Hello everyone!

[harrisonowen]

I’m facing a bit of a problem with algae growth in my tank, and I’m hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. I have a 10-gallon tank with a few different species of tropical fish and some live plants. Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of green algae growing on the glass and on the plant leaves, especially around the substrate.

I’ve tried scrubbing the glass during water changes, but it keeps coming back quickly. The water parameters seem fine—pH, ammonia, and nitrate levels are all within range, and I’m not overfeeding. I’ve even reduced the light cycle to 6 hours a day, but the algae is still thriving.

Has anyone had success with controlling algae without harming the plants or fish? I’ve read about algae-eating fish, but I’m not sure which ones would be best suited for my tank. Any recommendations or tips on keeping algae in check would be super helpful!

 

[emeraldking]

Hi & welcome to TFF...
There are multiple reasons why algae growth appears. For instance the intensity of the light, water parameters problems like a too high phosphate level, too much food offering, etc...

Yes, there are algae eating fish. A lot of omnivores and herbivores will eat algae. But there are also fish which are sold as being algae eaters (despite the fact that they also eat other food) like ancistrus species, Chinese algae eaters, Siamese algae eaters, Otocinclus species, etc...
But also snails and shrimps will eat algae.

 

[GaryE]

I can't think of any good algae eater for an already populated 10 gallon. It's a small tank.

Some questions.

What species and how many of each are in the tank?

Is the tank in a brightly sunlit room? Seasons are changing and the increase in sun could be the algae trigger.

What do you feed the fish, and how often?