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Algae Problem

4K views 26 replies 8 participants last post by  andulrich4all 
#1 ·
Hello,

I have just recently noticed that I have an Algae problem in my Freshwater 10 Gallon tank.

Here are some specs of the tank,
It is 10 Gallons,
No live plants,
6 small goldfish,
3-4 ghost shrimp,
Light runs 10 hrs. per day.

Yesterday I noticed that I have some yellow algae.
I noticed it because I have a mix of dark gray and white gravel and almost all of the white gravel has some yellow-brownish kind of algae on it. Also, I have a decorative rock that had some algae on it as well, and the glass also has some on it.

I tested my Nitrate levels and I got 40ppm.
Ammonia and Nitrite are 0 as they should be.

I did a 60-70% water change last night and pulled the large decorative rock out and srubbed it in my sink to try and get the algae off, I was not very successful, some came off but hardly any.

I tested my Nitrate again today and it looks about 5ppm.

I have also left the light off since I have first noticed the yellow algae.

I did some research and I think it may be Mustard Algae?

What would you recommend I do to solve this problem?

If you think it would help I can snap some pictures of the tank so you can see the algae, not sure if it will show up real well on the camera or not.

Thanks a lot!
Chris
 
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#4 ·
I don't think I'd consider putting a pleco in that size tank. 10G is pretty small for a pleco. Even the smaller pleco species still get to be around 4in and I think that would be much too large for this tank and its current occupants.
 
#8 ·
I currently have no heater in the tank.

It has been setup for about 4-5 months now.

Yes I realize they will get to big for the tank. They didn't tell me that when purchasing the tank, I bought it from a local shop and they have been ripping me off and giving me bad information. I am going to keep them until they are to big for the tank and then will upgrade them to larger tank.

Anyway, does anybody know what it could be? I want to make sure it is not harmful to them.

Any other information you need to diagnose I'll be glad to answer.

Thanks!
 
#9 ·
Hey one more thing, tell me what your opinion is on this please.

I have a second tank,

29 Gal. Freshwater
Fully planted
4 mollys
1 angelfish
1 rainbow shark
and a bunch of ghost shrimp

Could I possibly put the goldfish in that 29 gallon tank and just not have the 10 anymore? Just an idea, would probably be much easier to take care of if it is possible.

Thanks
 
#11 ·
Well believe it or not,
my 29 gal and 10 gal are the same temp. They both stay at 78F. No heater in each. I was going to put a heater in my 29 gal, but it has been setup for 4 months and temp has stayed the same the entire time. All of the fish in the tank are happy so I do not think I need a heater in there.
 
#13 ·
Florida. It is horrible because I hate hot being in a hot climate! But yes the tank stays within 1 degree of 78F at all times, so you are saying I could put the goldfish in the 29 gallon?
 
#14 ·
I wouldn't. They will still outgrow that tank, and your 29 will be way overstocked.
 
#15 ·
Kim,
Do you have a larger picture of your tank? That is a pretty nice looking tank I'd like to see it larger if possible.
 
#16 ·
Your algae problem is likely tied to your high nitrates. 40ppm is pretty high. Doing more frequent water changes will be a big help.

But, to add to what others have said, you really need to get those goldfish into a bigger tank as soon as you can. Are these fancy goldfish, or comets? For six fancy goldfish something like a 75g would be good; comets would need something much bigger. I wouldn't add the goldfish to the 29g as this will overstock that tank. Also, mollies especially are known to pick at the slime coating on goldfish so they're not really compatible anyway.
 
#17 ·
They are assorted goldfish. Some are fantails, not sure what the others are.
I think I am going to possibly end up giving the gold fish away to a new owner. Possibly even back to my LFS. I do not want to buy another 75 gallon freshwater tank, I am thinking of getting into salt water so I might just be best off giving them a new home.

And yes the algae problem was due to high nitrates, I did a water change and a couple days later the tank is clear as new. Thanks!
 
#19 ·
Thanks for the compliment on my tank! Here it is, it's my first attempt at a planted tank, and although it's a lot more work than silk, I like it.

Freshwater aquarium Aquarium decor Aquarium Aquarium lighting Apple pie


I think giving the goldfish away is a good idea, especially if you don't really want a tank that huge- it's a lot of work for something you're not really crazy about. Saltwater is neat, I'm jealous :-D! I'm glad that you got the algae under control, goldfish are messy messy fish!
 
#21 ·
Thanks for the compliment on my tank! Here it is, it's my first attempt at a planted tank, and although it's a lot more work than silk, I like it.

View attachment 289

I think giving the goldfish away is a good idea, especially if you don't really want a tank that huge- it's a lot of work for something you're not really crazy about. Saltwater is neat, I'm jealous :-D! I'm glad that you got the algae under control, goldfish are messy messy fish!
Kim- Your tank is BEAUTIFUL! Great job!
 
#22 ·
That's a great looking tank Kim!

And Idk, our house temp is at 76 usually, and the tank just stays at 78-79. Not sure why, I check it when the light is on and off, it doesn't really make a difference.

And yes, I think it is best for the goldfish if I let them go off with a new owner.
 
#25 ·
Well, it actually just dropped in temp today.
Went down to 72, so I ran out and bought a heater. Just got one from walmart, a whisper 15-30 gallon heater. Just curious though, is there anything I need to know when setting this up. It is already in my tank and running but is there anything I need to know as far as not letting it touch stuff or anything at all like that? I have live plants in there and I cant really put the heater anywhere where there will not eventually be plants touching it.
Thanks!
 
#24 ·
algae.....

use stress coat and stress zyme. those 2 things help maintain your tank very well. i also use AmQuel +. those 3 things are the only chemicals i use for my tank. doesnt matter what kind of algae it is, its not safe to have algae if u dont have enough room for plecos to do what they do best. a 10 gallon tank should be for 1 fish. i have 10 fish in a 80 gallon tank. and also gold fish are very dirty fish, id recommend a strong filter. a whisper 55 on your 29 gallon would be a good idea. goodluck
 
#26 ·
Maybe you can rearrange some things slightly, I know you've got live plants though so that might kinda be tricky eh? I know on the heater I have, it clearly says on the box not to let it touch gravel or plants or other equipment. So I'd be better safe then sorry if I were you.
 
#27 ·
Where in my tank would be best to place the heater? I have it in the bottom left corner in the back horizontally. My thermometer is in the top right front of my tank and it reads the water as 76F. It is the kind that sticks on the glass with a suction cup on the inside of the tank so it should be pretty accurate. The the heater I got says it automatically goes on and off to heat the tank and keep it at 78F. It also has a light that shows when it is on. It does not look like it comes on to often and the tank is reading 76F, does this mean I am not getting good circulation?

Thanks.
 
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