Why can't I grow algae?

L

leighasnana

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May 10, 2005
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Ontario, Canada
I've left the lights on 24-7 and I get some green spot algae but none of the soft stuff which shrimp like to feed on.

I've been having problems with the females in this tank. They're red cherry shrimp. The flesh inside the body turns white - they become listless and then die. I had one die yesterday because it couldn't shed it's exoskeleton. The shell cracked as it should and then it was a slow death. This is happening only to females. I read on a shrimp site that the white flesh problem is caused by something in the water which the shrimp don't like. I got my latest females from my daughter who had some dead snails in her tank so I could have gotten them this way from her tank which would have had high nitrates. Since cleaning her tank she's noticed an improvement. I also wonder if it could be somethin I'm feeding. I haven't been reading the labels. Yesterday I was feeding a vegetable flake and read the label. The second last item was copper. I took out the last dead female and changed out some water and added prime which detoxifies heavy metals. I hadn't been using prime prior to this. I was using big al's conditioner which doesn't detoxify metals.

This tank has been running for a few years. I had guppies in it, then cories and now have turned it into a shrimp tank. I have cyclops in there which I've read is an indicator of good water quality. They won't reproduce unless the water is just right. If nitrates go up they wait until the water is clean to resume reproduction.

I've been sharing my fish food with my daughter so I'm now wondering just how much copper I've been feeding and if we both had the same problem because of the food. I've done my research. This tank should be perfect for shrimp. My daughter brought me a berried female and I think the babies must have died. I could see them around for a couple of weeks and then nothing.

I've been in the hobby for years - I know about water quality and that's not the issue here. I'm thinking heavy metals. I'm picking up some new females from the fish store on Monday - maybe that will make a difference. Absolutely no problems with the males or snails in the tank.

As to my opening question. I can't grow algae which I know is great in a shrimp tank. Aside from leaving lights on what else can I do? Plants will grow - very slowly but no algae. Is there a heavy metal that kills algae?
 
What kind of lighting is on the tank?
Are there any Live plants in the tank?
(you may have to remove some plants to get algae, the plants will use all the nutrients, preventing the algea from growing)
do you dose any ferts? (copper in ferts too!)
Are there surfaces for algae? put some light colored rocks or other decor in the tank.

Copper is very bad for inverts.
I only occasionaly feed my cherry shrimp algae wafers, and shrimp pellets.
I dont see lots of algae in my tank, but the shrimp seem to be doing great.
 
I don't have noticeable algae in any of my 8 shrimp tanks. I feed hikari crab cuisine, algae wafers, and the occasional shrimp pellet as well as homemade foods and veggies. I wouldn't worry about culturing algae, if you have healthy plants they will eat the microorganisms on the plants as well. What is the tank temp and what are the exact parameters?
 
Perhaps the shrimp are eating the algae faster than it forms, so you never see it.

If you want to grow algae for them, you can put some stones in a tank or other container of water and place it where it will get plenty of sunlight. Add some pond water or other algae source and a source of nitrogen (ammonia, fish food, cocktail shrimp, urine, etc.); you can also add a bit of plant food if you like. Don't use a filter. Aeration is helpful but not necessary.

You should soon have plenty of algae growing on the stones, which you can place in the tank for the shrimp to pick clean and then return to the algae farm. This method is also good for other algae-grazers, like hillstream loaches or tadpoles.

But as Msjinkzd said, you don't really need to provide the shrimp with additional algae. They are opportunistic feeders and do not need algae in their diet.
 
Thank-you for the responses. The healthy shrimp are eating all the time. There are plants in the tank. I have java fern, java moss, a small crypt plant. There is a fast growing plant in there which grows like crazy in my planted tank but doesn't put on any growth in this tank. I have a couple of ornaments in there and the gravel which I'm replacing with river gravel. I got a stone off my sister with algae on it and placed it near an ornament and pushed the gravel around it.

As for water parameters. I haven't used a test kit in years. The filter is aged and I take care of it properly. I change out water once and sometimes twice a week. I judge just by watching the tank. I only change out 10% right now because I only have 6 shrimp in a 25 gallon. I'm going to start using prime which should make a big difference if this has anything to do with copper or some other metal.

I don't use any fertilizers in my tank. I have the bulb which came with the tank as well as a grow light which was sold for indoor plants. It's pretty old now and probably not making any difference. I think it's a 20 watt bulb and I don't remember much more about it. If you're all successfully keeping shrimp without algae I won't worry about it. I thought it would make good food for the babies.

I wish I could produce a picture for you of what was happening with the females. I did find one on a shrimp site. If I find it again I'll post the link here in case anyone else has this problem in the future.

My daughter just brought me a berried female. If those babies make it I'll take that to mean the problem is solved. I'm really hoping right now that it was copper in food (and possibly my drinking water) and that the prime will take care of it. I did warm my water a few times with hot from the tap. I've even stopped doing that and heat up some cold in the microwave to get the right temp. And, I will be reading labels. I did have an old piece of brick in there to which I'd attached moss and I even took that out just in case. The ornaments are tank ornaments so I'm assuming they're not toxic. Still can't figure out why it only affected the females.
 
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