Growing Algae?

[JustKia]

Plenty of posts about trying to get rid of the stuff but what if you want some and can't grow any?
I've got a few critters that like a bit of algae - shrimps, nerite snails and b/n plecs.
Early on, shortly after I'd got my first tank set up I did have algae but as soon as the nerites and shrimps went in they cleaned the lot up in the space of a few days.

 

[Truck]

Plenty of posts about trying to get rid of the stuff but what if you want some and can't grow any?
I've got a few critters that like a bit of algae - shrimps, nerite snails and b/n plecs.
Early on, shortly after I'd got my first tank set up I did have algae but as soon as the nerites and shrimps went in they cleaned the lot up in the space of a few days.

lots of light, ammonia and fluctuating CO2 will have some algae going.

 

[JustKia]

I could be struggling on the ammonia - my filter's pretty good at dealing with that =)
Lots of light - doing that, been a 16+ hour photo period (plus whatever natural light comes in) for the past week.
Not so sure if I have fluctuating CO2.
I had air stones on in the 125 (as well as lots of natural light, 2x3.5hr lights on), no air stones in this one but the filter outlet is a bit high atm, so lots of surface disruption.
Plants are growing quick. Ferts are Seachem Flourish.

 

[Truck]

the chances are, whilst youre trying to grow algae, you could risk killing the plants. stopping dosing the flourish (which is an algaecide) will help a little, as well as lots of water changes with as little surface agitation as possible.

 

[JustKia]

stopping dosing the flourish (which is an algaecide) will help a little

- really really need the headslap smilie there - that has to be one of my "d'oh" moments.
Going away now to stick my finger in my ear and say red backwards.
(at least it wasn't the Excel...)

 

[Truck]

woops my bad sorry, flourish is fine, sorry for the mix up, excel is the algaecide.

 

[aaronnorth]

if the plants are gorwing quick then you will struggle to get algae, but as Jack says you risk killing or covering the plants in algae if you change somthing.

Just give them some algae wafers, thats what i did.

 

[loraxchick]

why not put some clean rocks ina jar on the windowsill. no waterchanges...maybe a pinch of fishfood. surely it would grow some algae and you could plop the stone into the tank. or have multiple stone that you could do this to and rotate them as the fish,snails,shrimp clean them off?
just an idea.
cheers

 

[JustKia]

Great idea.
No risk to the plants and the critters get "fresh food"

 

[tropic_john]

or get a ball of floss which would be better for the shrimp than the rock, you could make a new type of moss ball. Since marimo moss balls are a type of algae

 

[aaronnorth]

Great idea.
No risk to the plants and the critters get "fresh food"

you could stil introduce algae that way, lots of people have done when they buy algae covered plants from the shop, they presume because the balance in te-ir tank is ko it will die off, unfortunatley it doesnt work like that.

 

[Honeythorn]

Try a moss ball? It is a type of algae after all, though wether the fish will enjoy eating whatever type it happens to be I couldn't say. I have found that shrimp enjoy picking at it and extracting bits of fish food and detritus that get caught in it though.

 

[loraxchick]

Great idea.
No risk to the plants and the critters get "fresh food"

you could stil introduce algae that way, lots of people have done when they buy algae covered plants from the shop, they presume because the balance in te-ir tank is ko it will die off, unfortunatley it doesnt work like that.

but if you are trying to get algae in your tank that the fish CAN eat, wouldnt that be a good thing. if you got a bad outbreak in your tank from things the fish would eat, they;d take care of it for you. i understand tho that it might bring in types that you are not anticipating. in this case tho, i think the OP wants to feed her fish properly, rather than have the perfect planted algae free tank. maybe i misunderstood if that wasnt the case.

Try a moss ball? It is a type of algae after all, though wether the fish will enjoy eating whatever type it happens to be I couldn't say. I have found that shrimp enjoy picking at it and extracting bits of fish food and detritus that get caught in it though.

the algae from moss balls plecs and otos (and other algae eaters) dont touch. they do scour it a lot for leftover food bits etc., as it tends to collect them, but not the sort of algae they eat as staple. i agree they are FANTASTIC in any thank tho, for lots of reasons
cheers folks

 

[JustKia]

It's a bit of both.
I do aim to go fully planted (after re-scaping a bit) but I'd also like to provide fresh, natural food to the fish.
I'm probably asking too much LOL to be able to have a bit of algae and plants, maybe mother nature won't let me do that.
I could be wrong but in my head it's akin to giving a horse fresh grass instead of just hay.

I'm prepared to give it a go once I've freed up a tank.
I figure if I can get algae to grow on some rocks and I put one small rock in and the algae eating critters pick it all off overnight then it most likely isn't going to get chance to take over my tank, but if they don't touch it I can remove the rock and they'll just have to make do with algae wafers.

I do have marimo "moss" balls and yes, the shrimps especially love to pick them over for tasting morsels.

 

[aaronnorth]

but if you are trying to get algae in your tank that the fish CAN eat, wouldnt that be a good thing. if you got a bad outbreak in your tank from things the fish would eat, they;d take care of it for you. i understand tho that it might bring in types that you are not anticipating. in this case tho, i think the OP wants to feed her fish properly, rather than have the perfect planted algae free tank.

I understand, but i am just saying there is a risk, as some people would rather have algae free tanks than ruin their hard work.

thanks, Aaron