Decor Gravel Getting So Dirty

[platyfanatic]

Hello everyone, well i have had my fish tank setup for nearly 4 weeks now and in my aquarium i have blue decor gravel.
Well, this week it have noticed that it has started to get dirty and algae like.
Does anybody know why this is happening, when i visit my lfs they have had setups running for about 19 months and they are still crystal clear, however they do have sand as a substrate, do you think that i should replace my gravel with sand?
Also grime and algea is growing on the glass of my aqaurium, do you now anything that i can use to remove this and prevent it for longer.
Thanks, lee.

 

[theotheragentm]

First, algae buildup is a result of excess nutrients in the water and excess light. Try cutting back on feedings and reducing the amount of light the tank receives.

If you have live plants in the tank, algae is a sign of imbalanced fertilizers for the plants. Given a proper balance, more complex plants will out compete algae for resources. That's a separate topic. Ask in the plant forums if this is the case.

There is a product called Flourish Excel. It is designed as a carbon supplement for people that want something in addition to CO2 injection or instead of CO2 injection. Although it is not designed for it, it does remove algae. You can get a syringe at any local pharmacy. Put the Flourish Excel into the syringe and dose right where the algae is located. You can overdose on Excel, which becomes harmful to the fish and other living creatures, but if you follow the dosing instructions, you should be okay.

 

[platyfanatic]

Thanks for the advice.
Will the algae go on its own, or will it just build up?
Also will sand be a better substrate, which wont have algae build up.

 

[DarkEntity]

you just need to clean your gravel and feed less. do weekly maintenance hoovering the gravel, picking out rubbish etc

 

[platyfanatic]

What shall i hoover it with, will a tiny syphon do it?

 

[DarkEntity]

a gravel vac would be an option...

 

[platyfanatic]

Ok then, would sand be a better substrate then?

 

[theotheragentm]

Algae will grow on any surface pretty much. Sand becomes darker in color first with small amounts of algae. It's no different than gravel. Just cut back on feeding and amount of light for the tank and you should see the algae cut back. You can dose Excel in the mean time if you want to speed it up. If the problem is algae that turns the water green, doing a black will kill algae too. You stop feeding for five days straight and completely cover the tank so that no light gets to it. This will kill off the algae.

 

[platyfanatic]

AH HA!
I have found a big syphon, thats sucks up all of the crap, but not algae
Anyway i will use that when i do a water change on sunday.

 

[theotheragentm]

Algae will not come off with a gravel vacuuming. It will only remove the nutrient source the algae feeds off of to prevent further growth. Unless you want to do a complete tank cleaning by removing the fish into a temporary bucket and scrubbing the gravel, it's on until you get the light/food under control. I don't recommend scrubbing either, because it will more than likely require bleach, which will kill the bacteria colonies off.

 

[DarkEntity]

yer i meant the vac for the dirt. The algea will need eaten off by something.

 

[theotheragentm]

If algae is a true problem, no fish that fits in a tank will be able to clean it. For instance, a Pleco that can clean up a tank is generally too large for the tank. Try prevention rather than getting something to eat the algae. Depending on the type of algae you have, your fish may not eat it.

 

[platyfanatic]

Thanks for the replys everyone, i think i am just take going to take the dirty stones out and just scrub them, with water not bleach.
I am also going to start feeding live foods, as they will not just sink to the bottom and rot, which will help keep algae growth down.
This aquarium food, makes the tank really dirty desnt it.

 

[theotheragentm]

Bear in mind that live foods get expensive, and fish that are fed on live foods only may not want to eat other foods in the future.

 

[platyfanatic]

How much are bloodworms, in pounds?
Also how many bloodworms do you get in a sort of packet thingy, also do they come in like a fish bag with water.