Removing Algae From Live Plants?

[Wolffelis]

I have a few decorations that no matter how hard I try to clean I can't get all the algae off. The tank in question is a five gallon freshwater and the algae is slimy to the touch. I have a toothbrush for the removable decorations and clean those once a week in hot water.  For my live plant (Jungle Val) I am at a loss. The tank houses a male Betta. I use the tooth brush for the corners of the tank and spot cleaning the glass. My other decoration is a moon rock that glows in the dark. I can't get the algae from all the inside crevices any ideas, please?

 

[BaylorPerez]

I would just gently run your fingers along the leaves of your plant, as this is what i do with my anubis plants and it seems to work with getting the black hair algae off easily.
 
As for the Moon rock, its normal for rocks to get algae on them, i would get a snail(mystery, apple, or nerite snail) as they can help with cleaning in the hard places as well as glass cleaning(depending on the type of algae you have). Or you could test your water parameters, this could also help us determine why your small tank is growing algae, Also what tank light are you using and how long your lights are on(depending on the light type it may be best to have it one for 8-10 hours(12 at most if its a low wattage)). Within your tank is it situated, is any natural light hitting it during the day(Sunlight, either directly or indirectly hitting the tank(bouncing off of a window into your room where the tank is situated))..
 
Do you add anything into the tank that contains a large amount of phosphorus, as i know this can cause algae to grow. As well as is their a current in your tank from your 5Gal filter(i would assume thats the filter you have), Also, do you do your water changes(atleast 25% but no more than 75% for a 5Gal tank) a couple times a week or daily?(do you also syphon your substrate(Gravel/sand or a mix of the 2)).
 
 
But mostly what are your water parameters( if you dont have a test kit, i would suggest you go and get one from your LFS so that we may help you further 

 

[Wolffelis]

I have just the plant for a filter at the moment >< I don't want a power filter because they suck up Bettas way too easily I use live plants as my filter and was waiting on a shipment. I have been fighting pneumonia for the last two months and have been on bed rest. I had my mom feed my fish and turn the light on and off and that was about it. The tank suffered some but my Betta has thrived and so has my Val. I usually turn the plant (gro-light) on about 10 AM or so and turn it to low about dusk then turn it off around 10 PM. With mom carrying for my Betta the light is turned on at 7:15 AM and turned off at 10:40 PM, there has been no water changes though. I am going to do a 10-15% water change tomorrow. Today was the first day I have felt like moving around. I don't have a test kit and every time I go to Wal-mart they are out of stock. I got a free test done almost 2 weeks after my Betta was moved into his new home. I don't remember now what the results showed but I was told everything was fine and to keep up the good work. I will see if I can go to the specialty store I like and get a free test done. I haven't added anything extra to the tank. I haven't noticed the sunlight but will pay more attention and see if the tank is getting any. If so I will back off on the gro light for a few hours and just keep a closer eye on things. 
 
I have a waterfall aerator set on low. I am hoping that once I get better I can get rid of the algae since I didn't have it until I fell ill. Thank you so much for your advice, i really appreciate it. 

 

[Akasha72]

have a look for nerite snails or rabbit snails - they are both great algae eaters and don't count when it comes to stocking. Another good algae eating snail is the malaysian trumpet snail but their population can get out of control easy and they only really work if you have a sand substrate as they like to bury themselves during the day time

 

[StevenF]

From my own experience phosphate levels in a 5 gallon tank can be hard to control. If you have too much phosphate in your tank you will have an algae issue.   Also keep in mind that some places add phosphate to the water to prevent pipe corrosion (flint Michigan).  
 
I don;t know if you have phosphate in your tap water.  but I would advise getting a phosphate test kit and do at least 60% water change at least once a week in case you have high phosphate.  if a test kit does indicate high phosphate cycle water even more frequently that once a week until the kit indicates your levels are below 0.5ppm. 
 
 Another alternative is adding a filter and putting phosphate remover inside it.  You can then use a nozzle to reduce the water flow to what your fish prefers.  If you can get the phosphate levels low enough the algae will mostly disappear.  
 
Also how long the lights are on could cause algae.  Get a timer for your lights so that they will go on and off automatically.  Generally you want the lights on for about 8 to 10 hours.  

 

[Akasha72]

Steven, if there's phosphate in the tap water doing a 60% water change will only increase it further. The only way to decrease it is to run a remover and provided Nitrates are low cut down on the water changes.
 
My phosphate level from the tap is 1.6ppm which is really high. I now keep an eye on my nitrates, run a phosphate remover and provided the nitrate stays low I water change once a fortnight. 
 
Algae is mostly caused by nutrients being out of balance. This could be something missing due to an inadequate fertilizer, something in the tap water or too much light. To be able to combat algae you need to work out, by process of elimination, what is out of balance. The alternative is to just accept that algae will grow, buy a snail to graze on and stop worrying. 

 

[NickAu]

 
With mom carrying for my Betta the light is turned on at 7:15 AM and turned off at 10:40 PM,

I think that is too much light.
 

 
I have a waterfall aerator set on low.

Can you please give more detail on this,  Maybe provide a photo?  All I come up with when I search waterfall aerator is a Hang on back filter.

 

[StevenF]

 
 
Steven, if there's phosphate in the tap water doing a 60% water change will only increase it further. The only way to decrease it is to run a remover and provided Nitrates are low cut down on the water changes.

I should have worded my post differently.
 
There are two possible sources of phosphate.  One is the tap water.  The other is the food you give to the fish.  cycling water will reduce the phosphate from food.  

 
 
there has been no water changes though. I am going to do a 10-15% water change tomorrow. Today was the first day I have felt like moving around.

 
Clearly this tank has not had its normal cycling.  So phosphates and other nutrients may have built up from food.  Cycle the water to get the mineral and nutrient content of the water back down to normal.  That and reducing the lighting back to normal my resolve the situation.
 
However if that doesn't resolve the algae issue the tap water needs to be checked for phosphates.  The only way to know if that is an issue is to get a phosphate test kit.  and then possibly a phosphate remover to deal with that. 
 

 
 
I don't have a test kit and every time I go to Wal-mart they are out of stock.

 
Instead of waiting for Wal-mart to stock a test kit try order one from amazon.com.

 

[Wolffelis]

While I have been on bed rest (more like too weak to leave the bed) mom comes into my room before she leaves the house and turns on the tank light. She then left me alone all day and doesn't check back on me or the fish until she goes to bed. Dad came home from work with lunch for me and helped me move around some for the two months. Now that I am mobile but rather weak I have taken over the aquarium again. My light schedule is dim lights, sunrise/dusk for two and half hours, full light for 6 then dimmed for two before I turn off the light. I have never had algae problems in the tank and its not horrible mostly on the plant and little on a glass rock which I clean up. Temp in the tank stays between 75 and 77 I have a heater and will use it at night but turn it off during the day. My Betta gets fed three meals a day, I take a flake of food and turn it into a fine powder for breakfast, lunch is ground krill, and supper is powdered flake. Since a Betta's stomach is the same size as the eye I try to under feed mine to keep him from getting fat and so far he is looking very well.
 
I called the pet store and they have some test kits in stock with luck I can get one this weekend along with a sample from my tank. 
 
http/tinypic.com/m/jfynpx/4