Problem Algae

[delboy32]

Hi, I setup a new aquarium which has now been running for 12 weeks. The fish are content & the water quality is good. I've had a serious problem controlling the algae though, & posted on this forum before & followed the advice given. I switched the light off for 2 weeks & now have it on for 5hrs per day & removed the live plants & bog wood from the tank. I cleaned the top layer off stones & replaced in the aquarium.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that the stones are turning green with a hint off blue & I am likely to face another outbreak. After the stones turn this colour strands off dark algae start to grow inside the aquarium at an incredible rate.

I am not that enthusiastic about treating the water with chemicals but am not sure if I will be able to remove this algae from the aquarium.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Del

 

[smmetz]

Do you get green water, or mostly the algae problem is it growing on stuff like the rocks you mentioned?

Your tank is still a bit young, but some shrimp that eat algae, like Amano shrimp might help out with that. (shrimp are usually recommended for mature tanks, some people even say 6+ months for a tank to be mature) Anyway, it sounds like you are doing things right. Here is a list I have, I'll post it in case you missed any of the recommendations in it.

Do not place the tank where direct sunlight will shine on it.

2. Do not over-feed your fish. They will be fine with 1-2 feedings per day. The food should be all gone in 2-3 minutes.

3. Do not put too many fish in your tank. If unsure, the rule of thumb for small freshwater fish is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water maximum.

4. Do not leave your tank light on too much. For best results, get a timer for $5, and set the light to come on for 8-10 hours per day, or less.

5. Maintain your tank. I recommend taking out 15-20% of the water weekly, and adding new water. Vacuum your gravel while taking water out. Treat the new water so it does not contain chlorine.

6. Try adding live plants to your tank. They will compete with algae for nutrients, reducing the algae in the tank. However, you need LOTS of fast growing plants in the tank for this approach to work.

7. You can manually clean algae from the walls and surfaces in your tank. The glass walls should only need a wipe every couple weeks in a healthy tank. Some fish eat algae on surfaces, which could eliminate this task altogether. Beware, these fish will not help with green water. They may in fact contribute to that problem due to the waste the fish produce, which feeds algae.

8. If all above steps don’t clear your water within a couple weeks, you may consider buying a UV filter. This will kill all free floating bacteria and algae.

 

[raptorrex]

Hi, I setup a new aquarium which has now been running for 12 weeks. The fish are content & the water quality is good. I've had a serious problem controlling the algae though, & posted on this forum before & followed the advice given. I switched the light off for 2 weeks & now have it on for 5hrs per day & removed the live plants & bog wood from the tank. I cleaned the top layer off stones & replaced in the aquarium.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that the stones are turning green with a hint off blue & I am likely to face another outbreak. After the stones turn this colour strands off dark algae start to grow inside the aquarium at an incredible rate.

I am not that enthusiastic about treating the water with chemicals but am not sure if I will be able to remove this algae from the aquarium.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Del

perhaps some stock that eats algae my help. i know some algae is, or can be, controlled by the use of a UV filter. that may be another option.

 

[delboy32]

Hi, I setup a new aquarium which has now been running for 12 weeks. The fish are content & the water quality is good. I've had a serious problem controlling the algae though, & posted on this forum before & followed the advice given. I switched the light off for 2 weeks & now have it on for 5hrs per day & removed the live plants & bog wood from the tank. I cleaned the top layer off stones & replaced in the aquarium.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that the stones are turning green with a hint off blue & I am likely to face another outbreak. After the stones turn this colour strands off dark algae start to grow inside the aquarium at an incredible rate.

I am not that enthusiastic about treating the water with chemicals but am not sure if I will be able to remove this algae from the aquarium.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Del

perhaps some stock that eats algae my help. i know some algae is, or can be, controlled by the use of a UV filter. that may be another option.

To answer a few points. The water quality is good & the algae is the type that is very dark brown & grows in strand on items in the tank, like bog wood & the floor off the aquarium. I had thought off adding some algae eating fish is there any that you would recommend for a community tank? Also, how much does a UV filter cost.

Thanks

Del

 

[raptorrex]

Hi, I setup a new aquarium which has now been running for 12 weeks. The fish are content & the water quality is good. I've had a serious problem controlling the algae though, & posted on this forum before & followed the advice given. I switched the light off for 2 weeks & now have it on for 5hrs per day & removed the live plants & bog wood from the tank. I cleaned the top layer off stones & replaced in the aquarium.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that the stones are turning green with a hint off blue & I am likely to face another outbreak. After the stones turn this colour strands off dark algae start to grow inside the aquarium at an incredible rate.

I am not that enthusiastic about treating the water with chemicals but am not sure if I will be able to remove this algae from the aquarium.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Del

perhaps some stock that eats algae my help. i know some algae is, or can be, controlled by the use of a UV filter. that may be another option.

To answer a few points. The water quality is good & the algae is the type that is very dark brown & grows in strand on items in the tank, like bog wood & the floor off the aquarium. I had thought off adding some algae eating fish is there any that you would recommend for a community tank? Also, how much does a UV filter cost.

Thanks

Del

not sure on this, but i think ottos, some plecos and even some shrimp may do the trick. as for the UV unit, for your tank they should be around £30 for a pump/UV unit. but it is quite possible to pay far more. i think there is one from Fish R fun for about that price

 

[angel-al]

whats your phosphate level.
Phosphate remover usually does the trick but best used in an xternal or juwel filter
How about nitrate and do u gravel clean regularily

 

[delboy32]

whats your phosphate level.
Phosphate remover usually does the trick but best used in an xternal or juwel filter
How about nitrate and do u gravel clean regularily

The water quality is good, nitrate levels don't register when I test it. As for phosphate levels that is something I haven't heard off. I use an undergravel filter so I don't think I can do whats been suggested. I must admit I don't clean the gravel at all. Any equipment you could recommend & how much is this likely to cost?