Stressed and at a loss

[funkyfins]

This is really just a vent post. For those who remember I handled my Ich outbreak before it got bad. I have 2 10 gallon tanks and a 3 gallon betta tank. They’re doing amazing! Parameters are stable, no issues, happy healthy fish, low level of maintenance because my plants do a great job keeping the water clean. Everyone told me bigger is better, so I went bigger, way bigger and jumped to a 40 gallon. Everything seemed to be going well, until my parameters went wacky. I fixed those and a couple weeks later, ich outbreak. I treated and resolved it, added a second filter because why not have 2 AC 50s. Boom, algae bloom…. Dimmed the light, fasted the tank, thought I had it balanced out… BOOM rebloom. I thought bigger was supposed to be easier, but I’m exhausted and getting burnt out on this tank. I love it, it’s beautiful, I love my stock, but it just feels like one issue after another. Thanks for listening

 

[Uberhoust]

I have had similar issues trying to get my 10 gallon tanks going correctly

I have had algae blooms in the past, I don't worry much about them just lower the lighting by about an hour 10% slowly until it goes away.

 

[Myraan]

Just remember algae is usually good for the tank just looks bad. You will get the right balance eventually.

 

[itiwhetu]

How many plants have you in your 40g. The more plants the better. If you get your tank planted to around 50% of the volume most of your algae problems will go away

 

[Colin_T]

picture of the algae so we can identify it?

if it's algae and not blue green algae (Cyanobacter bacteria), then either add more live plants or reduce the light.

if it's blue green algae, reduce nutrients (dry food and plant fertiliser),, increase aeration and water movement, try to physically remove as much of it each day with a water change and gravel clean.