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Algea Problems

5K views 25 replies 8 participants last post by  JDM 
#1 ·
Hi,

My tank is cycling right now and it is fairly heavily planted and recently i have been noticing a lot of algae forming on rocks, and driftwood, and a bit on plants. What can i do to control it. I was hoping to get some sort of small snail, or fish that would keep it under control.
Thanks
 
#3 ·
Oto's do NOT eat every type of algae that's a myth!

Generally its advisable and desirable to get rid of what's causing the algae rather then adding to your stock, which only increases the bio load and support certain types algae to grow even better....That said...what does yours look like? Green thin hair like? Green fluff? Black lil bushes? Green slime??? Describe it or take a picture if you can and I'll help guide from there. Also what's your water parameters (NO2, NO3, Ammonia) and how long exactly has the tank been running now?
 
#4 ·
My oto has eaten every thing that can be found in my tank(hair algae, zucini, cucumbers, brown algae). I have also seen my oto eat flakes that fell to the bottom of the tank.
 
#5 ·
Good for you - Having them yourself, you should know just how sensitive they are, adding them to a tank that's currently cycling like mentioned in the OP is fatal 99.99% of the time;-)
 
#6 ·
Yes that is very true. If they servive they are a great little fish to have. I have a friend that has a 100% servival rate with these guys. I dont know how he does it.
 
#7 ·
That's why I find it much easier for the OP to simply rid what's causing his/ her algae problem and leave the stocking list free for what he/ she wants to see in the tank :)
 
#9 ·
Your tank looks like it has some bacteria growth in it. It also looks like to me that your pH is high it needs to be in the range 6.8-7.2 (someone correct me if im wrong).
 
#11 ·
Excuse my honest question: Have you had algae before and properly eliminated it from your tank w/out chems??

1) Bacteria Bloom in new tanks appears as 'white clouds'
2) His/ Her pH has absolutely NOTHING to do neither with a bacteria bloom nor algae growth. The ONLY thing pH and hardness are influencing is what kinda fish your keeping in your tank. So I really do not know where from you have this kinda statement, but its not correct.;-)
 
#10 ·
Rhizoclonium = fine green or brownish threads which are soft and slimy
Thread/ Fuzz Alage = Generally green and varying in length

From your description I'm not 100% certain which one you have just yet - Any chance of a picture? Or you googel the 2 named one's see what looks more like yours?

From what you're saying I am very confident you're having this outbreak due to low or no nutrition in your tank and/ or lack of CO2. Do you have live plants in there???
Do you use any fertilizer? How long per day are your lights running?

What I would do if this was my tank now:
1) Take effected decor out, scrub it down with a hard brush (no chemicals!)
2) Plant live plants if non are in yet and/ or Begin to add a comprehensive fertilizer (such as flourish)
3) Establish regular weekly water exchanges of ~30%
 
#12 ·
I have a fairly heavily planted tank, with about 1.25 watts/gallon, so i try to leave the light on longer, average about 14 hours a day. I do use Flourish comprehensive plant supplement about once a week. I don't have CO2.

I am also currently cycling my tank, so i would like to hold off the water changes until it has finished.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I have followed this thread and feel I must correct some of the information. There is also a serious issue with the nitrite.

First, the algae. Soccermatt has a new tank which is still in the initial cycling. All such tanks experience fluctuating water conditions until the biological stability is reached post-cycle. "Cycled" as I'm using it means the biological state of the aquarium is basically stable and relative to the fish, plant, invertebrate and bacteria life in it at that time. Once this state is reached, it is easier to control algae because the biological stability will remain unless the aquarist does something or allows something to affect it negatively. This normally takes 2-3 months. As I use the term, it is more than just the initial cycle of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

In new tanks that have not yet cycled algae of various types frequently appears. A nitrite reading of 5 (which if accurate would kill any fish if there were any in the tank) clearly shows you are in the second stage of the cycle. I would suggest removing the algae from the glass and waiting things out. Algae is common in all aquaria that are balanced, but the balance keeps it in control. Your plants and light are fine to achieve this, provided nothing is done to negatively affect the process during and post-cycling.

Second, water changes. These can assist in algae control by maintaining stable water parameters. Once established, a tank with a moderate to heavy fish load must receive a weekly (at the least) partial water change, and it should be 50% or more. With fewer fish, and having plants, this can be lessened. But most of us like more fish in our tanks than a lax maintenance system can support healthily. A regular weekly pwc of 50-70% will not harm the fish, in fact they will thank you for it. I've written at length elsewhere on the issues with pollution and water changes.

During the cycling process, water changes do not hamper the cycling. Bacteria (nitrosomonas and nitrospira) colonize all hard surfaces under water. The substrate (gravel) should not be disturbed during cycling so as to encourage bacteria colonization; similarly the filter should not be rinsed or cleaned unless absolutely necessary to keep the water flow through the media--and this is normally not an issue at this stage when little life is in the tank.

Back to your nitrite reading; in a planted tank I would never expect to see nitrite readings even during cycling. Is the tank well planted? If it is, there should not even be a cycle at the beginning. I have set up dozens of new tanks with plants and fish added the first day and never had a cycle. I may have more comment when I know a bit more about the number and type of plants.

To the otos, these fish are extremely sensitive to water parameters and water quality and should never be added to a tank that is not biologically mature. Not only have countless other aquarists stated this, but I have experienced it first hand. When I set up a new tank, and if I intend to have otos (there are other equally suitable algae control fish that are interesting), I never add them until the tank is mature (2-3 months) and then only if the forms of algae they will eat are present. Without acceptable algae in the tank when they are introduced, otos frequently die within days. They will readily become accustomed to eating tablet/pellet foods along with the bottom catfish, but from my experience and others this does not occur at introduction. Without algae present when introduced they will almost certainly starve.

Second point on otos: they will only eat common green algae and diatoms (brown algae). I have never known, nor ever heard, of otos eating brush algae or hair algae. They may graze through it, but they will not eat it.
 
#18 ·
The tank is fairly well planted, heres a list of all the plants:

1 Java Fern
1 Cryptocoyne Balansae
2 Sagittaria Subulata
2 Hygrophila Difformis
2 Vallisneria Spiralis
1 Cryptocoryne Parva

I think why i might still get the high nitrite readings is because, i only added plants about a week to a week and a half ago, while nitrite was still at 5.

thanks for all the great info.
 
#17 ·
I would jsut like to add some things that byron probobly said 12 times 12 diffrent ways up there but here goes...

Angel has been 200% correct in all of her posts (cept the ottos i dont know anything bout those so cant vouch there) Ph ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT EFFECT ALGAE GROWTH. you say you have your lights on for 14 hrs a day or so and do add ferts but you dont do w/c. W/C during a cycle is more important than ever! im going to go out on a limb here and assume that your algae is caused by extreme imbalance of nutrient buildup from not doing any w/c. you have low-mid lighting and have been adding ferts ontop of the fish load which has been building up for three weeks, your plants arent able to use all of the nutrients in the tank becuase the lighting isnt intense enough nor is there any c02 injection. so the only way to sucessfully run this system is to perform water changes and try dosing the aquarium with fert maybe once a week and doing a 25-30%w/c every week or so and your algae should clear up.

in the mean time pick out what algae you can and do a w/c and keep it on a schedule and that algae will disappear.
 
#21 ·
I am Fishless cycling. I couldn't find any pure ammonia so i was forced to use fish food. I add a couple of flakes every 12 hours.

Thanks
In my opinion, two flakes twice a day is no where near sufficient ammonia to get the bacteria going well, nor sufficient for the plants. But I'm still puzzled by the nitrite. Have you tested the tap water for nitrite? Unfortunately, there are places in NA where tap water contains nitrite.

B.
 
#23 ·
Continue on then. When nitrite (and ammonia) are zero for consecutive days, the tank is cycled for the ammonia from the food you are adding. Add fish slowly, one or two small ones at first. Bacteria live at the level to handle the available ammonia/nitrite, and it takes from 9 to 20 hours for bacteria to multiply when additional ammonia/nitrite occurs. B.
 
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