Getting rid of algae?

Question

My tank is 33 gallons, and the parameters are all where they should be, I don't have the exact numbers, but they are all in the "normal" range.
The aquarium walls are covered in algae. The water is not green though. I don't know how to get rid of it. I have tried one of those magnet scrapers, but it doesn't work, and I tried one of those sponge on a stick things, but that didn't work. I bought a pleco, but he's just a little guy (1 inch), and he hasn't been eating off the glass. He sticks to the ornaments in the tank, and eats flakes off the bottom at feeding time.
What else can I do WITHOUT using chemicals? Any suggestions?

Sorry Bubbles, I am obviously not as smart as you when it comes to plecos. Not everyone knows everything about everything. I thought they ate algae, didn't realize there were requirements.

And I apologize for the above details, it looks a lot ruder than it sounded in my head.

Answer 1

Algae requires both light and nutrients to survive in your tank. If you haven't tried these yet, turn off the lights over your tank for a few days (and make sure there's not direct sunlight that can reach your tank). When you clean/do water changes, scrape off what you can (try the edge of an old credit card or razor blade) and siphon out all you scrape off. Use a gravel vacuum to clean the substrate so there's no excess material building up and do at least a 25% water change on a weekly basis. Make sure your not overfeeding as well, because this adds nutrients to the tank - only feed what your fish will eat in 2-3 minutes twice a day, and net out any uneaten food after 3 minutes is up.

One other possibility is that you're not dealing with algae but another similar organism - either cyanobacteria (this will come off easily, but will keep coming back) or diatoms (hard and difficult to scrape off), but these are more typically brown or yellow. See info for these in the links below:

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/algae/algcont.shtml
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/algae/cyano.shtml
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/algae/diatoms.shtml

Answer 2

Pleco are scavengers more than algae eaters. They will eat algae, but the algae on the glass is hard for them to eat. They prefer fuzzy stuff. Oto, Siamese (not common, chinese, or golden) algae eaters, and apple/mystery snails (ramshorns, and trapdoor too) are a better bet. Also keep in mind there are 50+ species of pleco and some like algae better than others. The common, and sailfin pleco aren't great algae consumers if they get enough food from missed fish food. Also remember that algae eating creature that get the tank clean is likely rather hungry. So be sure to throw in some veggies slices, and let them softenfor a day or 2.
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/plants/algaeinfo.htm#algae
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/plants/algaetable.htm

Keep in mind the algae isn't unhealthy, but just unsightly. I've had better luck with rolling up my sleves, and using a cheap all plastic dish scrubber, or a (sterilized by boiling) cloth.

Answer 3

It sounds like you have spot algae. That type of algae is really hard to take off the walls of your tank even though your scrubbing it off with a rough sponges. Plecos would not really eat it as its hard to scrape off the wall. Do not try snails. Even though they can eat off spot algae of the walls, it doesn't mean that they will eat it all. I had some apple snails and you could see the areas which they cleaned and the spots where they didn't.

My solution is to reduce the duration of how long your lights are on everyday. Mine is set to 12hours in my planted tank(plants outcompete with algae on nutrients), while my other tank is set to 10 hours (no algae or very minimal). To get rid of the algae on the walls, use your scrubber that has a handle and just scrub the walls till it comes off.

Answer 4

somewhat uncomplicated. the two decrease your phosphate ranges as algae thrive on it (you will desire to purchase sachets out of your interior of reach aquatic save). or you may desire to purchase or get from a chum some basic pond snails. not uncomplicated to get this time of year yet I actual have seen a pair of million/2 a dozen sparkling a three foot tank in an afternoon. They tolerate the warmth water, dont eat your flowers. they won't overun your tank as fish love their eggs and are super adequate to get rid of once you like. you will in no way locate an algae ingesting fish which will do a million/2 the job those snails do. I save a small pond in the backyard and in basic terms enable them to reproduce accessible. reliable success.

Answer 5

You put snails in there and the next post will be how do I get rid of my 100,000,000 snails that are breeding, and they cause such a mess too.

Reduce your light. Is it too close to a window?

Get a razor blade and use some elbow grease. :) Every water change scrap more off. If it's the hard stuff your pleco wont eat it. too "crunchy' for him.

Answer 6

It annoys me to think that people think Plecos will eat all algae... Plecos only eat soft algae, and since you can't wipe it off with a sponge, he definitely can't eat it... You can use a razor blade to scrape off algae.


Ps. to feed the little Pleco you can give him boiled carrots, he will love it.

Answer 7

Algae eater fish or snails.

Answer 8

Get Plecos and snails they eat algea.

Answer 9

Get algae fish or snails. They really work.

Answer 10

get turbo snails, or there is this magenet that you put on each side of the glass and it comes toghter and cleans it GOOD!
ask you fish seller about it it works
good luck