Wht should I do?

[specks]

I have had an algae problem in my tank which, with help from this forum had almost been sorted. My intentions were to get some more plants this weekend -a- to replace some that I have thrown out & -b- to try & have so many plants that the algae would not return. You know what they say about the best laid plans??? Almost overnight the dreaded beard algae is back, it looks awful. So what would you do? -a- go ahead & buy all new plants or -b- try & get rid of it first & then go shopping? Any ideas please?

 

[George Farmer]

From where has your algae appeared? If it's on decor then I'd be tempted to remove it and soak it some diluted bleach for a few hours. Obviously rinse it thoroughly before returning to the tank. If it's on plants then remove the whole plant. Beard alage is notoriously hard to eradicate.

It sounds like your system is still out of balance if you're experiencing returning algae. Have you read the Algae article pinned at the top of this forum?

 

[specks]

Goodness knows where it has come from, it literally grew overnight. Today it is so much worse. I have been to lfs & got interpet beard algae remover. I have had to remove all the plants, all the decor is clear & glass is spotless. Tank looks really awful, I feel like throwing everything out & starting again. (not practical though as I've nowhere else to put the fish) To answer your question yes I have read the pinned article & looked through all our books, have also read other info on other sites. I suppose I could go & buy all fake plants like my son has but they dont look as nice as real ones.

 

[George Farmer]

If it's any consolation I had a massive outbreak of Cyanobacteria (Blue green slime algae) about 18 months ago. I started from scratch - sterilised the whole tank, substrate etc. I did some research and bought decent equipment - lighting, CO2, heater cable, laterite etc. It was expensive but my tank hasn't looked back since. I'm a great beleiver in investing in quality equipment from the outset - it is expensive in the short-term but over time will save you a lot of heartache and the need to buy new plants every few months.

If I didn't take the plunge back then then I doubt very much I'd still be interested in the hobby - let alone become a mod on here!

 

[specks]

When I got hit with algae before I had both hair & a very bright green strain that covered the rocks & to some extent the gravel. Out of the two I would rather have the green type back again as it was so much easier to clean plus the few snails I have also helped to remove it. Have given the tank the first of four doses of medication so just have to wait & see now. I have got my fingers crossed. Its upsetting when I spend a lot of time tending my tank & this happens yet my son who although doing water changes sometimes "forgets" to gravel vac,clean the glass etc. has no algae at all. The only difference between our tanks is that he has fake plants & a few different fish.