Need Help Cleaning Tank and is This Some Kind of Green Algae

[NorthPoleFish]

I have a couple questions to ask about cleaning my fish tank and if this green stuff is some kind of algae. Attached you will see some photos of the green stuff that I think is a type of algae along with what I know is brown algae on my glass. Sorry for the fuzzy pictures.

I have a 20 gallon fish tank that sits on my kitchen island. I checked all parameters yesterday and everything is great. I have lots of live plants in my tank, which I'm loving and I have 2 platys and 2 panda mollies. I will be adding 2 dalmatian mollies to the 20 gallon tank within the week and want to get the tank cleaned up before I add the new fish. The 2 dalmatian mollies have been in my quarantine tank for about 2 weeks with no signs of disease or anything unusual.

First, I know I have brown algae in my fish tank and I know that is pretty normal. I have that pretty much under control at this point. I am just wondering if anyone has any ideas or tricks for cleaning the brown algae off the glass right in front of live plants, without disturbing the plants. As you can see in my first photo, I have a good patch of brown algae right in front on some grass and I'm not sure how to clean the glass without damaging the grass. This is also the case around the glass where the sand and gravel end. I have nice patches of brown algae that I can't easily get to without disturbing the live plants. Any tricks or tips would be greatly appreciated for cleaning the glass.

The second thing that I'm wondering is if this green stuff that is attaching itself to my plants and the glass is a type of green algae. I know if I did some research, I could probably find out, but I honestly don't have the time right now to research this and I'm hoping someone out there knows and has dealt with this before. I have a couple plants that this green algae just attaches too, as my second photo shows. It is also attaching to the glass of the tank, which the 3rd picture shows. I also have green fuzz growing on almost all the leaves of my live plants. You can sort of see that in the 3rd and 4th photo. I don't have a photo at the moment of it, but I have a small patch of hornwort floating at the top and it is very fuzzy as well. Whatever it is, doesn't seem to bother my fish.

One day, I'll get some kind of algae eating fish, but I can't at the moment. Where I live, I'm very dependent on what my local Pet Co. has for fish and I can't order any fish online and have shipped to my house. The fish would freeze. As I write this, the temperature outside is -18 F. Yes, you read that right. It is way below Zero degrees and the temp is dropping. I basically live in the middle of Alaska and I have very limited resources for fish and aquarium supplies right now. I can order supplies from online, just have to really watch the tracking so that stuff doesn't freeze when delivered to my house.

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Back in the fold]

Holy wow ! That’s some kind of algae growth you got there but it’s not really a bad thing . Some snails will help if you like snails but you can scrape the glass and certain fish will graze off the algae on the plants unless you let it get too far gone . If it was me I’d leave it alone for the time being and wait and watch what happens .

 

[Zer0Fame]

Hey,

I think this can easily be managed. Any chance you feed your fish very ... generously?
I'd also dim the lights a bit ... or shorten the light duration.

That, frequent water changes and maybe two or three handful of floaters.

 

[GaryE]

Generally, that kind of hair algae is from either overfeeding, or too much light. I scrape the glass and then put my hand in and twirl the stuff around my fingers - manual removal keeps it at bay. I have a couple of tanks that get indirect window light and it grows in them. For some reason, one plant, Rotala indica, seems to collect it in great clumps.
I do my partial water changes every week, and pull some out every second week or so.

If you live in an area of large scale agriculture, you may have nitrates in your tap water. That's worth testing. I see you live at the North Pole, and all that reindeer waste gets into the aquifers.

 

[f_luxus]

Generally, that kind of hair algae is from either overfeeding, or too much light.

Or a lack of CO2 if you see it the other way.

Liebig's law of the minimum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If only one nutrient is not available, higher plants stop growing. Hair algae seem to use that opportunity.

In a nutshell:
Nitrates, Potassium, CO2 should never run zero!
Phosphates can be stored by plants, so stop measures, it's only relevant if it's to much.
Calcium/Magnesium/Potassium should be in a balance from 3:1:1 to 4:1:0,5

Micro nutrients should be available.
I prefer watching the plants. To much brings black algae.

Too much organic waiste (not the good detritus) is a risk for cyano bacteria.