Green Grassy Algae

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FalkorTheBetta

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Ever since I put a rock (I forget what kind) into my Betta's aquarium, I've started having trouble with a grassy moss-like-algae. I'll include pictures of it but not only is it covering the rock but it's gone everywhere including coating all of the plants and the substrate in a weird gritty feeling algae. Please help, I've about had it with this stuff.

Two other minor algae incidents that I could also use help with is long hair-like algae that resembles that of a mossball (which it much likes to cling to). I would like a way to get rid of that as well if there is one.

The third and final type of algae that I'd like help with is green spot algae. I've started to read up on this type of algae as that's the only kind that I have been able place the name of but I was wondering if anyone had any nice and easy methods to get rid of it. Thank you so much in advance for your help
 

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Algae grows anywhere there is light and water. If you have lots of live aquatic plants in the tank, they use the light and nutrients and stop the algae growing. If you don't have any or many live aquatic plants in the tank, then algae will grow instead.

I like the stuff in a ball it looks good. The same with the stuff on the rocks.

It looks like you have hair grass plants in the tank. If so these are terrestrial plants that eventually die underwater. And they don't do anything to control algae.

You can either reduce the light on the tank or add some floating plants like Water Sprite. This will shade the tank and stop algae growing. You can also try Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma or narrow Vallis. They grow in the gravel and will help reduce the algae growth.
 
Algae grows anywhere there is light and water. If you have lots of live aquatic plants in the tank, they use the light and nutrients and stop the algae growing. If you don't have any or many live aquatic plants in the tank, then algae will grow instead.

I like the stuff in a ball it looks good. The same with the stuff on the rocks.

It looks like you have hair grass plants in the tank. If so these are terrestrial plants that eventually die underwater. And they don't do anything to control algae.

You can either reduce the light on the tank or add some floating plants like Water Sprite. This will shade the tank and stop algae growing. You can also try Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma or narrow Vallis. They grow in the gravel and will help reduce the algae growth.
Both of these aquariums are planted, I wouldn't say heavily but they are decently planted tanks. It's ironic to me because I never had trouble with algae until I converted my tank to planted and now I've been having so many issues. I don't mind the look of the algae on the rock but it having coated literally everything else in my aquarium is making it look really gross. I had frogbit literally covering the entire top of my tank except for a little so that my betta could still breath and yet the algae still grew a ton. I currently have frogbit in the tank with the weird stringy algae growing on my mossball and it isn't seeming to be helping. The hairgrass is fine. Any recommendations other than investing more in plants are appreciated.
 
reduce the light by an hour a day and monitor over the next 2 weeks.
 
Looks to be a form of hair algae which is usually a sign of excess phosphates. One of the reasons you could be getting this since adding plants is because phosphates come from organic matter like dying decomposing plant matter(leaves ect...) On your first pic the plant in the background has a white tip on the end of its leaf which suggest nutrient deficiency probably iron or potassium. Plants need light and nutrients to grow when one of those isnt met algae will take hold of the imbalance as algae doesnt need much to survive.
Solution is to fix the balance. Too much light without enough nutrients leads to algae, not enough light too many nutrients leads too algae too much light too many nutrients leads to algae. Also of mention green spot algae in moderation is considered a sign of a healthy tank. All tanks will have algae hair algae and brown algae and brush algae all signs of an imbalance. Best solution turn of lights for a couple days keep out all outside light then do a water change sucking up the dead algae. Then moniter and adjust lights or nutrients. Algae needs around 8 continuous hours of any light,bright or dim to thrive plants dont so limit the time your tank is lit to around 7 hours or less and make sure your plants have the nutrients they need cuz when they dont algae will take what the plants atent.Good luck.
 
Looks to be a form of hair algae which is usually a sign of excess phosphates. One of the reasons you could be getting this since adding plants is because phosphates come from organic matter like dying decomposing plant matter(leaves ect...) On your first pic the plant in the background has a white tip on the end of its leaf which suggest nutrient deficiency probably iron or potassium. Plants need light and nutrients to grow when one of those isnt met algae will take hold of the imbalance as algae doesnt need much to survive.
Solution is to fix the balance. Too much light without enough nutrients leads to algae, not enough light too many nutrients leads too algae too much light too many nutrients leads to algae. Also of mention green spot algae in moderation is considered a sign of a healthy tank. All tanks will have algae hair algae and brown algae and brush algae all signs of an imbalance. Best solution turn of lights for a couple days keep out all outside light then do a water change sucking up the dead algae. Then moniter and adjust lights or nutrients. Algae needs around 8 continuous hours of any light,bright or dim to thrive plants dont so limit the time your tank is lit to around 7 hours or less and make sure your plants have the nutrients they need cuz when they dont algae will take what the plants atent.Good luck.
Thank you so much for your response! That definitely makes sense and I'll try to cut down on lighted time as Colin said as well. I've pretty much always had trouble with plants in that tank even though it has the same two substrates as my other two tanks mixed up. I've also burried I think 2 of the fertilizer pellets and give it liquid ferts and yet that plant still is having trouble. Now that I know that it's probably phosphates I'll look into a fertilizer that has more of that unless you think that would be a bad idea for adding more nutrients to the already algae ridden tank. Again thank you so much
 
Thank you so much for your response! That definitely makes sense and I'll try to cut down on lighted time as Colin said as well. I've pretty much always had trouble with plants in that tank even though it has the same two substrates as my other two tanks mixed up. I've also burried I think 2 of the fertilizer pellets and give it liquid ferts and yet that plant still is having trouble. Now that I know that it's probably phosphates I'll look into a fertilizer that has more of that unless you think that would be a bad idea for adding more nutrients to the already algae ridden tank. Again thank you so much
You need less phosphates not more. Adding more phosphates will contribute to algae. While phosphate is a macro nutrient most of what plants need is provided by fish food and waste and dying plant matter. The excess phosphates not used by plants the algae use. The two most under fertilized nutrients are potassium and iron. Potassium is a macro and is tough to over dose, iron is a micro and can be easily over dosed and cause algae. I wouldnt worry about adding nutrients that may be lacking til the algae is under control. Like i said turn the lights off for a couple days dont feed for a couple of days then do a water change and decrease lighting and feeding going forward. Liquid ferts and tabs should be fine both have potassium and iron unfortunately they both have phosphate and nitrate as well and in the tank in question as small as it us those excess nutrients add up quick. Also check the water you are using, alot of local waters will have phosphates and nitrates in them which is why i use RO water
 
I'm an idiot I meant iron and/or potassium
I wouldnt worry about dosing until the algae is under control it will just contribute to the problem.
Also depending on what kind of plants are in there should determine your dosing. For instance rooted plants like swords and crypts get most their nutrients from the substrate about 75% so root tabs are really beneficial where as theyll only use of 25% through their leaves so all that excess liquid fert they arent utilizing goes straight to the algae. Where as if one has just floating plants root tabs are useless. Then one has to take into account what nutrients plants use most. For instance swords are heavy nitrate feeders vals need more calcium both are root feeders where as a java fern needs more calcium and magnesium but through the water, red plants need more iron ect...its a tricky thing and one imbalance can lead to algae so good luck. Put on your sherlock holmes hat and get a watson:)
 
What sort of plant ar eyou having trouble with?
If you don't know its name, post a picture of it.

Some plants sold at pet shops are not true aquatic plants and struggle when kept underwater.
 
What sort of plant ar eyou having trouble with?
If you don't know its name, post a picture of it.

Some plants sold at pet shops are not true aquatic plants and struggle when kept underwater.
Its the whole tank that has algae including rocks, the OP included pics.
 
Light is probably the prime issue here, though you might also be adding more nutrients than the plants need. The balance of light/nutrients is what causes problem algae, or not.
 
Thank you everyone for your input; I'll definitely try fasting my fish for a bit and taking away the light to see if that fixes it. I'll be back with an update, hopefully it's one with good news
 

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