Brown Algae and Goldfish

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bblboy54

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Sep 7, 2004
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Ashburn, VA
www.bibleboy.org
I currently have a 10 gallon tank with 2 fancy goldfish. This tank has an undergravel filter and a Top Fin PowerFilter 10. I am having a misserable time keeping the brown algae under control. I know that these two fish may be a little over crowded and this can have some impact but there really isnt much more of an option. I have heard some ideas but really dont know which route is the best to take. Should I add some live plants -- if so, what types (be specific if so, Im new to plants)? Should I add a pleco? Im worried about the pleco idea tho for fear that I overcrowd the tank more and that he would suck on my fish. Is there another type of filtration I can add? I even thought of adding another power filter but my biggest concern with this would be creating too much current for my fish. I typically feed them twice a day and I feed them Tetra Goldfish Sinking Granules. Should I reduce the feeding to once a day? I have even heard of someone feeding once every other day (although I think thats a bit too far).

Any ideas would be greatly appriciated. Thanks!
 
I don't think anything more could/should be added in a 10 gallon. That is even pushing it with the 2 fancy goldfish, as far as the research I have done. I am considering keeping 1 fancy goldfish in a 28 gallon.

I believe goldfish eat plants, not sure if there is anything you could put in there. However, floating plants (like duckweed, or something larger like salvinia natans) multiply so quickly so could survive enough and provide nice nibbling for the fish. (And also floating plants like these are great for sucking up nitrates.)

Do you have test kits and test your water conditions regularly/occasionally? Do you know your nitrAte reading? I think your best bet in combating the algae problem is increased water changes (if you absolutely can't go with a bigger tank).
 
Regarding the light time, do fish need darkness at all or do they function just the same as whether they have 24hour light or only 12 hour light? My light is on now from 12pm until 2am (I work 2nd shift). Also, what prevents algae growth better: Length of light or output (brightness) of the light?

I have been doing water changes about every other weekend. Brown algae starts appearing shortly (4 days or so) after I do the change, including wiping down the glass and taking the ornaments out and cleaning them up.

I think I am going to start using Distilled water when I do my water changes and possibly look into some plants. If I buy some plants and the fish eat them, then so be it ... I just bought them a treat :)

One last question... would getting another air pump and putting a bubble wall in help any? I currently do have a UGF with two uplift tubes but maybe more aeration would help?
 
Fish do need darkness to ‘sleep’. Algae comes from a bad balance of light/excess nutrients. Adjusting the light (both length and/or brightness) could just be one part of the problem. So, your lights are on 14 hours? I would try reducing that to 10 hours, you can buy a timer to do that for you if you’re not at home. What kind of light do you have, incandescent or fluorescent? What is the wattage, i.e. watts per gallon?

Again, do you have test kits and test your water? What are the ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte readings? What percentage of water changes do you do “every other weekend”? You may need to do more water changes (weekly) or a higher percentage. If your tank is cycled, the nitrAte reading is what will give you an indication of what you should be doing in the way of water changes.

Do you know the current PH of your tank? Straight distilled water isn’t good, it will drop your PH, you can’t do it randomly. A wide difference in PH between the distilled and your tank could shock your fish.
 
I actually do need to get another test kit. I recently moved to VA from PA.... in PA where I lived with my parents I had 7 tanks and when I moved to VA I only brought 3 with me (my mom refused to part with her chichlids - this from the woman who fought me for putting the 29g in her dinning room) and ended up leaving the test kit up there since I was more concerned about my chichlids than the tanks I brought with me. I will pick up a test kit sometime this week and find out.

The light that I use is flourescent but I am unsure of the wattage... I will find out when I go home tonight. I do know its just a standard 10g hood. I'll find out for sure what it is tho.

All my tanks' lights are on timers already. I have them all set to go on at noon and off at 2am. Is reducing the light time going to help me improve the algae problem or should I do that adjustment just for the sake of the fish?

Thanks for all of your help!
 
The light on my tank is 17w... Also, when I do water changes I change about 30%.

Would any kind of UV system help? I know that helps for green algae but is it beneficial for brown? (Please forgive me if I am way off track... Im just trying to learn :bowing: )

Thanks!
 
bblboy54 said:
Is reducing the light time going to help me improve the algae problem or should I do that adjustment just for the sake of the fish?
Click to expand...

Nobody can say for certain. It's all a balancing act and you have to find the right balance for your conditions. Basically, you're going to have to experiment. Reducing the light and getting test kit readings would be the first step in your investigation. Consider it a crime scene and you're the detective.
 
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