I'm back -- algae inquiry this time :)

S

stoopid

AC Members
May 15, 2003
226
0
0
Well, so far so good.

I got me a ph, ammonia, and nitrate tester (3 seperate kits). Everything checks out A-Okay. Setup a timer on my 10 gallon tank light... 12 hours on, 12 off. Tank's been setup with fish for 3+ weeks now...

... and I got algae! Had lots of it until I scrubbed the plastic plants clean. It's also forming on one of the side walls and on the back wall despite having a pleco munching away full time.

Will this continue to be an issue? Are there any preventive steps I could take to head this potential problem off?
 
I see that you have plastic plants in the tank. Do you also have real plants? If you don't have real plants then you don't need the lights on for that long during the day. That would be why the algea is blooming so well. You could get some real plants and that might help compete for the resources that the algea is using right now.
 
Originally posted by TKOS
I see that you have plastic plants in the tank. Do you also have real plants? If you don't have real plants then you don't need the lights on for that long during the day. That would be why the algea is blooming so well. You could get some real plants and that might help compete for the resources that the algea is using right now.
Click to expand...

Okay, not a bad idea... how much light do the fish need? 8 hours?
 
Fish don't really need any specific amount of light. If you leave the lights off and cover the tank for a few days the agea will probably die back. If you aren't growing plants then I would just turn the lights on when you want to look at the fish.
 
Agreed, but you may want to cut back feeding as well. If algae is growing, it means there are excess nutrients in the water column. This is probably from over-feeding, and afflication that all of us have had at one point in time. For most fish, once daily or once every other day will be more than enough. Adding some real plants to compete will help, even if they are just floating on the surface.

Another consideration--if this green algae, or brown? If it's brown, it is not algae, it is a diatom bloom. Lights out will not help--getting rid of the silicates in the system will. Usually this is self correcting--the diatoms use up all the silicates and die off. If it doesn't go away within 1-2 weeks, you may need to check your water source for silicates, and try using RO water for a few changes.
 
Originally posted by TKOS
If you aren't growing plants then I would just turn the lights on when you want to look at the fish.
Click to expand...

Neat, I'll set the timer to 5 hours in the evening then :)

Thanks for the help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom