In-Edible Algae?

[jellychris]

Hi, my algae eater, an ancistrus, is making no effect on the algae in my tank.There seem to be 2 types, the occasional circle of brown algae and a thick green algae which covers the rocks and glass in my tank. My ancistrus does suck the glass and rocks but I see no difference afterward. I can clean the algae from the glass with a credit card or scraper but i can't get it off the rocks and the heater. I have the light on 6ish hours a day and it isn't in dirrect sunlight or opposite a mirror or TV. What should i do and are there other fish who do eat the stronger algae? Thanks.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

In my experience a BN pleco will eat diatoms (brown algae) but not green spot, staghorn or BBA. These are just the ones I've experienced in my tank so all I can comment on! Green spot algae is quite hard to remove so you do need to use some elbow grease. In my tank I had it starting to form on the glass along the substrate so I used and old toothbrush and scrubbed long and hard

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

In my experience a BN pleco will eat diatoms (brown algae) but not green spot, staghorn or BBA. These are just the ones I've experienced in my tank so all I can comment on! Green spot algae is quite hard to remove so you do need to use some elbow grease. In my tank I had it starting to form on the glass along the substrate so I used and old toothbrush and scrubbed long and hard

+1. The trick is to clean the glass, etc. before you see the algae on it, rather than wait until it takes hold. Unless your tank is a thousand liters it should only take 10 mins each day. If you wait until it takes hold it will take an age to get off. Little and often is always good

 

[adrianborg]

I agree... I have 5 bristlenoses in my 4-foot and they don't eat the green spot.. only way is to scrub hard, and as someone said earlier the longer you leave it the harder it is. I also light only for 6hrs per day, tank out of direct sunlight, but I think all the extra daylight in summer is making it grow faster.

 

[malajulinka]

I found my algae got a lot more manageable once I put my lights on a timer - 4 hrs in the morning, 4-hr "siesta", then 4 hours at night (so I can enjoy the fish!). Live plants also help by sucking up nutrients.

I've seen tanks with very "effective" ancistrus in, but mine are either too lazy or well fed!

 

[jellychris]

thanks for all the advice!

 

[SO19Firearms]

Live plants also help by sucking up nutrients.

That's not the reason for your algae control unfortunately. But the proper siesta method is really interesting. My money is on it having something to do with CO[sub]2[/sub] regulation.