View Full Version : Algae on Rocks!!!! Help!!
fdiaz78
01-23-2004, 9:13 PM
75 Gal
Lighting 40 Watts, 10 hours a day.
Pictures:
http://home.swfla.rr.com/fdiaz/images/fish/Algae.jpg
http://home.swfla.rr.com/fdiaz/images/fish/Algae1.jpg
http://home.swfla.rr.com/fdiaz/images/fish/Algae2.jpg
http://home.swfla.rr.com/fdiaz/images/fish/Algae3.jpg
http://home.swfla.rr.com/fdiaz/images/fish/Algae4.jpg
http://home.swfla.rr.com/fdiaz/images/fish/Algae5.jpg
http://home.swfla.rr.com/fdiaz/images/fish/Algae6.jpg
Water parameters as of 10:00 AM EST
PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 15-20 PPM
Feedings: 1-2 times a day with flake.
25% water changes every week.
Please help.
Must4ng s4lly
01-23-2004, 9:43 PM
As yer tank matures this will be less of an issue. You know what I do??? I bleach all my stuff with bleach and water for about an hour and then I let everything dry out for overnight and then I rinse well and put back into the tank. Everything is fine. When bleach completely dries out, it is inert! Cool huh??
fdiaz78
01-23-2004, 10:43 PM
Should I just let it run it's course?
Aquarius0015
01-23-2004, 10:51 PM
Worked for me. I also used a little less light for a while.
morleyz
01-23-2004, 10:55 PM
Do you have any live plants in there? If not, cut down the light...there's no need for 10 hours a day.
Just curious, what are those pinkish fish in there with the red zebras? Couldn't get a good angle in the shots.
slipknottin
01-23-2004, 11:07 PM
africans will pick at and eat the algae covering the rocks. Many of them are largly herbivorious species. Besides, the algae looks natural and will help control your nitrates and phosphates.
I have plants and i leave my light on for 10-14hrs a day and have no algae.
I agree w/slipknottin. On my mbuna tank I ran several times the light you have, 12hrs per day - to support algae growth on the rocks! The fish grazed it routinely - many/most of them are herbivores or herbivorous/micropredators - so it is "free" fish food, and more natural behavior. I certainly would not bleach the rocks.
It might or might not lower your nitrate levels, which I'd like to see a bit lower. That may depend on the nitrate level in your water supply.
fdiaz78
01-24-2004, 12:13 AM
Originally posted by slipknottin
africans will pick at and eat the algae covering the rocks. Many of them are largly herbivorious species. Besides, the algae looks natural and will help control your nitrates and phosphates.
Oh :) I thought that brownish algae was a bad thing :)
slipknottin
01-24-2004, 12:16 AM
not at all, diatoms and other brown algae is a pretty good food source for grazing fish.
The rocks in my mbuna tank are getting covered with purple and green 'turf' algae. Looks pretty cool. :D
fdiaz78
01-24-2004, 10:06 AM
Wow, how can I build up some of that? That would look great!!!
slipknottin
01-24-2004, 11:17 AM
a little brighter lighting should eventually do the trick. :D
fdiaz78
01-24-2004, 11:29 AM
Does the algae or diatoms eventually go away as the tank matures? Do you think it may be due to silicate levels? I used play sand btw.
slipknottin
01-24-2004, 11:39 AM
silicate levels in the water possibly, not from the sand. (the silicate in the glass breaks down faster than the silicate from the sand...)
if your tap water has a decent amount of phosphates and silicates then yes, that is probably why your seeing the algae.
But with more light, the dominant algaes will be green.