Best fish for eating algae?

Angel079

So you're already treating your tank with chemicals?
What does the algae look like, green slime? Green fuss? Green Hair? Green Dust on Glass & equipment?

rsheets

No fuzzy algae, just green stuff, some of it's actually pretty green and some of it looks kind of like slim. I am going to try and reduce my photo period too. I stay up late and like to watch my fish until I go to bed and my lights were on for too long. So, I'm going to wait to turn the lights on in the morning. I have done that for 3 days and already I see a reduction of algae, of course it could be from the algaefix too.

Angel079

Green slime algae... Personally I'd rather eliminate the cause, which will then also prevent a new outbreak after you stop the chems, then using chem's in my tanks, specially with fish in there

Let me know if you like help there.

rsheets

Yes. I would like to know how to minimize the algae without putting chems in. I know for now my tank is not balanced because it is pretty new.

Angel079

You're sure its green slime algae?
Its known to be caused by low nitrates, also very common to have it on gravel and up against the front windows (where it gets more light). If your tank recently cycled with high ammonia, that made it "kick off" so to say.
Dirty Gravel (not vacuumed) and / or dirty filter can cause this too. So vacuum well when doing w/c and clean your filter (in used tank water only to not kill off the beneficial bacteria). Also make sure your water outlet is set in a way to circulate all areas well (it often grows in "dead" corners where it gets no/ little circulation).

What worked WONDERS on mine: 3-4 days complete black out, tank fully covered with heavy dark towels, no peaking no looking no feeding fish (yes the fish will be fine to not eat for few days). Then I super vacuumed the gravel adjusted my outlets and its been gone since then.
Also check few times during the day when the sun moves around your house if at some time this tank is hit for a while by direct sun light, if so either cover the tank during that time in that area or let down the blinds etc.

I also read articles in which it was suggested to block the front of the tank maybe like 5" upwards with dark tape so the gravel doesn't get the "outside" (room) light. Personally I never tried this, since I solved it with blackout, filter cleaning & adjustment.

IMO chemical "attacks" on a tank should always be the very last resort if all else failed. Chemicals in tanks often work two way either they mask the problem, which doesn't help any in the long run or they eliminate the problem indeed but at the same time also eliminate all beneficial bacteria - Either of the 2 cases will then create a whole new set of issues & possible death in your tank. Just so you understand why I said "I wouldn't do that" :)

Sorry its became such a long post, just wanted to give you all info I know

rsheets

OK, thanks. A few things...
I am not sure that is is green slim.
I do have some of the issues you have mentioned. Like:
Low nitrate levels, not sure what I can do about this except, not do a WC.
I do have room light, Not much
Also, during the day for an hour or so sun will shine through the skylight in the sun room and through the window in the wall that divides the sun room from the living room (the wall I have my tank on) and through the back of the canopy and into the tank. I can put a piece of fabric on the back of my canopy to keep that out.
I do a good job with cleaning the gravel, but maybe too good for now because it is a new tank. I probably should have waited for 3 months or so to do gravel cleaning but have done it 3 times already and it is not even 3 months yet. Not sure why I did that. Guess I was trying to keep the ammonia down.
My tank is pretty new and very unbalanced. Right now I'm going through a mini cycle that is not so mini. I bought some "tetra safe start" live BB yesterday and put it in. It was the refrigerated kind. So, any way, I do not have a big algae problem ye, I just do not want to get a big one. I have reduced the time I have the lights on at this point, and I think this will help some too.

Angel079

We're not allowed to put links here that possibly also have access to another forum...and the only algae pages I can find also offer froums....soooo.....Googel "Green Slime algae" AND "Green dust algae" pictures see what pictures look like your tank.

From what you're saying it could be either a combo of both or also green dust, which occurs also in new tank systems because of starting the tank empty and then adding fish bit by bit, at this point you have a unstable CO2 availability, low to no Low nutrients as well.

From any and all you've told me: Your system is brand new; Unstable, not established yet and still deals with paramters swings - Keep up the w/c, vaccum gravel, make sure the filter itself is not clocked, don't feed too much (1x day is enough) and block sunlight on the tank if possible.
Do you have live plants in there???

rsheets

I have Java Moss and some dwarf grass of some kind. But, the SD's have eatin just about all of that. So, just the moss really.

eileen

I have bushy nosed plecos in my 55 gal. tank. I have 3 of them in my big tank and one in all my other smaller tanks. They do a great job on cleaning algae off the wall and decorations. I like the bushy nosed plecos because they stay small 4-6 inches. I have brown spotted short fins in my tank. They are also Long fin bushy nosed plecos that are nice looking. I would get some Mollies as they like to eat algae of different types and swordtails do a good job also. Siamese algae eaters,Amano shrimp, Otocinclus, Nerite snails are also good to get to clean Algae also.