Algae, Shrimp and Ottos - Oh My!

[MrDecisive]

I'm knew to this Hobby. I read lots before getting started but there seems to be so many conflicting views on what is right thing to do in any given situation it's hard to find a way through. After planting up my tank It was time to cycle the filter. I started everything up and read that the process needs some Amonia to get things going. I also read that if you have no fish then you can drop fish food in the tank. I did this but then found a day or so later that Algae was starting to grow on everything. Some people said "this is okay let it run it's course" others said "I had to strip down my tank and start again" while others still said "black out the tank" for a few days. Then I read "Don't put flakes in the tank" and "Don't cycle a fish-less planted tank". What???

Finally I opted for the following "Don't panic, Algae is normal in any tank, you just need to keep on top of it. Try putting in a clean-up crew"

4 otto cats, 11 amano shrimp

One otto was dead by the next day but the other three are surviving three days in. They seem to be doing a good job of keeping the glass clear but for me the Amano Shrimp are the real stars of the show. I didn't know what to expect but they are like Mad, Mad, Mad little things with voracious appetites. The large rock in the picture above was covered in Algae, totally green, with wispy bits trailing off the top. The shrimp descended on it with vengeance and by the morning it was stripped clean! Amazing...

I'm feeling better about the Algae now. There is still quite a lot of matted, dark algae on the dwarf hair grass which they don't seem to touch but I'm just waiting for the grass to root a bit before I cut it back closer to the ground.

I'm also waiting for my Co2 diffuser to arrive and then I can get the DIY Co2 system up and running to help the plant growth then when the Nitrites reach 0 I'll start stocking with, Harlequin Rasboras and then Cardinal Tetra.

That's the plan at least

 

[Silviu Man]

Hi!

Of course Amano is algae eater machine! I also suggest 5-6 Spiral Horn. You will forget about cleaning the walls of the tank.
Oto is very sensitive during first three weeks after accomodation. Many people complain about this. And, after algae decrease
don't forget to feed them with cucumber. This is true also for Amano.

 

[Silviu Man]

What is the capacity of the tank? ... and the filter?

 

[Konsa]

Hi
How long is your photoperiod and what light unit you have there in the hood.
The black algae probably is some form of BBA which is not easy to battle its good to trim the affected plants as soon as possible.If it spreads to the hardscape spot dosing with liquid carbon with filter off works well.
Its a new setup and in order to keep algae in check U will need to have frequent large volume (50% at least)waterchange regime having in mind that you have already added livestock.At this point I will suggest to have photoperiod no longer than 5-6 hours as you have only few plants in.It is a good idea to add some floating plants (Dwarf water lettuce or Amazon frogbit ) and some easy fast growing stems to help balancing the tank while it matures (cycles).
Amanos are very good cleaning hardscape but not so good cleaning plant leaves.I ussualy keep some cherries too to help me with that .Amanos will probably even the substrate too .
I will strongly suggest to wait untill U get the CO2 running and fine tuned before adding more fish.Regarding the CO2 I am not sure that the internal filter will be enough on its own for a high tech setup.U will need good flow and of course regular dosage of some complete fertiliser in high tech tank.
Regards Konsa

 

[xim]

Yeah, algae is normal and adding algae eaters does work. People who are disappointed by them are either not adding enough of them by thinking that adding less only means they just have to wait longer, which is not the case. Because algae are not sitting still waiting to be eaten. They are multiplying all the time, non stop. If the grazing pressure from algae eaters is lower than algae multiplying rate. If the tipping point is not met, you won't win.

Some people don't like the look of algae eaters, they can resort to chemical such as glut and other algaecides. They strategically do the same thing, adding more pressure to algae.

Or they have enough algae eaters but still struggling. In this case, there is something basically wrong in the tank: feeding, flow, CO2, light, fertilising, maintenance (cleaning, water change), or bad substrate, etc.

 

[MrDecisive]

Thanks for all the replies.

The Tank is a 125L Juwel. I got it second hand and the power head was a bit noisy so I bought a new one (Eccoflow 600) which I also uprated due to the fact I was going to plant it out and had read somewhere that you need a good flow. So that is 600Lph. I can see all the plants move in the flow.

The Filter is the BioFlow M - It's got(from bottom to top) Two fine filters, A Cirax box, One coarse filter, One Nitrax filter, One carbon filter, and a white pre filter layer.

I've been 20% water changing every two days (there about) and I wash out (gently in tank water) the filter media once a week.

The Substrate is Tetra Complete under Tetra Active.

Plants are Rotala Green, Eleocharis sp, Eleocharis Accicularis, Taxiphyllum barbieri, Pogostemon Helferi.

I think, from reading all your comments, that the light is the problem. I was going to put the tank in my living room which is quite a dark room so the main light would come from the bulbs 2 x T5 one blue and one white but I was persuaded to put it in the room at the back of the house with the tiled floor (due to potential spills etc). This room gets a lot of natural light. Although the tank is not in direct sunlight. Then in the evening I turn on the bulbs so I can watch the fish (fish and shrimps at the moment).

Would I be better not using the bulbs in the evening until the plants are more mature or maybe cutting down on the light in the tank during the day by blacking it out until early evening then using the bulbs?

Any thoughts??

 

[nry]

Sunlight was my problem in my last tank years ago, the aquarium got lots of it and I always struggled with algae issue...I also found DIY CO2 too unstable personally.

I am using a 6hr lighting period on my current tank which gets significantly less sun than my old one - as much as I would prefer to have the tank lights used when I'm around, I have gone for 3pm to 9pm solid, which matches mostly when we are in the room with the aquarium in.

I'd also suggest you may not have enough plants in there yet, healthy plants take up the ammonia and nitrites way before you need to worry about them, providing you have enough fast growing ones and they are overall healthy.

I also never rinsed my filter too often, I (will be) change the white wool/floss weekly but leave the rest to half the media rinsed in old tank water once a month.