Algea Outbreak

[Funny Pie]

Today i noticed there was a bunch of algea growing all over the tanks windows. So i did a 50% water change and used a sponge to wipe it all off, 5 hours later its starting to come back. Is there anything i can put in the water to make it like die off?

 

[SkiFletch]

Theres a few ways to combat algae. As for the natural method, you can try varying the times you have your tank lights on since it messes up with the cycle of photosynthesis that algae use. Alternatively, you could introduce some live plants as they use the same nutrients algae do to survive and generally end up starving the algae. Another way to do it would be to go ahead and get an algae eating fish. Depends on what your tank size and fish composition is though.

As a point of question, what are your Nitrate readings like? If they're high thats prolly not helping the situation (algae eat nitrates). Doing repeated large capacity water changes will help provided you have a low nitrate reading in your tapwater (you should check that too ).

 

[Raz]

Algae is caused by too much light or by direct sunlight in a tank. Its also a sign of a healthy water condition. Make sure your tank is away from any windows or direct sunlight and turn the tank lights off at night...My suggestion would be to turn them off for at least a week until you find a handle on the cause.

The other persons suggestion to add more live plants is also true. Unfortunatly, yould have to have your lights on during the day at least for those plants. Id suggest putting the tank in the dark for a while and/or move it if its near a window.

 

[Funny Pie]

Algae is caused by too much light or by direct sunlight in a tank. Its also a sign of a healthy water condition. Make sure your tank is away from any windows or direct sunlight and turn the tank lights off at night...My suggestion would be to turn them off for at least a week until you find a handle on the cause.

The other persons suggestion to add more live plants is also true. Unfortunatly, yould have to have your lights on during the day at least for those plants. Id suggest putting the tank in the dark for a while and/or move it if its near a window.

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I have a fully planted tank so turning off the lights would be bad i just realized that sun lights do shine through the window. And im thinking that i should put the lights on for a dif shifts, like 5 on, 5 off, 5 on, 7 off or something, would that work?

 

[SkiFletch]

I've read various articles and posts that indicate that doing cycled lighting like you propose helps combat algae. However I'm not sure what effect that would have on your current live plants... Changing the lighting cycle changes photosynthetic abilities, but I dont know if its just those of algae or any plants.

can you test your water for Nitrates?

 

[xamdarb]

sun light can travel through windows but uv rays cannot so sun does not do much

 

[houndour]

I just wrote a huge reply and it did not send. I'll keep it brief this time...don't assume I'm being rude, I just cant be bothered to write it all out again!

how many watts of light do you have?
type of light?
what size tank?
nitrate readings?
inject co2?
fertilise?
you say fully planted...how full? over 50% of the substrate covered?
how often do you do water changes?

having lights on for 5 off 5 on 5 will have no bad effect on plants.

Is the algae just on glass? This is common imo. I do a weekly glass clean.

Do you have any other types of algae?

Sam

 

[Funny Pie]

The Nitrates are zero
I have a 20 watt Aquaglow that has like 18000K of light or something
29 gallon tank
No CO2
I have this fertalizer that i put in like through the water and not the gravel
I'd say about 30%-35% is covered in plants
I do water changes at least once a week
And just the algea on the glass windows, thats all

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, if I were you I'd try investing in a couple algae eaters like Ottos

 

[Funny Pie]

Well, if I were you I'd try investing in a couple algae eaters like Ottos

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Im at my fish limit

 

[jimbooo]

have you read the pinned article on algae in the planted section? thats a good start.