello
everybody
I just wanted to ask a question. Has anyone ever used Algone? I bought some a while back and I'm afraid to use it. If you have used it did you like it? I have algae in my 55 gallon that has been set up for years. I change 25% of water every week and my readings are good. Right after the cleaning the algae comes right back. My water is not green it just has algae all the time. I have tried the liquid algae destroyer but it does nothing. I have always had algae eaters to take care of the algae but I heard that there is something not right in the water and that the algae eaters don't solve the problem. Please if anyone has any ideas let me know. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[SJ2K]

How long do you leave your lights on for?

 

[celaeno]

i've used algone a long time ago for 2 continuous weeks. it had little to no effect on reducing the green water in my tank. btw, i think algone only claims to be effective on free-floating algae aka green water.

if you want a tank to be algae-free and stay that way, i'd scrub off all the algae or get the algae eaters to eat all of it. then, put in a uv sterilizer. i don't what will happen to your algae eaters after their primary food source is taken away, though.

 

[littleT]

Hi sj2k
I leave my lights on from 12 noon to 6 pm at night sometimes I leave them on until 7 pm.

 

[littleT]

Hello celaneo
I took my algae eater out because he was attacking my angels he is a golden chinese algae eater he is now with my zebra danios in another tank he gets along with them fine. I was thinking about getting a Pleco to go back in there for the algae.
But now I'm curious about a uv sterilizer I know nothing about those. What is a good one for the money and what size do I need for a 55 gallon? I might buy a uv instead of another algae eater. Thanks for your help.

 

[rdd1952]

What type algae do you have? It sounds like blue-green algae which is actually cyanobacteria and not a true algae. it is almost impossible to get rid of. Is you tanke where is is exposed to direct sunlight. The time you have your lights on certainly shouldn't be a problem.

Before you get another algae eater, you need to figure out what type algae you have. Different fish and shrimp eat different types. And if it's BGA, nothing will eat it. The Chinese AE you had really isn't much of an algae eater at all. When they are small and young, they eat a little but as they get older, they usually won't touch it and turn to sucking the slime coat off other fish, especially flat-bodied fish like your angels.

A UV sterilizer will only work on green water. It will not have any effect on other alge. It only kills what passes through it. It works on green water since that is caused by free-floating diatoms which are killed when they pass though the sterilizer.

 

[littleT]

Hey rdd1952
The color of the algae in all my tanks are green. The Chinese algae eater I have eats everything including algae he is about 4 inches long and is very active. He eats like a pig. My tanks are not in direct sunlight. I will not get a uv sterilizer then because that will not help me. My water is never green in any of my tanks thank god. Which Pleco do you recommend that with eat my green algae and get along with my 5 adult silver angelfish? My angels are pretty aggressive especially one female that I have behind a divider. They got along fine with the Chinese algae eater until he got bigger and then he started wanting to suck on them like you said. Thanks for all your help.

 

[celaeno]

a good uv sterilizer for your tank is aa aquarium's 24w version.

i've found that after i scrub the tank free of all algae and keep the uv sterilizer running afterwards, there's no new algae. but as soon as i stop running the sterilizer, algae starts forming.

 

[littleT]

Hi celaeno
Thanks for your advice I will research the issue and I might get a uv sterilizer but I have heard some different things about them and I don't know if it will help me or not. I will let you know. What color was your algae? Thanks so much