help! algae

[tanganyika1001]

i need help! my aquarium is covered in goddamn algae and the fish cant eat it! i have got a big plec an anchistrus and 2 mollies and they cant get it off the glass. ive tried everymethod of scraping but its on to well for me to get it off. i think its hair algae. if i treat it its just gona grow back again so theres not much point in that. any ideas? cheers

 

[nc_nutcase]

All algae needs two things to survive: 1) food & 2) light.

Food is waste and waste byproducts. Not overfeeding fish and regular water changes are the two best defenses pertaining to food.

Natural sunlight is area’s best friend. If your aquarium is in direct sunlight this will be an endless battle (ending, not in your favor). If this might be part of your problem, I'd suggest moving the aquarium, or develop an affection for the algae.

I would decrease feeding drastically (small amount every other day) and leave the lights on as little as possible. Also live plants use the same food as algae, so if you add some live plants it will create a competition for food and will help reduce algae levels.

Good luck!

 

[rdd1952]

Can you post pictures of it? If it is hair algae, otos should eat it (although I have had trouble keeping otos alive). They cleaned up mine pretty well. The only problem is they cleaned the tops of the leaves perfectly but didn't get the edges. There was still algae hanging from the edge.

 

[glolite]

If it's dark brown/black and kind of furry then it's hair algae, yuk, I've got it too. You have to pick it off plants and glass and yes it does come back. If you keep removing it daily then it does eventually go. For scraping the glass free there's a new tool in the lfs that's like a wire wool scraper on a stick. My daughter has just bought one and says it's great and doesn't scratch the glass.
Don't know if there's a chemical treatment for this algae or whether it is safe with fish. You could ask for advice at your lfs

 

[sylvia]

If it is a brown algae, reducing light won't help. Increasing light would enable green algae to replace the brown if you preffer that though... It would help if you could explain what sort of algae it is. Unless it's blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), it isn't a major problem and should be easy to get rid of, provided your tap water doesn't have excessive phosphates, by reducing feeding and increasing water changes and adding a few fast-growing plants.

 

[tanganyika1001]

actually, its green and grows in very long thin strands (its grown to over a foot long before, one strand, no joke) and its like its sucking onto the glass, it just wont come off. its also very good at attaching itself to plants. i already have a load of plants, maybe around 40. i dont know the species names of the greenery. i dont know about phosphates, would RO water make a difference?