Algae won't grow for me...

[Ponyta]

How does one grow algae? I've been trying to grow some for my nerite, but all I keep getting is cyanobacteria :headshake2:...What I did was put some rocks in a shallow container and put it by a sunny windowsill. I've tried plain tap water and nitrate loaded water from my goldie tank, but I get the same results? Do I need more light, water circulation, what?

 

[rsanz]

Algae are like plants, they need some nutrients to suck up as far as I know.

 

[cellodaisy]

My understanding is that cyano thrives in stagnant water with a low nitrate level. Maybe getting some water movement going and/or dosing nitrate would help? You could try feeding it your old tank water when you do a water change.

 

[coach_z]

if you have some 'established algae' (sounds strange huh?) you can add it to the dish on your windowsill to help feed or reproduce the algae.

Also, i believe you need to dose phosphates in addition to your nitrates.

 

[Ponyta]

Hmm..so I guess I need to add an airstone Nutrients I can provide (waste water from water changes), but how do I add phosphate?

 

[mak3mydae]

miracle grow
you can take some algae that you already have and rub some of it on the rocks thatll seed it

 

[bettabrat]

miracle grow
you can take some algae that you already have and rub some of it on the rocks thatll seed it

:iagree:

 

[coach_z]

i thought the same thing but can you put miracle gro in your fish tank? you arent actually putting it in your fish tank you but are putting it in something that will eventually go in your fish tank.

 

[inkyjenn]

have you tried dosing with excel and fluorish? or throw in some flake food?

 

[bettabrat]

i thought the same thing but can you put miracle gro in your fish tank? you arent actually putting it in your fish tank you but are putting it in something that will eventually go in your fish tank.

Um no I would do that all in a seperate container. I would be conscerned it would contaminate your water or you'd have an algae explosion. Either way I don't see that ending well....