Tips On Keeping Algae To A Minimum Please

[leeandstacie]

Hi
I recently set-up a new tank and had been cycling for about two weeks when I noticed I had got alot of algae in there. I read around on here and soon realised that my tank was too close to a window / light source, so I emptied the badboy and moved it, cleaned it out and started again. Its been going for about three weeks now and it is fine but I dont want to get an algae problem again

Please give any tips you have to kepp algae down

I want to keep cichlids in there so dont really want plants as they pull them up

Cheers

 

[hollanda88]

Hi
I recently set-up a new tank and had been cycling for about two weeks when I noticed I had got alot of algae in there. I read around on here and soon realised that my tank was too close to a window / light source, so I emptied the badboy and moved it, cleaned it out and started again. Its been going for about three weeks now and it is fine but I dont want to get an algae problem again

Please give any tips you have to kepp algae down

I want to keep cichlids in there so dont really want plants as they pull them up

Cheers

Get a grazing fish and have a high flow rate so any ammonia produced is processed by the filter quickly. This may require a filter with a good biological load capability aswell.

 

[leeandstacie]

Hi
I recently set-up a new tank and had been cycling for about two weeks when I noticed I had got alot of algae in there. I read around on here and soon realised that my tank was too close to a window / light source, so I emptied the badboy and moved it, cleaned it out and started again. Its been going for about three weeks now and it is fine but I dont want to get an algae problem again

Please give any tips you have to kepp algae down

I want to keep cichlids in there so dont really want plants as they pull them up

Cheers

Get a grazing fish and have a high flow rate so any ammonia produced is processed by the filter quickly. This may require a filter with a good biological load capability aswell.

Thanks
By hight flow rate do you mean the filter needs to give it loads? I have a fluval u4 and what do you mean by grazing fish?

Cheers

 

[CKutz]

..i don't really know if this is true..but i think most of the time when you are cycling a tank it might get kind of scummy in there.
when i was fishless cycling my tank..i don't even know what it was..it looked just like scummy algae type stuff..but then i noticed there was actually little white worms..anyways it was gross. might have been planaria or something..but i didn't care really cause there was no fish in it..just kept the cycle going. once it was done i just cleaned the tank out really well and haven't had any problems with algae or anything at all since (my dorm room only has one window though and the tank never gets sunlight from it)

 

[mixmaster jay]

like hollanda88 says about grazing fish like plco's chinese algea eaters and a higher flow rate around the tank and filter system and possibly an inline uv

 

[leeandstacie]

..i don't really know if this is true..but i think most of the time when you are cycling a tank it might get kind of scummy in there.
when i was fishless cycling my tank..i don't even know what it was..it looked just like scummy algae type stuff..but then i noticed there was actually little white worms..anyways it was gross. might have been planaria or something..but i didn't care really cause there was no fish in it..just kept the cycle going. once it was done i just cleaned the tank out really well and haven't had any problems with algae or anything at all since (my dorm room only has one window though and the tank never gets sunlight from it)

Cheers

Fish known as algae eaters, do they actually keep algae down ?

 

[hollanda88]

Thanks
By hight flow rate do you mean the filter needs to give it loads? I have a fluval u4 and what do you mean by grazing fish?

Cheers

Lol, grazers are those which will graze (eat algea of rocks and glass and anything that has it on). And by flow rate i mean if you look on your u4 it will say the flow rate think its about 650L per hour. I have 18X the volume of my tank in flow rate and this is sufficient for me to be able to supply nutrients to the tank in the fertalisers for plants without it being converted into algea, the plants get it

You shouldn't need such a high flow rate as that but might need more that the internal u4, could get an external filter or powerheads for inside the tank

 

[mixmaster jay]

yes they do they are really quite effective at doing so as thats there natural type of food they love it

a powerhead will be fine to move and agitate the waters suface too

 

[leeandstacie]

like hollanda88 says about grazing fish like plco's chinese algea eaters and a higher flow rate around the tank and filter system and possibly an inline uv

Sorry to sound dumb but I am a newbie - what is an inline uv?
I have my filter kicking out loads more now - is that increasing the flow rate?

Cheers

 

[hollanda88]

like hollanda88 says about grazing fish like plco's chinese algea eaters and a higher flow rate around the tank and filter system and possibly an inline uv

Sorry to sound dumb but I am a newbie - what is an inline uv?
I have my filter kicking out loads more now - is that increasing the flow rate?

Cheers

Yeah that will increase the flow rate, if algea does appear just aim the flow in that direction of anim another flow (powerhead) in that direction. Inline uv is a light that steralises the water as it passes under the UV; expensive and unnessesary in this case i think.

andrew

 

[mixmaster jay]

a uv kills algea spores floating in the water by pumping water through it from the tank to filter (usually external canister filter or a sump) and the filter catches the spores and then pumps the water back to your tank , but its not usually nessacery to have one. general weekly 10 to 25% weekly water changes will help to keep it down too

 

[leeandstacie]

like hollanda88 says about grazing fish like plco's chinese algea eaters and a higher flow rate around the tank and filter system and possibly an inline uv

Sorry to sound dumb but I am a newbie - what is an inline uv?
I have my filter kicking out loads more now - is that increasing the flow rate?

Cheers

Yeah that will increase the flow rate, if algea does appear just aim the flow in that direction of anim another flow (powerhead) in that direction. Inline uv is a light that steralises the water as it passes under the UV; expensive and unnessesary in this case i think.

andrew

Cool tip there, do you have a good link please for power heads so I can actually check out what they are. I have turned up my u4 filter/pump since I moved the tank and I have what to me looks like a very good flow rate now

Cheers

 

[hollanda88]

Cool tip there, do you have a good link please for power heads so I can actually check out what they are. I have turned up my u4 filter/pump since I moved the tank and I have what to me looks like a very good flow rate now

Cheers

<a href="http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...u7i1mopb0o84nc5" target="_blank">http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...u7i1mopb0o84nc5</a>

Depends on the size of your tank etc

EDIT:

And if you actually want one get it here http/www.warehouse-aquatics.co.uk/powerh...-pumps-19-c.asp as your not gonna get ripped off lol

 

[Dave Spencer]

I don`t see how we can recommend algae eaters when we don`t know what type of algae it is. A UV steriliser will only work with green water.

LeeandStacie, I have said it many times on the newbie forum, but no one seems to listen. If you are fishless cycling and, therefore, adding ammonia, keep the lights off.

Light + ammonia = Algae

If the algae is still persistent, carry out a black out of the tank for as long as you like. Why not try it for the whole of the fishless cycle? Algae will not grow in the dark.

A powerhead may cure your problems in a planted tank, but I wouldn`t bother in a non planted tank.

Light is the key to your problem.

Dave.

 

[leeandstacie]

I don`t see how we can recommend algae eaters when we don`t know what type of algae it is. A UV steriliser will only work with green water.

LeeandStacie, I have said it many times on the newbie forum, but no one seems to listen. If you are fishless cycling and, therefore, adding ammonia, keep the lights off.

Light + ammonia = Algae

If the algae is still persistent, carry out a black out of the tank for as long as you like. Why not try it for the whole of the fishless cycle? Algae will not grow in the dark.

A powerhead may cure your problems in a planted tank, but I wouldn`t bother in a non planted tank.

Light is the key to your problem.

Dave.

Cheers Dave
have a new dillema - I realise now that light was the main cause of my problem, I did some more reading and there was just far too much light getting into the tank. My water was turning into pea soup, anyways my new dillema is this I want to put my tank in front of two unused glass patio doors, if I put a backing picture on my tank can you get them so they block light coming in from that side of the tank?

Cheers