its just a 4 gallon desk tank i keep the light on the fan tan guppies like the water warm i know the light is my sourse of the alge growing but how do i keep it at a minnimum
2006-12-14 05:11:50 · 12 answers · asked by bunnie3663@sbcglobal.net 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
There are a variety of algae eaters that could help clean some of it up. Just be careful which kind you choose because most will quickly outgrow a small tank.
Have you thought about getting a small heater that you could turn on at night so the light wouldn't have to be on? Turning off the light will decrease the algae growth and help your fish regulate themselves better.
Make sure your tank doesn't get to much natural light. If it's near a window (even if it's not it the direct sun) that could increase algae. Also make sure it isn't too close to a desk lamp or any other source of bright light or heat.
If it's a new tank, it could just be an algae bloom. It's not uncommon for new tanks to go through a bloom that last for a few weeks and then fades away.
2006-12-14 05:31:21 · answer #1 · answered by judever 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Don't get a pleco or any algae eating fish. They don't really eat algae, they eat algae pellets and zucchini, and many grow to 6-12" or more. A 4 gallon is a pretty tight squeeze, I don't think you could put more fish in there.
BUT you could put some shrimp. Red cherry shrimp are small algae eaters. They wouldn't totally solve your problem, but they would help and are really pretty. They are expensive, but breed like rabbits, and you may be able to find some for cheap/free from a fellow hobbiest.
You could also get a snail. Apple snails and mystery snails are two different snails. Apple are bigger (baseball sized) and mystery are smaller (large marble size) - get a myster snail. However, they poop a lot, so keep an eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels.
Also, reduce the amount of light your tank gets. 8-9 hours a day is sufficient. If your tank is near a window, consider moving it or blocking the side of the tank facing the window.
Manually remove algae if you can.
Make sure to do frequent water cleaning. Algae is in part caused by excess nutrients in the water, so not overfeeding, and cleaning often, can keep those down.
2006-12-14 13:21:11 · answer #2 · answered by Zoe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep the tank away from any natural light source and put a timer on the light for 12-14 hours. You can buy outlet timers for a couple of bucks at a hardware store. Turn the room light on before the tank light turns on and turn the room lights off before the timer goes off. This will assist the fish in adjusting to the light changes. The heat from the light is very little, and your tank heater has a thermostat to keep the water temp the same. Regardless, the fish can adapt to slow, small water temperature changes.
2006-12-14 13:43:06 · answer #3 · answered by Tadd L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
guppies actually like cooler tropical water comparativly to other egg laying species of tropical fish. 70-72 degrees. your office is probally keeping it around that. The light on your tank as you were saying is the sourse of your algae as well as the ambiant light from the room itself. reduce the light on the tank to slow down algae growth or introduce a small snail to eat it up as it grows.
2006-12-14 13:33:35 · answer #4 · answered by talisy77 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as the light is kept on you will not be able to control the algea. The fish will be ok if the temp drops a bit when the light is off. Most fish do a lot better when the temp drops at night. It is very unhealthy to keep a light on the fish 24-7. Their bodies cannot figure out what time of day or night it is and they will not process food properly. Keeping a light on all the time will shorten your fish's lives.
2006-12-14 13:16:27 · answer #5 · answered by talarlo 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If its 4gals then I would get one apple snail. Also known as mystery snail. They get to be the size of a golf ball and would do a great job of eating algae. other snails Reproduce so fast and your aquarium would be over run with snails. But its a little small for an algae eater.
2006-12-14 13:16:39 · answer #6 · answered by angelmwilson 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I have a small pleco that works well with my 2 guppies. The 3 of them get along very nicely. The pleco cleans very well and keeps the algae to a minimum. I had a problem with algae too, and it was under control within 24 hrs after getting the pleco. I sometimes even have to add a small bit of algae wafer to the tank b/c the pleco eats so much of it.
Try a pleco, they'll take care of your problem real quick.
2006-12-14 13:16:32 · answer #7 · answered by medone7 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Fish are fun but they can really be a pain to take care of! Try getting a sucker fish (a placostumous (sp) works best) who will love to eat all of that algae.
2006-12-14 13:27:39 · answer #8 · answered by Summer 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
get an algae eater
2006-12-14 21:13:06 · answer #9 · answered by hamster gurl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You colud try some snails or an alge fish.
2006-12-14 13:15:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋