Cleaining Biorb Tanks.

[katiee]

hello
i have just been reading on the internet how to clean my biorb fishtank out and i have been doing it totally wrong i think ahhh!
i have been removing about half the water into 1 bucket and putting my two fish in that bucket lol.
and because algae grows so fast, my tank has been practically green when i clean it out. i empty out the rest of the water and wash the gravel in. i take out the plants and wash them with tap water. (they are covered in algae)
i also clean out/wipe the filter system and tank which is also covered in algae.

most sites say do not clean the plants because it damages the bacteria, but mine has all algae on them

i have been cleaning it out like that for years and my fish seem to be healthy and happy. however, algae seems to be growing back faster and faster. i have tried anti algae treatments, but they dont seem to do anything.

ahhh, please could someone help me out??

 

[katiee]

ahh im sorry, i dont know why i put this topic in emergecies

 

[Curiosity101]

What fish are in it?

And what size is it?

Also what are your water stats?

I think chances are there are too many nitrates in the water and/or ammonia.
Either of the above will be factors contributing to algae.

Are the plants plastic? Real plants are better as they generally outcompete the algae and so slow it's growth. Sometimes they will outcompete to the point that they stop the algae growing at all.

 

[katiee]

i have 1 danio and 1 guppy, did have 1 other guppy but i think it died from the stress of move? i heared that happenes a lot.
my tank is a baby biorb.

do i need a water testing kit? to see my water stats?

my local fish store said he wouldnt recommend real plants in a baby biorb

thanks

 

[Curiosity101]

Is the baby birob the 15l one? If so although it CAN hold fish. It's not a very good environment for them to be honest.
It doesn't have a filter does it?

If so you wont have nitrates, but you will have ammonia. Which is more than likely triggering the algae.

There aren't alot of plants that you can put in the baby biorb to be honest. You're very restricted to growth speed and size. So the only ones you can really add are mosses or java fern or anubias. None are which are really going to help in outcompeting algae.

By the way, adding algaecides(sp?) to the tank isn't really recommended. Normally algae is triggered by something. It is better to remove this trigger than subject the tank inhabitants to chemicals.

I don't thing there is a huge amount I can say to help that problem.

But as for water changes, if you have a syphon, then you should be syphoning out 50% of the water a couple of times a week into a bucket. Leave the fish in the tank.
Refil the bucket and add dechlorinator. Pour the fresh water back into the tank.

If you don't have a syphon then I cant recommend how good they really are. It means you can leave everything in the tank and give the gravel a good 'vac', sucking all the gunk up with minimal disturbance to the fish.

Having said all of the above. What I really think you should do is invest in a better tank. You could pick up a 30l clearseal tank for £17.99 from pets at home. It would be a much better environment for the fish. Also you would be able to add a filter and some plants.

 

[katiee]

thanks a lot. that has helped.
i do feel embarassed though LOL.

only being 14 years old, i will have to persuade my parents haha

 

[Curiosity101]

Well here is a list of stuff you can use as convincers...
No filter means ammonia builds up in the water which causes permanent damage to the gill plates and premature death.
A bigger square tank will be a better environment for fish
The surface area on a birob doesn't allow sufficient gas exchage of oxygen
Filters for a 30l will only use around 3w which is a couple of pounds a year max
The new tank should help towards stopping the algae problem making the tank more attractive to look at.
Overall with a filter you will be able to cut down on water changes. So at the very most you'll only be using the same amount of water per week.
And the best part, YOU will pay for it. Not them.

 

[katiee]

i think it has a filter?? hmm well that is what it says it is anyway.

cheers for the help.

 

[Curiosity101]

Ah right. It might have then. I thought it was only the 30l + 60l versions that had filters.

Well if it does have a filter then the algae problem is back to probably being either nitrates or ammonia.

Or is the tank in direct sunlight? This can also cause problems.

 

[black angel]

how often are you cleaning it out? for algae to grow like this maybe couple weeks? more?