Dealing with algae on a severely neglected tank

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kjr928

Go fish yourself.
So, after Hurricane Sandy, I lost power for like 2 weeks and most of the fish in my 90g died. After that, I didn't have the mental energy to deal with that, so I've barely been doing any water changes since then and have hardly even been feeding these poor fish. The tank is a mess and I want to get it back into shape now and restock. (Currently all I have is 1 rainbow shark, 1 diamond tetra, 3 blue gouramis, and 4-5 botia striata - pretty sparse).

Aside from the green algae that scrubs off the glass easily, I also have all this really dark (almost black) algae all over the place. It's on the wood, the plants, even the substrate. I don't know what it is or how to get rid of it. If I just start doing regular water changes, will that help? Should I try using some chemicals since my tank is so sparse anyway? If I have to get rid of all my substrate, plants & decor I'm thinking maybe I will just shut the whole thing down and give up on fish keeping.

Can you help me fix this mess?

Ammo 0
Nitrite 0
pH 7.2
Nitrate 10
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TL1000RSquid

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Apr 6, 2011
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I'd put a bag of GFO or chemi pure elite in the filter, vaccum the substrate if its possible, a few big water changes, may need new bulbs if you haven't replaced them since before sandy.
 

rufioman

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I'd do 25% water changes per day for a week, then cut it down to every other for a week, then do 50% every three days for two weeks. That will definitely help bring the tank back to life.
 

Fishfriend1

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Dec 11, 2009
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Algae-specific I think that Japanese Trapdoor snails would devour that, but since I haven't kept them in literally forever I'm not entirely sure on it. I'm not 100% sure on the algae species, but I know for some kinds you can take it down a notch or two by cutting back the time your lights are on. I don't use chemicals so I can't advise on that, but worse come to worse you can always scrub the algae off manually with some unused filter media and rinse the plant/driftwood in some tankwater during a waterchange.

Glad to see that you're coming back into the hobby.
 

FishFanMan

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Jun 13, 2013
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Since you still have fish in that "old" water, It's best to do small water changes maybe every couple days and closely monitor water params to avoid big changes. I wouldn't use any chemicals to get rid of the algae. Manually get rid of all you can then add lots of snails to finish the job. I like ramshorn and apple snails. They seem to be readily available from like CL. The snails have done a great job for me.

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FreshyFresh

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If your water parameters are truly 0,0,10, you're doing pretty good IMO!!

What type of lighting do you have on this tank? How long are you keeping it on?

You can do countless hours of maintenance on the tank and have it never stop, until you balance out your lighting, carbon and nutrients.
 

ManEatingShrimp

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Jan 28, 2012
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I see some black beard algae, which is pretty hard to remove in my experience. Once you get the tank back on track it should not be a big problem. I don't know what that algae is on the anubias and java ferns though. I have the same problem but have not managed to fix it in my tank.
 

kjr928

Go fish yourself.
Thanks for your comments! I can't really vacuum up the algae - it's physically attached to the all the substrate. Someone else I know also thinks this is black beard algae and recommends using h2o2 to get rid of it (dipping the plants, etc). Does anyone have any successful experience getting rid of BBA? A couple of other questions:

-Will the GFO stuff kill my plants?
-Should I try doing a black out on my tank, and if so, how long do it do it for?
-If I take the plants and some of the decor out and dip in h2o2, can I put it right back in the tank or do I have to wait?

Thanks!
 

ZorroNet

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I had the same experience with BBA taking over an unattended tank. I did 3 things that helped a lot. I'll list them and then explain details of why they worked. NO CHEMICALS... Create balance instead!

1. I planted water wisteria in the tank. Lots of it... and I let it run wild! Trim it back a little and let it go again.

2. I introduced Siamese Algae Eaters (SAE)... They love the BBA, and they are one of the only fish that do.

3. Water Changes. Increase frequency for a while, but 25% is fine.

Explanation:
Planting fast growing stem plants like water wisteria that can handle lower light gives the algae some competition for nutrients in the water column and the substrate. (The water column nutrients are more algae's style, so focus on them.) Many people suggest floating wisteria, which has benefits too, but I suggest planting it in this case because it will send out runners and grow bigger, faster, better to help you with your problem. It's also pretty much indestructible, and if the BBA develops on its leaves, just pull them off and toss them... won't hurt it.

SAE will grow to about 6" which would be fine in a tank this size. They aren't a great suggestion always, but they will help you out tremendously. Keep in mind their future size, because I have never seen them over 2" in a LFS... it can be deceptive. Mine have at least doubled in size from when I bought them. They are pretty fun to watch too! Be sure that you get "true SAE" or they may be a variety that opts to leave algae behind as it matures, and then it's just another flake eater. You can also safely cut back on feeding the whole tank to encourage algae consumption and reduce nutrients being added to the tank. Your fish will be fine if you skip feeding every other day for a month to get things under control. They will give you dirty looks... don't cave!

Since it's been neglected, 25% per week will be an upgrade when it should have been more like a water change routine. I don't suggest drastic water changes unless there is a MAJOR problem. This is not pretty, but lets not rock those fish's world too much. Also, that's a lot of water! Set a scheduled day and STICK TO IT! After a month, you should see a big reduction in BBA. After 2 months you will think it's gone, but it's not... it's just reduced. After 3 months it will mostly be gone and will no longer be a problem because you will have achieved balance.

Good luck! I hope all of this has helped you on your quest to beautify your tank. Don't give up!
 
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