Help with algae

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Really appreciate all of your advice, thank you.

So far today I have done another partial water change and cut off leaves/portions of plants that are overrun with algae as well as scraping the walls. Also going forward the lights will only be on 8 hours per day.

I’m still abit hesitant about adding more flow - purely because I’ve got dwarf gouramis and neon tetras in the tank that I don’t think would appreciate it. However, my tank came with a 500L/ph pump that I may change for the 600L/ph pump that comes with the Rio 180.

Again, thanks for all of your input, it’s interesting to hear differing views.

You can research all you want about algae control and you'll find very few mentions about the importance of water flow and water flow being a feature...it really isn't a factor and so I strongly suggest you park that to one side for the mo'.
Main factors are light and nutrients and I think we've effectively covered that to date.

 

[Bruben]

You can research all you want about algae control and you'll find very few mentions about the importance of water flow and water flow being a feature...it really isn't a factor and so I strongly suggest you park that to one side for the mo'.
Main factors are light and nutrients and I think we've effectively covered that to date.

Cheers @Bruce Leyland-Jones.

Just so I’m entirely clear, would the excess nutrients just be coming from over feeding? I’m fasting the fish again today

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Cheers @Bruce Leyland-Jones.

Just so I’m entirely clear, would the excess nutrients just be coming from over feeding? I’m fasting the fish again today

Probably...don't forget you were also using a liquid fertiliser.
When combatting algae, throwing extra nutrients into the tank is usually not a good idea.
Higher plants are normally better able to compete for nutrients than the lower algae, so if nutrients are reduced, the plants should win out. Combine this with a reduced duration of light, and you should be onto a winner.

For your fasting fish, assuming you've no fry to be concerned about, they could easily go at least a full week without being fed, so a small fast will do them no harm.

 

[Byron]

Really appreciate all of your advice, thank you.

So far today I have done another partial water change and cut off leaves/portions of plants that are overrun with algae as well as scraping the walls. Also going forward the lights will only be on 8 hours per day.

I’m still abit hesitant about adding more flow - purely because I’ve got dwarf gouramis and neon tetras in the tank that I don’t think would appreciate it. However, my tank came with a 500L/ph pump that I may change for the 600L/ph pump that comes with the Rio 180.

Again, thanks for all of your input, it’s interesting to hear differing views.

Water flow from the filter is critical for many fish. There are fish that must have stronger currents, and there are fish that do not appreciate this and will in fact become stressed and weakened. Remember, the filter is operating 24/7 so fish have no respite if the current is not suited to begin with.

If low water movement were the cause of algae, all of my tanks would be thick with problem algae. But there is not a spec of it, and hasn't been for five years now ever since I got the light/nutrient balance worked out.