Help!

[jeffries700]

Hi, had my tank for 8 months now, when i bougt my ornaments to go in my tank, they were lovely bright colours, but now 8 months later, they have gone black or like a dark green. is this the plants that is causing this? is there anything that can get rid of it i have tried before but it is very hard! lol! or do i need to get some new ones! thinking about taking out my plants as i have oxygen pump in there! also thr gravel is quite green, i do use a vacume hoover, but it still comes back! is that to do with the plants? i want it looking like the ones in shops lol!

any suggestions would be appreciated!
thanks
jack

 

[voo]

Sounds like it's covered in algae. The plants should help stop the algae from growing as fast so something else must be causing it.
What lighting do you have (watts), and is the tank near a window?

 

[jeffries700]

Sounds like it's covered in algae. The plants should help stop the algae from growing as fast so something else must be causing it.
What lighting do you have (watts), and is the tank near a window?

I dont actually no, it is just a white long pole that is attached to the lid! the fish tank is near a window but the curtain is always closed!

 

[corrosive]

Could possibly be the window... My old tank is sitting by the window with the certains always closed, but i have just noticed spots of green algae on the glass! Crazy considering i have a 4" bristlenose, a 2" bristlenose, and another plec!

You could try doing water changes more often maybe... Or switching the light off earlier... so it is on for a few hours less per day.

 

[jeffries700]

Could possibly be the window... My old tank is sitting by the window with the certains always closed, but i have just noticed spots of green algae on the glass! Crazy considering i have a 4" bristlenose, a 2" bristlenose, and another plec!

You could try doing water changes more often maybe... Or switching the light off earlier... so it is on for a few hours less per day.

Thanks,
so is that the solution to get rid of that horrible stuff off my ornaments? or would steaming hot water do the trick? did you say the gravel would be better if the plants had gone?
thanks
jack

 

[corrosive]

Personally i would get some tank water in a bowl... and give them a good scrub!

 

[Underwurlde]

The next time you water change, remove ornaments / stones etc and soak them in boiling water with 5% bleach. Then clean them again in cold old tank water (to remove any traces of bleach), giving them a damn good scrub. I have done this & works well.

Adding shrimp may keep the tank spotless, but research this....

I also had an outbreak of snails & the damn things eat EVERYTHING - they had hitched a ride into my tank on some plants and proceeded to multiply exponentially - 2 weeks later there are >25 of the buggers in there and my tank is SPOTLESS! These were identified as "Bladder/Tadpole/Pouch Snails - Family Physidae", aka Physa Fontinalis. I have since removed all snails as they will dominate the tanks eco system and thereby kill everything else! So, goodbye snails!

Worth considering, but VERY carefully!

Andy

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

yes, they have these things almost like velcrow on one end and a magnet on the other, there made for algae so that could help. also a siphon would probly get that algae out of the rocks. as for the ornaments take em out and scrub the algae off

 

[jeffries700]

yes, they have these things almost like velcrow on one end and a magnet on the other, there made for algae so that could help. also a siphon would probly get that algae out of the rocks. as for the ornaments take em out and scrub the algae off

You said take the gravel out?? would the fish mind that just having a glass cube? i mean it wont be for very but would they get too frightened? how would i get the gravel out? spade?
thaks
jack

 

[corrosive]

Personally i wouldnt take out the gravel (unless its terribly bad) especially NOT with a spade! lol. Just get yourself a gravel vac, siphon or something similar .