Hello,
I'm confused and would love some clarification from people with much more experience than me! I've only had a tank for 6 months now and got into it more by happenstance than by choice (they were rescue fish and came with the tank) - though I love it now! My point is only that I couldn't do all of the reading up before I got the fish - I'm just sorta stumbling through all of this.
I have what I believe to be Beard Algae growing in my tank on the rock and one of my wood pieces. I believe that I have brown algae on the plastic plants and possibly in my filter. I don't mind the look of the beard algae (I really don't care either way) and my Cory's seem to chew on it here and there and keep it generally "mowed". The brown algae I don't care for, but the stuff that's growing on the plastic plants is minimal and I hope to get rid of them in the near future anyway. The gunk in the filter I'd like to be rid of, though any time it gets out into the tank the Cory's go crazy to eat it. :-? Blech.
I've been reading all kinds of stuff about Algae but can't seem to figure out what the problem with it is really - is it just aesthetic? I am starting to plant my aquarium (I have one Anubias, more to come soon, including some Marimo moss balls, assuming they'd be ok in my tank!). Algae is a plant - so if other plants are ok in the aquarium, should I really be too bothered by the algae growing? My understanding is that at night the algae, and all plants, produce Carbon Dioxide, which obviously fish don't breathe. So then is it also possible to 'over-plant' an aquarium?
Also, I know the fish wouldn't appreciate it, but in theory doesn't that essentially mean that I should keep the lights on all of the time? Just trying to understand the basics, here!
My other understanding is that the Marimo moss balls will likely kill, or reduce the algae anyway. Does anyone have experience with them? Does it mean they'll kill other plants too?
My known aquarium details are as follows:
Type: Freshwater
I have my lights on a timer and have them on from 11am until 2am... aaaaand just realizing that that's quite a lot of time. I think the recommendation is 10 - 12 hours, right?
Thanks for any input any of you are able to offer and appreciate patience for a newbie like me!
Cheers,
Kat
I'm confused and would love some clarification from people with much more experience than me! I've only had a tank for 6 months now and got into it more by happenstance than by choice (they were rescue fish and came with the tank) - though I love it now! My point is only that I couldn't do all of the reading up before I got the fish - I'm just sorta stumbling through all of this.
I have what I believe to be Beard Algae growing in my tank on the rock and one of my wood pieces. I believe that I have brown algae on the plastic plants and possibly in my filter. I don't mind the look of the beard algae (I really don't care either way) and my Cory's seem to chew on it here and there and keep it generally "mowed". The brown algae I don't care for, but the stuff that's growing on the plastic plants is minimal and I hope to get rid of them in the near future anyway. The gunk in the filter I'd like to be rid of, though any time it gets out into the tank the Cory's go crazy to eat it. :-? Blech.
I've been reading all kinds of stuff about Algae but can't seem to figure out what the problem with it is really - is it just aesthetic? I am starting to plant my aquarium (I have one Anubias, more to come soon, including some Marimo moss balls, assuming they'd be ok in my tank!). Algae is a plant - so if other plants are ok in the aquarium, should I really be too bothered by the algae growing? My understanding is that at night the algae, and all plants, produce Carbon Dioxide, which obviously fish don't breathe. So then is it also possible to 'over-plant' an aquarium?
Also, I know the fish wouldn't appreciate it, but in theory doesn't that essentially mean that I should keep the lights on all of the time? Just trying to understand the basics, here!
My other understanding is that the Marimo moss balls will likely kill, or reduce the algae anyway. Does anyone have experience with them? Does it mean they'll kill other plants too?
My known aquarium details are as follows:
Type: Freshwater
Substrate: (I'm not sure. I can't remember what the guy said in the store. It's dark grey/ black and i believe he said it comes from a steel factory/ plant... it's the left over bits? Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I tried to find info on the internet to no avail)
Size:27 Gallons
Filtration: AquaClear 300 (now called AquaClear 70)
Lighting: "Incandescent Solar Series" 2 x 25 watt bulbs
Temperature25 to 26°C (78°F)
Inhabitants:
Corydoras aeneus (1)
Hoplosternum littorale (1)
Corydoras concolor (1)
Corydoras schwartzi (1)
Corydoras panda (2)
Puntius anchisporus (6)
Size:27 Gallons
Filtration: AquaClear 300 (now called AquaClear 70)
Lighting: "Incandescent Solar Series" 2 x 25 watt bulbs
Temperature25 to 26°C (78°F)
Inhabitants:
Corydoras aeneus (1)
Hoplosternum littorale (1)
Corydoras concolor (1)
Corydoras schwartzi (1)
Corydoras panda (2)
Puntius anchisporus (6)
I have my lights on a timer and have them on from 11am until 2am... aaaaand just realizing that that's quite a lot of time. I think the recommendation is 10 - 12 hours, right?
Thanks for any input any of you are able to offer and appreciate patience for a newbie like me!
Cheers,
Kat