Help with algae

Benm1020

I came back from vacation and found this algae on one side of the tank towards the bottom i cant tell if its blue green algae or if its green spot algae and what is the best way of getting rid of it i have been doing 10% water changes daily
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aquakid

get an algae sponge and scrub, change the lightbulb, use a razor blade. keep doing water changes

Benm1020

Yea i have already cleaned i just dont want it growing back i should note its an established tank and light is on for 8 hours a day if i change the light what should i get
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aquakid

just change the bulb. Over time a bulb begins to lean more towards the yellow, orange, and red areas of the color spectrum which is favorable to algae. Changing the bulb will bring the spectrum back into the blue range

Byron

That is very true, but if there are no live plants in the tank, any light will cause algae. Algae is just a plant, so it needs light and nutrients. Live plants will keep it under control because they out-compete algae for the nutrients and light.

Algae is natural in any water system, and if you don't have live plants, it is not really a problem. It coats plant leaves, literally choking them, which is its downside, but in plant-less tanks, it is actually useful as it uses the nutrients.

By the way, doing small water changes wil have little if any effect on algae.

Byron.

Rip

looks like diatoms to me.

Benm1020

Im guesing if i get plants it will help control the amount of nitrates in the tank

Seanmiller09

Adding plants is an all around good idea. As noted, they can outcompete algae for nutrients. And you are correct, they do absorb nitrates, but they prefer ammonium, which if not present naturaly as in more basic water they will convert toxic ammonia to useable ammonium. So you are knocking out two (or more) birds with one stone, so to say; cleaner, healthier water, and less time spent cleaning the galss.