Green Algae In Tank

[Queen Bee]

First of all, I am not even sure if I should be concerned about the green algae. It is on the log (fake), the heater, and the spout of the filter. Not on the glass at all. It is a dark green and in some spots it looks like puffs of algae. There is a smell coming from the tank as well.

The tank is a 5 gallon. I have only recently cycled it. (about 2 weeks ago). The temperature is at 76 and the light is on a timer. 9 hours a day. I have no real plants in the tank. I am using a whisper filter.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20 (Today is Friday, Usually do water changes on Sunday)
Ph 8

I have 2 pea puffers in the tank, and wondered what kind of algae eater would be best for the tank. Puffers like snails, so that is out. Even though they are too small to eat a large snail, they would probably harass it to death.

What is the next step here, if one is needed at all?

 

[waterdrop]

Well if you're worried about algae somehow being bad for fish, you needn't! Its part of their natural habitat and if anything, often somewhat positive for them as a food source for some.

The issues are pretty much all aesthetic and for humans (except some blue-green cyano stuff that may be technically a bacteria and I won't try to get into as clearly sounds not your problem anyway) and its really up to you at what point you want to expend mental or physical energy worrying or doing something about it. Lots of aquarists just clean algae with some physical effort just prior to their weekly gravel-clean-water-change and that keeps it down to manageable levels.

Sometimes it either gets to be an overwhelming problem or the aquarist just can't stand how its changing the look of the tank and then you can really get into the topic, practically like a full-time hobby itself!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[raptorrex]

Well if you're worried about algae somehow being bad for fish, you needn't! Its part of their natural habitat and if anything, often somewhat positive for them as a food source for some.

The issues are pretty much all aesthetic and for humans (except some blue-green cyano stuff that may be technically a bacteria and I won't try to get into as clearly sounds not your problem anyway) and its really up to you at what point you want to expend mental or physical energy worrying or doing something about it. Lots of aquarists just clean algae with some physical effort just prior to their weekly gravel-clean-water-change and that keeps it down to manageable levels.

Sometimes it either gets to be an overwhelming problem or the aquarist just can't stand how its changing the look of the tank and then you can really get into the topic, practically like a full-time hobby itself!

~~waterdrop~~

well put! its easy to get technical about measures to take. when what it really needs. is left alone . dependent on the algae, there are fish that eat it too.

 

[OldMan47]

A dark green and a bit of a puffy look could well be blue-green algae, especially if it accompanied by an off odor. The stuff is really cyanobacteria. I am certain someone in the plant area can help with BGA but it is not something I know how to remove except to starve it by feeding the fish very lightly.

 

[waterdrop]

Good point OM47. You are right.. an off smell is suspicious! I was interpreting the dark green puffs description as little puffs of algae coming up like short hairs and so maybe not BGA, but it could all be in the difficulty of communication and would be a shame to miss that its something more serious like cyano/bga.

wd

 

[aaronnorth]

Take a look at the agae guide in my sig for an ID.

 

[Queen Bee]

After reading the link for the different algae, I think I have green brown algae of the non harmful variety. thanks for the advice.

 

[pippoodle]

you should be able to add some shrimp to your tank as long as you got a bit of cover and amanos and cherrys will eat the algae
a few people on here keep them together in their tanks and sometimes it works out ok sometimes not

 

[Queen Bee]

I went to the lfs and the shrimp did not look at all good. I did find a large ivory mystery snail, and put it in the tank while I was home to watch the puffers with the snail. They didn't seem to care about it at all. In a couple of days, almost all the algae is gone. Snail is doing a great job, and puffers still don't mind him in there.

Do like the shrimp idea. Looking for some healthy ones for my betta females tank. Thanks