Algae

[This Old Spouse]

What should I do about this? It seems to have killed one of my plants and is now attacking my pennywort. Light is only on for 8 hours a day. I vac the gravel and do a 20% water change each week. Is this from overfeeding (which I thought I was being careful about)?

Gah.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

is the tank next to/ near a window?

 

[This Old Spouse]

is the tank next to/ near a window?

Yes, but it doesn't get direct sunlight. It's at a 90-degree angle to a north facing window.

 

[BIG BAD BARRY]

See if this guide is any use to you.
I dont have plants but found it very informative.

http/www.jsctech.co.uk/theplantedtank/algae.htm

 

[AstonN24vantage]

thats wierd... my tanks get direct sunlight and have no algae! anyway, more plants would be good, especially elodea.

 

[This Old Spouse]

See if this guide is any use to you.
I dont have plants but found it very informative.

http/www.jsctech.c...dtank/algae.htm

It looks like I have staghorn algae. So if I try to use Flourish Excel, will it lower the pH to a harmful level? It's usually around 6.8 now. And naturally, it suggested keeping a Chinese algae eater ... just rehomed mine!!

Also, I live in a remote area that doesn't have a LFS anywhere near, and it's so cold I'd be afraid to have plants shipped to me at this time of the year. I'd like to "cure" the plants I have so I can keep them. I really hate plastic plants!

 

[AstonN24vantage]

i guess you could go the unatural way - get algaecides (i've found algaefix by API works very very well) but im not sure if its ok with plants. all i know is that ive used it in my tanks and even my turtles

 

[This Old Spouse]

I think that tomorrow I'm just going to rip out the part of the pennywort that has it the worst and the mermaid weed that's gone bad, do a water change, clean out the filters and hope for the best. Seems that the best tanks I have are full of copulating and fry-bearing guppies. *sigh*

 

[weezawoo]

I was sure I read somewhere that moss uses the same bacteria etc that algae uses to grow so sometimes moss can help to prevent algae by supposedly 'starving' it. Not sure how true it is but moss might help? It should be ok in the post in the cold!

 

[AstonN24vantage]

I was sure I read somewhere that moss uses the same bacteria etc that algae uses to grow so sometimes moss can help to prevent algae by supposedly 'starving' it. Not sure how true it is but moss might help? It should be ok in the post in the cold!

yep thats true, thats why i suggested elodea.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Would adding an air stone help? I see now that I have some sort of short black algae growing on some of my large rocks. I did take out all the apparent algae-infected pennywort.