Why does the sand have algae?

[NJ Devils Fan]

Looking closely at my sand, I can see algae on it. How can I get rid of it? Just turn the sand around?

[wetmanNY]

Yes, as Vicki Sue Robinson said:

"Turn the sand around!
(Love to hear percussion!)
Turn it upside down!
Turn it up! Turn it up! Turn it up! Turn it up!"

I often drag the edge of a credit card over the surface-- 'cause I never disturb my substrate...

(back-up group sings: "Never disturb my substrate!
Never disturb my substrate!")

Also, nothing eliminates algae from the gravel better than a layer of dried leaves as leaf litter lying over it.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by wetmanNY
Yes, as Vicki Sue Robinson said:

"Turn the sand around!
(Love to hear percussion!)
Turn it upside down!
....Also, nothing eliminates algae from the gravel better than a layer of dried leaves as leaf litter lying over it. Leaf litter over it?? Dry? I did miss something. Can you please elaborate?

Vicki -disco- Sue Robinson??
No. Don't elaborate, please..

[125gJoe]

NJ Devils Fan, I hope it's not Blue-Green algae you have...

[NJ Devils Fan]

Why, what is that?

[NJ Devils Fan]

It is like a bluish-green. Please don't tell me this is bad.

[superstein61]

Ok, we won't tell you


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but you may want to do a search on blue-green algae or cyanobacteria

[NJ Devils Fan]

Well, somewhere said that it is cause by bad lighting. think it might be one of the bulbs I have in the front of the tank because it is 18.000K. So, I got the original bulb that was in there when I got the tank, which is 9,325K. I did keep the other 2 6500K bulbs in. Looking at it closer, it looks just green. I moved some of the sand around a bit.

[wetmanNY]

Bellbottom pants, nehru jackets and disco: three things they'll never bring back!

Eh? What? They aren't! Get back! They couldn't be! Oh, they are...

Dead dried beech leaves litter the gravel in a couple of my tanks. I really like it. But I like "golden" peatwater too...

Rolling that gravel over lightly is a fine countermove. You got more K-rating than you can use there! Keep the "daylight" hours to ten or fewer. Otocinclus catfish graze algae off gravel as well as off glass or leaves...

[NJ Devils Fan]

So, I have it because I have my lights on too long?

[wetmanNY]

The biological clock run by proteins, called "circadian" rhythm, shuts down photosynthesis after ca. 12 hours (may vary with the plant). I thought I "knew" that cyanobacteria doesn't have a circadian clock... that it just keeps going and going.

But I just checked with a www.google.com search "circadian rhythm algae photosynthesis" and found that cyanobacteria, algae, dinoflagellates, plants-- all shut down after about 12 hours. Cyanobacteria shut down oxygen production and switch to nitrogen fixing (which is suppressed by oxygen).

So my usual response about "circadian rhythm" is all up in the air...

Carry on, then, while I pull my wits together...

Long hours of light do encourage algae though...

Other, "true" algae I'm less sure about. But after eight or nine hours of light, you're no longer really helping plants.

[famman]

Hey Wetman,

I still can't get on your website man, I'm completely bummed about it.

I have temporarily beaten back my blue green blob with a nearly 3 day blackout. I had to stop because my wife said I was being 'cruel' to the fish.

I have started bringing nitrates up, I had 0 nitrAtes for about 3-4 weeks and I'm thinking about diy co2 for my 20gal cory tank. Do I need to add potasium too?

I intend to add some plants, any suggestions for fairly low light plants? 30 watts I think?

Thanks,

:)

[NJ Devils Fan]

Ok, I changed the timer so the light goes on at 10:00 and turns off at 9:00. Quite a bit of difference from my old 6:30- 10:30 setting.

Anacharis, java ferns, and mondo grass do reasonably well in low light.

[NJ Devils Fan]

Ok, thanks for the great tip wetman, now, after a few days of the lights being on for less time, I can see a huge difference. There is barely any algae on the sand if any now.

[125gJoe]

NJDevilsFan,
I didn't know you kept the lights on your tank "on" that long....

My guess is 10 hours is max.. ..and maybe pushing it..

Glad you fixed it. :cool: