10 Algae Busting Tips

[Lupin]

Chinese Algae Eater. One of these days, they'll be found sucking the slime coat of your fish as they reach maturity.

 

[lovesfish]

Thanks for the info. I'll watch them. I only have one in with my tropicals, so I may move him in with my cichlids. I have 2 in with my cichlids, they are very aggressive and they don't put up with any fish messing with them.

 

[KINGANDI]

Black Algae

Thanks for the link but does this also apply towards black algae? My tank developed this algae approx a month ago. My dealer sggested a flying fox (too aggressive) or alternating the lighting. He said by alternating the lighting, it can throw off the algae and it may die off...has anyone heard of this?

Thanks!

KING

 

[125gJoe]

Thanks for the link but does this also apply towards black algae? My tank developed this algae approx a month ago. My dealer sggested a flying fox (too aggressive) or alternating the lighting. He said by alternating the lighting, it can throw off the algae and it may die off...has anyone heard of this?

Thanks!

KING

There's a mention of black algae control near the end of this web link...

http://www.rubick.com/aquarium/algae


________

 

[graham7]

algal bloom

Tank Conditions:
Tank 20 gals – long 30” x 12” x 12”
PH : 7.2
Co2 = 8
Ammonia: 0.0 mg/l
NitrIte: 0
NitrAte: .05
Hardness: (GH): 25 ppm
Akalinity (KH): 250 ppm
Filter: Penguin 170 Bio Wheel Power Filter
Co2 System
Light: SmartPac 65W (blue / white light)
1 Aerator
Substrate: Floral Base
Heater: Temp in tank 72-74 degrees
1 Rock Cave and 1 fake Driftwood, 1 lava rock
Fish:
8 neon tetras
1 male / 2 Female Black Phantom Tetras
2 male fancy Phantom Tetras
1 silver hatchet Tetra
3 UPD Catfish
Several regular snails and some spiral snails
2 Cory Cats
1 - 4 Amano Shrimp
1 Bristlenose Cat
Artificial Plants: Various silk plants
Live Plants: 7 Java Plants and 1 Banana Plant

I believe I have algae bloom as my water has a green tinge to it. I have about every bottom fish known to man and a few Amano shrimp. I run my lights for 12 hours a day (they are on a timer) and I do weekly water changes, but within 3 days the water is cloudy and green again.

Is there something else I can do? Since I have put the Flora Base in my tank, I have had nothing but troubles. All my tests are perfectly balanced, and I even changed my filter thinking that it wasn't working properly. The fish seem ok, I just get tired of seeing an icky tank.

Can someone help me?

Thanks

hi this may sound unusual but you could try planting willow tree cuttings in the tank substrate ; willow is a proloific growing plant and will take root in your tank even submerged . I have even seen willow after it has been put through a woodchipper start to sprout . The willow should out compete the algae for nutrients and you remove it after, as it will not survive ultimately. I suppose if you dont like the idea of using a terrestrial plant you could try something fast growing like hygrophilla polysperma and same with the willow cuttings if you dont like it after you have got rid of the green water you can rip it out . Hope that doesnt sound like too whacky an idea , all the best graham7 .

 

[audiojuan]

suffering severe algsl bloom, have conducted 30% h2o chnges daily and my light source is about 11 hours on a timer. I don't test for phosphates nor do I use R/O h20 for changes. I have butterfly chiclids (2) and a small school of rummy nose (5) w/ a rubber mouth pleco. Flitration consist of reverse flow UG w/ foam filter pwr head and a wisper 2 hanging filter with all carbon removed. I clean and scrape as much algae as possible but it returns w/in a day or two Marycin 2 helps for a couple of months but its back!

 

[jpappy789]

hi this may sound unusual but you could try planting willow tree cuttings in the tank substrate ; willow is a proloific growing plant and will take root in your tank even submerged . I have even seen willow after it has been put through a woodchipper start to sprout . The willow should out compete the algae for nutrients and you remove it after, as it will not survive ultimately. I suppose if you dont like the idea of using a terrestrial plant you could try something fast growing like hygrophilla polysperma and same with the willow cuttings if you dont like it after you have got rid of the green water you can rip it out . Hope that doesnt sound like too whacky an idea , all the best graham7 .

I hope they have stopped their algae bloom by now...2 years:lipssealedsmilie:

But interesting idea

 

[cubequeen]

I don't mind REAL algae so much, some I have had I thought was sort of pretty, the kind that looks like bright green fur or real fine grass. But the bane of my existence is that blue-green slimy crap that is not really algae - cyanobacteria. I hate that stuff, and it is a constant, seemingly futile battle to try to rid the tank of it. Grrr-r-r-r-r!

 

[gustavo85]

Hi, I am new to the site, I had aquarium plants for a while, then I got a little out because I started med-school, but now I wanted to come back in but the plants I had had lots of black beard algae. So I diminished the hour time in 2 and reduced it so now I have 4:30 hrs. with light 4 hrs. with no light and then 4:30 hrs. with light again. I started running CO2 again since I had stopped it and also started fertilizers again since I had also stopped their use. I also bought a chemipure elite bag to control phosphates and silicates I have a chineese algae eater, a bristtle nose pleco (but the dont do much with the algae) and I recently but a flying fox, but found out it was the false one, not the Crossochelius. Does anybody now if this other species will eat that kind of algae? Or can I do something else with this black beard algae? Also some of my new plants show whitening of leaves and I beleive is Iron deficiency but does anybody now if potassium could be involved in this too? What could I do?

 

[Northernforest]

Hi everyone! Check, your tank is out of balance. Also, you will need to replace that Smartpaq with a daylight bulb. I use the sunpaq 6700k/10000k. With 65 watts of light over a 20g you need ferts and co2. Keep co2 above 30 ppm, and shoot for 10ppm nitrate(KNO3), 1ppm phosphate(KH2PO4), 20ppm potassium (K2SO4) and dose traces(Flourish) and your tank will explode with growth. You can get these from Greg Watson.com for cheap, and use Tom Barr's estimative index to find out how much to dose. For now you can try a 3-5 day blackout to kill some of the algae.

I am going to be setting up an 85 gallon.Are them the number I shoud shot for too?Also what should my IRON PPM be?And my Magnesioum PPM be?What is the ideal PPM for co2?