Algea Problem....help

[busterbrit]

My tank ran fine with no algea for the first 2 months. Then I added driftwood with java moss and all of a sudden I'm getting major algea problems.

I have lowered the light time and that has not helped.

It is a brown/green algea and it is covering the walls, plants and everything else.

I was going to get a couple Otto's but someone told me I need to fix the problem first.

Thoughts? Can I just get Otto's to clean it all or is there someting else I should do?

Also I noticed that sections are being cleaned off in a back an forth pattern from the walls. Is that the RCS or the fish? I'm thinking it is the RCS at night since the fish seem to eat it at random. What do you think?

Tank: Biorb 16 gallon
Running 3 months with fish (2 months prior with fishless cycle).
1 dwarf gourami
2 dwarf platy's
3 guppies
3-4 RCS (I'm going to add another 4-5)

Levels aways are great. I change 30% of the water once a week. I have not cleaned the walls before becuase the Biorb scrathes so easily but I ordered some pads that should arrive soon.

Thanks for the help.

 

[jonnyf84]

it could just be a coincidence that the algae has appeared now, it usually takes a couple of months to really get it claws dug in. Are you dosing any ferts? If so what, how much and how often? Do you inject CO2, if so - at what rate?

Getting a couple of otto's would help but they will just be disguising the problem and not eradicating it so your best to sort it out first.

Without knowing more about your routine then all i would suggest at the moment is lowering the lighting period even more, if you have no plants that require high light or a sparsely planted tank then lower it to as little as 3-4 hours per day and go from there.