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Algae issues (what's new?)

T

tennis4you

Member
Joined
7 Jul 2008
Messages
137
Location
USA
Well, it has been quite a while since I posted here, I miss this place and drooling over all of your photos!

I have a 30 gallon tank that I set up at work. I am using a CO2 tank and I have a canister filter in the tank which turns the tank over probably well more than 10 times per hour.

I am having some algae issues, the tank has been set up for about 2 months. Here is a photo of what I got.

fish.jpg


I have 2 kinds of algae going on. I have the slimey brown algae and some green algae. I have done some reading but I am not surer what my best bet it.

I am dosing with Flourish twice per week and doing about 33% water change once per week. Not sure how much CO2 is in the water, I have never gotten around to getting the proper testing water. I am throwing in maybe 1 bubble per 2-3 seconds (I know that is not as helpful as I wish it was).

Any thoughts based on the photo? Thanks!
 
Tennis4u

Brown algae looks like diatoms which usually appears in new tank set ups, little ottos will clear that for you. As for the green algae - increase Co2 levels and keep dosing the excel, try dosing just the infected area and you need to purchase a glass drop checker with Co2 reagent fliud this will give you some indications of Co2 levels within the water column.

N.B Dc's are used as a guide only - some people (including me) think / thought that as long as they are green the Co2 levels are ok, my dc's are showing yellow, which is high Co2 within the water column, but my fish are fine with it, if the Co2 levels are to high the poor old fish will be on the top gasping for air as your co2 levels will greater than the o2 and any o2 within the body of the fish will be depleated. So be carefull.

Regards
Paul.
 
If i had this kind of algae id':
1: Make sure I knew how much CO2 is in the water and ensure that it's constant.
2: Double the water change frequency and change to 50%.
3: Ensure my lights were only on for a maximum of 8 hours.

I hope this helps.
 
Algae are part of the marine ecosystem. If you see a small growth of algae, dont be bothered. Yes, they are unpleasant to the eyes, but sometimes you have to deal with them. You wont completely remove the algae, but you can control them from growing excessively in your tanks. And, of course, there's no shortcut!

the first thing you have to consider are the factors that contribute to the algae's growth. Does your tank receive too much light and nutrients?

You opt for natural methods. Keep the tank in a shaded area of your house to avoid it from receiving too much sunlight. You may also place algae-eating plants such as Japanese Mirimo moss balls or algae-eating fish like the Plecostomus Catfish and Siamese Algae Eaters. otherwise, there are lots of algae treatment that can help solve your algae problems
 
Hi lara, thanks for the terrible advice.
There's no shortcuts with algae treatments forget them concentrate on getting your plants healthy. A fresh water system is not a marine tank.

Dans and Fly's advice is great, sensible opinions based on fact. What is your filter, is it actually turning over 10times an hour?

The algae you have is symptomatic of a new tank and low nutrients coupled with instable co2, also, it appears as though the anubias is planted below the substrate (it will be dying slowly, the rhizome has to be above it) and it looks like some of the lead weights are still on? They won't help overly.


No magic ointment or ball of algae (because that's what marimo balls are) will magically sure your algae issue, find the cause and fix it from there.
 
Remember the scene in The Matrix just after Neo's rescue?
Tank was performing re-constructive surgery on him and Neo looked up into the lights, squinted, and asked; "Why do my eyes hurt?"
To which Morpheus replied "Because you've never used them before".

This is the nature of The Matrix. We are told what to believe - and we believe it....

Cheers,
 
laradavidson said:
the first thing you have to consider are the factors that contribute to the algae's growth.
Click to expand...

Hi Laradavidson (/all) and welcome to the forum.

Excellent advice. Well that line is anyway.

Its quite obvious your new to this forum and quite probably planted tanks and whilst its easy for the rest of us to have a good little chuckle your probably unaware what we're all chuckling about.

I think most of us came on here believing the same as you and through experience and guidance have learnt that the books and most common advice is indeed wrong and that nutrients do not "cause" algae at all. They will however feed algae that is already present and exasperate any existing problem.

That is absolutely fundamental to understanding algae issues in planted tanks. The problem of algae is exasperated in planted tanks purely because we are encouraging organic plant matter to grow, of which algae is one.

Non planted / marine tanks have very different sets of parameters and have no need of nutrients, therefore excluding them from the water column becomes desirable.

Truth of the matter is that Ammonia coupled with light triggers algae spores to bloom, once algae is present it releases more spores into the water, and so the cycle continues.

Still all us regulars on here are well versed in this as Clive has assimilated us through education and entertainment into the collective.

Watch out you could be next.........

Regards, Chris.
 
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