Algae Issues

[dbrown17]

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm almost ready to put my tank in storage because of the algae (I think) problem I've got. It's been going since the tank has been established - around 4 years now. I've got a 29 Gallon freshwater with eclipse 3 hood, 2 18watt marineland bulbs, 11 hour lighting cycle in a room that is bright but the tank gets no more than 20 - 30 minutes of direct sunlight per day. I have to vacuum the gravel and scrape the glass on a weekly basis to keep the dark greenish/brownish/blackish stuff down to levels that aren't completely disgusting. I do about a 20% water change with each vacuum (sometimes going 2 weeks instead of weekly). The tank has no live plants and contains 4 neon tetras, 1 zebra danio, 5 scissor tail barbs and 1 otto that has been around for about 2 years. I don't truely know if the gunk is algae or something else but I'm done with it. When left 2 weeks it will create a velvety carpet over the entire bottom of the tank but also grows on the plastic plants, glass, driftwood - I expect if the fish swam slower they'd have it on them too.

Thanks in advance for any help or support you can give me.

Donny

[OrionGirl]

Well, it seems likely that this is cyano--not really algae, but able to thrive in the same conditions. It comes up in chunks and strips? Easily wiped away, but quick to return?

First off, how often and much do you feed? Too many nutrients are the usual culprit for problems of this nature. If food isn't being eaten within 2-5 minutes of feeding, you're feeding too much. Obviously, algae tabs, and similar foods will take longer, but they should still be consumed completely within 1-2 hours. Veggies are the only foods I leave in my tank for more than one hour after feeding, and even they are usually consumed within a day or so, well before they can break down.

What kind of filtration do you have, and what maintenance does it receive? Mechanical filtration needs regular cleaning. Without it, the captured solids begin breaking down and contributing to problems.

Are you using any chemical treatments? For example, Cycle, pHDown, ect? Many of these products contain things unneeded additive which can cause problems.

Providing competition for nutrients is usually a good choice. I would add a few quick growing plants, like anachris--you've got plenty of light in there for some plants. Once established, the plants will use the available nutrients more quickly than the growth. This means it will have a harder time growing back each time you remove it.

[dbrown17]

Thanks for the quick reply - I tried to get all the info out there that I needed but.... I was afraid I was overfeeding and started feeding just twice a week about 6 months ago. Because of the filtration and water movement some of the food hits bottom but is gone well within 3 to 4 minutes. The filtration is just that from the Eclipse hood - I change the cartridge (contains carbon with the floss) about once per month and just clean it off the other times I vacuum the gravel (try weekly but usually 2 - 3 times per month). I've also been putting in Algae Destroyer to see if that could get rid of the stuff - which it really doesn't. The only other thing I add to the tank is Chlor out with water additions and sometimes stress coat at the same time.

[grahmee]

I'm getting the same problem, with a brownish growth on my plastic plants and on the sides of my tank. I feed twice a day, with the fish consuming the food within 2 minutes. (I have cory cats at the bottom to eat the leftover morsels). The tank gets no direct sunlight, though some indirect sun during the late afternoon.

Any suggestions regarding this would be helpful.

[OrionGirl]

Brownish algae is usually diatoms, not really an algae either. ;) It's common in newer setups, and eventually wears itself out. Manual removal will work in the short term, or you could look into some of the fish alternatives, such as otocinclus. It all depends on what you have in the tank fish-wise, and if you will be able to meet the needs of the oto in the long term.