possibly stupid algae question.....

MikefromNH

MikefromNH

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Nov 21, 2004
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I noticed my tank started getting a few algae spots on it followed by what appeared to be worstening water clarity. Well, the water is crystal clear. I now have a small prob with algae growing on the glass :mad: Also, the tank is never in direct sunlight, I don't overfeed and my lights are on no more than 8 hrs a day. I've had a clown pleco in there for a few days but he's more interested in hiding out under my airstone.

If I scrape/wipe the algae off where does it go? Will it just regrow on the glass or will it get sucked into the filter to die?
 
Yes scrape it off, then do a partial water change.
 
Is it hard green algae that looks like little dots (almost like green marker) or is it filamentous?

If its the first one, those are pretty much normal to every tank and are best removed manually using either a razor blade or credit card edge.

The pleco won't eat that kind of algae (only the soft, diatom-like ones) and you probably already know this (though I'm sure that a newbie somewhere might be reading this who may not) but he should be getting algae wafers and fresh veggies too.
 
Leopardess said:
Is it hard green algae that looks like little dots (almost like green marker) or is it filamentous?

If its the first one, those are pretty much normal to every tank and are best removed manually using either a razor blade or credit card edge.

The pleco won't eat that kind of algae (only the soft, diatom-like ones) and you probably already know this (though I'm sure that a newbie somewhere might be reading this who may not) but he should be getting algae wafers and fresh veggies too.
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I really don't know what type it is but the algae is wiped off very easily with my hand. It's almost like a slime. I can't really tell what color it is exactly. It's kind of brownish-green or maybe a greenish-brown ;). Seriously, it is hard to tell with my aqua-glo lights. I dont see any hairs coming off of it, if thats what filamentous algae is. Whatever type it is, using a credit card or a razor would be completely overkill.

I had a package of algae discs and the woman at the LFS said not to worry, it'll be fine with the algae in the tank. I figured she would at least want to sell her product but who knows, maybe she's "old school" or maybe plecos aren't her area of expertise.

I'll get some algae tabs next trip to the LFS. Does my algae described above sound like the type the pleco would eat? My rainbow shark seems to love it!, though he isn't exactly "cleaning" the tank walls.
 
I wiped the front and side tank walls down with a white cloth. The algae is definately brown. There is still plenty on the back wall for the pleco to eat, if he ever decides to explore more than 4 cubic inches of tank space! :confused:
 
Haha, yah, then its just plain slime algae. The pleco should eat it if it feels up to it...maybe once it acclimates. (Pleco's are notorious for intestinal parasites, so keep an eye out and make sure he's eating and that his tummy is full looking and not sunken in). Meanwhile, you can feed him with slices of cucumber, zucchini or even lettuce:)
 
Leopardess, I tried giving him some broccoli last night and it was a no-go. A lot of other fish thought it was tasty, though. I gently flushed him out of his hiding spot last night and he swam around on the bottom for a few seconds and then parked himself right in the front right corner of the tank. I fed the other fish some flakes on the left side and dropped some pellets and a piece of broccoli right in front of him. A short time later the rest of the fish realized there was more food near him and moved in for the feast, somewhat carefully. The pleco looked irritated, shuffled around a bit and went back to his airstone hideout. He hasn't eaten in 5 days now, that I know of. I'm sure he gets tiny bits that float by but nothing else.

Should he still want to eat even though he's shy? I'm going to get some driftwood and algae tabs today.
 
Well, I'm not surprised he wouldnt eat the broccoli. Because their mouth is sucker-oriented, whatever they eat has to be kind of flat and slimy (which is why sliced squash or cucumber works well). Also, since they are nocturnal, drop the food in when the lights go out.

I don't know...I'm sure he's been nibbling on things in the tank...Perhaps just keep an eye on him and watch for weight loss. Some fish just don't eat until they are settled. African butterfly fish are that way - mine wouldn't eat for 2 weeks after I bought him.
 
Leopardess said:
Well, I'm not surprised he wouldnt eat the broccoli. Because their mouth is sucker-oriented, whatever they eat has to be kind of flat and slimy (which is why sliced squash or cucumber works well). Also, since they are nocturnal, drop the food in when the lights go out.

I don't know...I'm sure he's been nibbling on things in the tank...Perhaps just keep an eye on him and watch for weight loss. Some fish just don't eat until they are settled. African butterfly fish are that way - mine wouldn't eat for 2 weeks after I bought him.
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Sounds good. All I had in the fridge was broccoli :( . I 'kind of' have cukes, do they like pickles?...just kidding :)

Should I drop the veggies as close as possible to him or will he sniff em' out?
 
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