My 14 gallon mixed tank, containing neon tetras, glo fish and harlequin rasboras is in trouble. it has developed brown hair algae on all the surfaces in the tank. doesn't appear to have hurt my little fishies (I call them my little guys). i went on vacation for a week, and before i left, i changed the light bulb, standard Aqueon daylight, exactly what had been running since Christmas 2010 when i set this up. there have been no changes to the tank, other than the bulb. my only lfs anywhere around me for fresh are the usual Petco, Petsmart, and Pet Supermarket. Don't trust them for a definitive answer. readings on the tank indicate no real problem, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates .10 and phosphates .25. water is changed once every 2 weeks, except during this algae problem, and during my weeklong vacation, at 4 gallons per change. i have an Aqueon 20 that came with the kit, and i change the media every week when i do my current changes. my little granddaughters were so upset, that they used a magfloat and their hands to try to remove the stuff. they got some off, but not enough to do any good. i changed the media the next day. someone has suggested changing to a glass top, using an LED strip for lighting and change the filter to a Marineland 250 or an Aquaclear (which I am not familiar with). i am questioning whether that would kill the slimy stuff or if i have to break down the tank and clean plastic plants, silk plants and deco, or throw them out. is changing everything going to stop this issue without hurting my little guys? i have a piece of driftwood in there and the stuff floating from it is at least two inches long. other than diatoms right after the cycle, i have had no problems with this tank, and, believe it or not, i have never lost a fish. my other tanks have had losses, but not this one. i will accept and consider all suggestions and they will be appreciated. :help:
14 gallon mixed fresh needs help!!
- Thread starter Trishyfishy
- Start date
Okay. First off, are ya sure 'bout the nitrate and phosphate readings? Most of the common test kits measure 0 ppm to 100 or so ppm. More precise readings aren't really necessary in the average FW aquarium. There are high end kits that measure down to the hundredths, though, so I just wanna clarify that those readings are correct. They seem a tad low for the way ya describe yer set-up. 10 ppm and 2.5 ppm are a lot closer to what I would expect from a tank that size, with those fish, no live plants and an app. 30% water change weekly.
The main causes of algae growth are excessive nutrients and too much light (either too long of a photoperiod or very bright lighting, or some combo of both). Changing the light bulb very well could have triggered the outbreak, output goes down over time and the brighter light may be enough to promote algae growth. One thing ya don't mention is how much ambient light does the tank receive? Have there been any changes in the room, such as moving furniture or changing window dressings, that may have caused the tank to get more light or a longer dose of light from a window(s).
Have ya started seeing more decay on the driftwood? I have some older pieces of driftwood that have softened over the years to the point where it seems they cover with algae instantly when they go into a tank. This makes sense as the soft outer layer of wood is really nothing more than a very nutrient rich substrate.
I really see no reason why changing to a glass canopy or changing the filter would make a difference. Haven't used any LED lighting, so can't say one way or another there.
First thing I suggest is leaving the light off for a week or so. Second, pull the artificial plants out that are covered and scrub 'em down. Unscented bleach is okay, just make sure to drop 'em in a bucket of clean water after rinsing them well when done, and then add a dechlorinator to neutralize the chlorine. Scrape the sides clear of algae and do a 50% water change, vaccuming the gravel well. I'd repeat this a coupla times over the week the lighting is off. Don't remove the gravel, there's a lot of beneficial bacteria in there. At the end of the week turn the lights back on, starting with 'em on for a shorter period of time each day. Really, with no live plants, the only time the lights need to be on is for your enjoyment.
IME, once a piece of driftwood starts growing algae like that, it is almost impossible to ever keep it algae-free again. Ya can sand it lightly to get the outer layer off, and adding a small pleco to gnaw on it will help keep it from getting covered like that. Clown plecos (Panaque maccus) work well for this, constantly gnawing the outer layer of wood off.
I had to go on a business tri[p in May and mysteriously several tanks in the fish room ended up with five days straight of 24-hrs a day lighting, as well as some unexplained feedings (my 12-yr old daughter claims I-Don't-Know did it). My mbuna kept three of 'em pretty clean, but the planted tank was a wreck. I ended up trimming all my plants back to virtually nothing to get the algae off them, the above is pretty much how I got things back under control, with the difference of the artificial plants vs. live plants.
Good luck!
WYite
The main causes of algae growth are excessive nutrients and too much light (either too long of a photoperiod or very bright lighting, or some combo of both). Changing the light bulb very well could have triggered the outbreak, output goes down over time and the brighter light may be enough to promote algae growth. One thing ya don't mention is how much ambient light does the tank receive? Have there been any changes in the room, such as moving furniture or changing window dressings, that may have caused the tank to get more light or a longer dose of light from a window(s).
Have ya started seeing more decay on the driftwood? I have some older pieces of driftwood that have softened over the years to the point where it seems they cover with algae instantly when they go into a tank. This makes sense as the soft outer layer of wood is really nothing more than a very nutrient rich substrate.
I really see no reason why changing to a glass canopy or changing the filter would make a difference. Haven't used any LED lighting, so can't say one way or another there.
First thing I suggest is leaving the light off for a week or so. Second, pull the artificial plants out that are covered and scrub 'em down. Unscented bleach is okay, just make sure to drop 'em in a bucket of clean water after rinsing them well when done, and then add a dechlorinator to neutralize the chlorine. Scrape the sides clear of algae and do a 50% water change, vaccuming the gravel well. I'd repeat this a coupla times over the week the lighting is off. Don't remove the gravel, there's a lot of beneficial bacteria in there. At the end of the week turn the lights back on, starting with 'em on for a shorter period of time each day. Really, with no live plants, the only time the lights need to be on is for your enjoyment.
IME, once a piece of driftwood starts growing algae like that, it is almost impossible to ever keep it algae-free again. Ya can sand it lightly to get the outer layer off, and adding a small pleco to gnaw on it will help keep it from getting covered like that. Clown plecos (Panaque maccus) work well for this, constantly gnawing the outer layer of wood off.
I had to go on a business tri[p in May and mysteriously several tanks in the fish room ended up with five days straight of 24-hrs a day lighting, as well as some unexplained feedings (my 12-yr old daughter claims I-Don't-Know did it). My mbuna kept three of 'em pretty clean, but the planted tank was a wreck. I ended up trimming all my plants back to virtually nothing to get the algae off them, the above is pretty much how I got things back under control, with the difference of the artificial plants vs. live plants.
Good luck!
WYite
Algae needs two things to grow---Lights and nutrients.
Cut back on the feeding, and lights. If you do not have any live plants, keep the lights off when not viewing--and feed less.
Cut back on the feeding, and lights. If you do not have any live plants, keep the lights off when not viewing--and feed less.
Thanks for the help, both of you. Before I left on the trip, I lowered the lighting to six hours a day and I only feed once a day except on Saturday, when I give it a break. I will Clean the tank tomorrow and remove everything to clean it. The tank has always set on the right side of the window which is facing south and is covered with a set of wooden blinds. Most of the light in that room comes from the other three tanks. I turned them all down to six hours before I left. I will remove the driftwood and clean that thing. It looks like a rainforest in there with the driftwood and silk plants (when they're clean) and lots of room for my little guys.
I discovered something really embarrassing that changes quite a lot. I was using a saltwater test kit. (it was a long trip and I'm tired). Test strips show no ammonia, no nitrite, but there is a stressful amount of nitrates. Did not check phosphates. I am not home, so when I get there, I will check that with the correct kit. Ha-ha. Oh, and the algae appeared two weeks before the trip, which is why I changed the old bulb and lowered the light. Tried to get Amano shrimp, too, but no one here had any.
i guess since i admitted my embarrassing mistake, no one wants to talk to me anymore 
i blacked out the tank two days ago and will pull everything out today except fish and gravel. will soak silk and plastic plants and other deco in a weak bleach solution, then rinse and place in bucket with dechlorinator. will put the driftwood outside to dry and, if i can find some sandpaper, will sand gently. the driftwood will dry quickly as this is Florida. afterwards, i will turn on the lights and reassemble. in case the bleach discolors or fades my silk plants, i have two more boxes of them. instead of going crazy with fish when i first started, i went crazy with deco. does this sound all right, Wyomingite?
i blacked out the tank two days ago and will pull everything out today except fish and gravel. will soak silk and plastic plants and other deco in a weak bleach solution, then rinse and place in bucket with dechlorinator. will put the driftwood outside to dry and, if i can find some sandpaper, will sand gently. the driftwood will dry quickly as this is Florida. afterwards, i will turn on the lights and reassemble. in case the bleach discolors or fades my silk plants, i have two more boxes of them. instead of going crazy with fish when i first started, i went crazy with deco. does this sound all right, Wyomingite?
Sounds about right...when using bleach I typically soak/rinse until I can't smell that chlorine smell anymore, but you should be fine given what you said.
How much nitrate was there exactly?
How much nitrate was there exactly?
ya know, i never tested it. i guess i didn't want to know how high it was. a couple of days before lights out, i tested with strips and it showed in the stressful range. all i knew was i had to help my little guys. i vacuumed it yesterday but there are still large pieces of alga floating around or on the gravel. i will vacuum again today. i ordered a new filter and heater as they are covered in this algae and a toothbrush didn't even phase it. the filter must be getting something through it because the media was solid brown/green and slimy. obviously, i changed it and will do so again today. i bought a larger filter because the one i was using that came with the kit was not even rated high enough for the tank in the first place. the driftwood is drying out rapidly, so i should be able to sand it tonight or tomorrow.
well, i will vacuum one last time and change the filter media, sand the driftwood and rinse it well, try again , before vacuuming, to scrape the back of the tank to get the crud off it and toothbrush the heck out of the filter intake and heater. by the way, other than going to the lfs to get an algae scaper (magfloats don't touch it), is there something around the house that might get the stuff off the wall? i don't have razorblades, which is what i need. any other suggestions?
