algae attack!

M

minnesotagal866

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May 30, 2005
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Hi,

2 weeks ago I upgraded to 110W of light via a AHS retrofit for my 55G. I noticed more algae the first week. We went away for Christmas for 5 days, and I returned to everything covered in brown algae, especially the plants and the glass of the tank. I have one pleco and one otto (got 4 and only 1 made it 72 hours, s/he's been there a month now and looks fine), I would like to add more again.

We scrubbed the tank after doing the retrofit (amazing how lighting changes your view) and it is much worse than it was before.

Is this just part of having more light? Or is there something I can do to minimize the algae? Better filter, more ottos, less food, more plants? Should I remove any plants that are half dead? (I have a couple that I was hoping would bounce back after adding more light).

Thanks,
Jackie
 
What kind of pleco? IME you need a big bunch of otos to keep up with the algae. Common plecos usually do alot unless they are getting lots of other food-is it helping at all?

I've brought many a half-dead plant back to life. If the leaf is completely dead remove it, otherwise new growth should be starting if it is going to make it.

Regular partial water changes will help reduce nutrients the algae is using. Wiping the glass in the meantime also will help. Often it takes a while to get a proper balance-more live plants that are actually growing instead of dying will definitely help. Also brown algae is more common in low light situations but it very well may be a bloom as the tank reacts to new conditions.

A lot of factors you do not mention can have a bearing on recommendations also. Type and amount and size of fish? Water hardness/pH? Nitrate Levels? Frequency of waterchanges? Location of tank-near windows? Types of plants you have now?
 
I'll answer questions best I can from work.

Tank is 55G, recently retrofitted with AHS for 110W, formerly regular aquarium lights. Growing amazon swords (half dead), red melon swords (very much alive), crypts, (some alive, some melting but alive), lots of java moss on driftwood (very much alive), java fern buried in the moss covered driftwood, one unidentified plant that's supposed to be a med light plant that is alive but covered in brown algae. All were in the tank with low light.

I change 20G every week, religiously, vacuuming as I go.

Fish are: 10 tetras (pristella and bleeding heart), 6 tiger barbs, 1 oto (the others died within 48 hours of introduction to tank), 1 pleco (my husband insists, I hate them), 2 cories (there were 4, one died a few months ago, one is currently in my hospital tank), 1 gourami, and an iridescant shark (5-6 inches) that will be going to a friends (from the time when we were new to fish and believed what the fish people told us). There's also one snail.

The tank has been up and running for about 18 months. The algae started about a month or so ago, and really took off 2 weeks ago when we did the lights. I don't do a lot of testing, usually once a month or so for ammonia just to check, and periodically for nitrates. Never had any measurable ammonia and nitrates have been in the .20 range, but I will do a fresh test tonight. I don't know the hardness, I've been keeping very simple fish and low light plants and never really needed to know. The Ph has tested at 7 both with my tests and with the LFS tests (they use the chemical tests).

Personally, I don't think the pleco helps, he is lazy and sleeps in the java moss most of the time. The pleco is a common pleco, my husband brought him home and insists on him. I took back our first one because after 18 months in the tank he decided to chase the iridescant shark around constantly. The oto works but can't begin to keep up. I was thinking of adding a few more again, my husband thinks I should get another pleco (not my first choice).

I have a tank I can transfer the cories to, I'm thinking about doing that and adding 5 otos. Hopefully these will make it. I generally acclimate by dumping the fish from the bag into a fish carrier, then exchange tank water and bag water over a few hours, then introduce. My LFS has very healthy fish and I've never quarantined.

The tank does not receive much natural light, it is across from a window (as it has for it's entire existence in our home) but the blinds are down 99% of the time due to heat loss and nosy neighbors!

That's about it.

Jackie
 
You're probably tired of reading this but balance is the key. Plant mass and good growing conditions for the plants will thwart algae. I would usually say if you're going to keep plants, either get some test kits (NO3, PO4) or do 50% water changes and go with the Estimative Index Method of dosing (which is still good advice!), but I don't think you have lots of plants...right?
And since it's the brown stuff (I'm assuming it's diatoms), several more ottos should take care of it. Don't get another pleco unless it's one of the small varieties (bristlenose, clown/candystripe).
Remove dead leaves also.
 
One thing you can do to help control the algae is to get plants!

Anachairis is awesome, grows like crazy, and will absorb the stuff that the algae require so it reduces algae issues!

Also, you may want to get a big bottle of "AlgaeFIX" as you have plants in the tank.
 
I figured it was a matter of balance. I would say there are probably 10-15 plants right now plus a huge amount of java moss. 1 or 2 amazon swords, 3-4 melon swords, 3 crypts, 2-3 java ferns, 1 unidentified plant, and something that floats because it was in my low light 5.5 gallon and doing poorly so I moved it to the 55 and let it float while I was away. I have a bunch of anachris in my low light tank with the betta but I'm afraid of transferring pond snails in with it.

In my previous life as a low light person I would buy plants that said low or medium light and try them. I have one tank that's a 10G for newts with a 20W aquarium light that grows anachris, moss, crypts, red melon swords. In the kitchen is my 5.5G betta tank that holds anachris, red melon swords, and a few experiments. The only light for this tank is an incadescant 60W bulb in a lamp. So I haven't always known what I have, although I intend to do better now!

As far as the testing for nutrients, that will happen in the future. This summer the whole thing will come down when we move cross country. When I set up again it will be with a real plan, good substrate, and more thought into the aquascaping and into the stocking. I figured the next 6-8 months are going to be mostly "let's see what grows with 2W of light/G". So the plan is to scrub the tank down (again), introduce several more plants, especially amazon swords which is why I upgraded the light in the first place, and get 5 more otos.

Onward and upward!!

Jackie
 
TF's suggestion on anacharis is a good one. Fast growing stem plants like anacharis will help absorb excess nutrients. There are ways to de-snail plants.
 
I would also agree with the suggestion to add a bristlenose instead of regular pleco, mine do a good job and do not get too big. True Siamese Algae Eaters also do an excellent job of cleaning and do not get too large.

One thing to keep in mind on the swords-they are typically heavy root feeders, I grow E. cordifolius, which do best in my hard/high pH water. Without substrate fertilizer, mine will do little to no growing. I use Pondtabbs, which also contain trace elements and can be a limiting factor. Balance again is an issue because the fertilizer will help the algae grow but with more algae eaters and if the plants get going, they should win out.
 
Once again, You need to know some levels;
PO4, N03, KH, Ph, Fe.
Once you know where you stand and can make the appropriate changes to balance things out. Remember that it is a competition and when your N and P are not in line then algae will thrive.
You have also bumped your wpg a bit and induced an algae bloom. You are giving your tank more juice so to speak and the more light, the faster photosynthesis takes place. Haven said that now you need to balance your N & P. I don't see the mention of C02 injection at all and I don't think any one would disagree with the addition of a little liquid C02 or Flourish Excel.
Onward and upward and balance is the key.
 
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