Algae everywhere

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Heady

Cardinal Rule
Feb 22, 2003
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I have a 100 gallon tank with 4x55W CF's, onyx sand substrate, plants, 10 cardinals, 1 upside-down cat, 1 betta, 2 cories, 2 kuhlie loaches, and 2 pearl gouramis. Filtration: an Eheim 2028 and an Eheim 2216 on either side of the tank, 2 heaters. Filters disassembled and cleaned every 3 months (media rinsed but not changed). I feed the fish once a day, 50% water changes every other week. Don't want to use UV sterilizer since it destroys nutrients the live plants need to grow. Lights used to be on 12 hours a day but I've brought it down to 8 hours a day to see if it helps the algae problem, but it doesn't. The onyx sand and most of the plants are completely coated with slimy green algae, and I have algae that looks like long hair stringing off my plants. "Algae Destroyer" doesn't get rid of it, only blackouts for about a week at a time get rid of it. The real question is, how do I STAY rid of it?
 

Hound

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Feb 20, 2004
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With 220 watts over a 100g tank I believe you may need to have a co2 setup to successfully outcompete the algae. You don't say how heavily planted the tank is, but it should be planted on the heavy side. You also don't mention tank inhabitants. Fish such as bristlenose cats and ottos will do their share of tank cleaning. That being said what I would do if it were my tank is first invest in co2 if you haven't already. Add more plants if its not at least moderatly planted. Add algae eating fish. Lastly remove algae daily by hand and do daily water changes until its back under control.

Edit:

Sorry you do mention tank inhabitants. I must be losing my mind.
 

Heady

Cardinal Rule
Feb 22, 2003
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The tank was planted very heavily about 4 months ago. In the meantime, the plants I've added have mostly died off. I'd say the tank is only about 1/3 full of plants now. I don't want to add more since the last set cost me close to $100 and I've lost about 2/3 of them in 4 months.

I simply cannot afford a CO2 setup that would be adequate for a 100 gallon tank. Would I be better off permanently turning off one of the two pairs of lights?

I do have about 3 otos, which I forgot to mention in the original post. They don't touch the slimy or hairy algae at all.

I can get rid of the algae by turning off the lights for a week and vacuuming up the dead stuff at the end of the week, but it always comes back. Why?
 

Hound

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Feb 20, 2004
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That much lighting without co2 being added doesn't help the plants as much as it helps the algae. You could have some other nutrient imbalance, but I would bet that its too much lighting without co2 that is causing your problem. As far as the 3 ottos they are probably stuffed as it is with that much algae available. If your plants can survive and grow in low light conditions then it may be necessary for you to go with just one set of lights on in order to keep the algae down.
 

johnnyxxl

fishy friend of many
Mar 1, 2004
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hate to mention this but the few inhabs other than ottos none eat algae in volume. I would look at maybe a chinese aglae eaters or a few snails like the apple which has to build nest out of water to breed so breeding them wont be a problem. the two I have cruise the tank pretty quickly. the trick to getting rid of algae in my expierences is have animals that like to eat it and to also get plants that will grow fast enough to compete.
 

happychem

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Dec 9, 2003
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Sorry to add to the con side Heady, but Hound is dead on. You need CO2. Time to start saving up if you can't currently afford it. I'd wager that not only will adding CO2 help your algae problem, it will help your plant dieing off problem too.

No amount of algea eating fish can do what a proper nutrient balance (let's include light as a nutrient) can do, which is stop the algea in the first place, or rather, keep it in check enough to allow the fish, snails, shrimp to do their job.

The reason that algae keeps coming back is that you never really get rid of all of it, just the stuff you can see or easily catch. Algae spores float around in the water, in the air, pretty much everywhere. When the conditions are right, they'll bloom. The key is to keep the conditions favouring plant growth. Most fast growing plants can outcompete algae if the balance is there, but algae are far better scavengers when there's an imbalance.
 
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