getting rid of the green stuff (algae?) on the bottom, and brown stuff on the sides of my tank?

Question

i have cichlids and i had a pleco in there with them and it was eaten last night, a man at the fish store said that cichlids eat the algae, but the tank is so dirty looking even with the monthly maintenance and water changes, etc. etc.

is there a way to rid the tank of the nastiness ?
any fish that can live in harmony with cichlids that eat the algae more?
what about snails? i heard they carry bacteria that is harmful to fish??

any advice is greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Snails would be harmless in your tank and don't carry bacteria harmful to fish, however I'm not at all sure they are the best answer to your algae problem. You mention your monthly cleanings. Those should be weekly cleanings. Once a week scrape down the algae and remove as much of it as possible while cleaning the gravel with a gravel siphon. Also keep the lights on only about 8 hours a day and less if there is a window in the room. If you already change this much water weekly, increase the size of the water changes and keep a very close watch on feeding. Over feeding even a little can cause significant algae.

So try that... starve the algae by removing it's food and light, that should get it under control in a matter of a few weeks, if not feel free to email me and we can go from there with a few other ideas.

MM

Answer 2

Fish and snails don't eat all kinds of algae, so they may or may not help.

If you're getting a lot of algae, there are some things you can do to keep it under control by controling what it needs to survive in the tank. Since algae is a primitive plant, it needs light for photosynthesis. Keep the lights on the tank turned off for a while (unless you have other plants in the tanks). Also, make sure there's not direct sunlight reaching the tank.

Algae also needs food to grow. Most of the nutrients it needs it gets out of the water. So you might need to look at the way you clean the tank. For good algae control you should be doing 25% water changes each week to remove any nitrates from the fish waste. Use a gravel vacuum to clean anything that's down in the gravel in the tank when you do the water changes. You don't have to super-clean the gravel each time, but get right in front of the glass, everything sitting on the top, and about 1/3 of the rest of the tank. Each time you clean, do a different third. Scrape any algae off the glass before you start to siphon, so this gets picked up and removed.

Don't overfeed your fish, because this can also add nutrients to the water. Only give what they caneat in 2-3 minutes, twice a day and no more. It also doesn't hurt to skip a day now and then - mine only get fed five-six days a week.

Depending on the cichlids you keep, they may or may not eat the algae themselves. If they're spawning, they're likely to harrass any other fish you might try keeping with them. Some will eat snails, too. Plus fish and snails will add to the amount of nutrients in your tank with their wastes, providing more food for the algae you're trying to eliminate. So I'd recommend the light and nutrient controls as the better methods for algae control for your tank. The link below has more info on ways to control algae.

Answer 3

I have 2 snails in my 80 gallon tank, they seem to help a little, I also have a pleco & I still get algae, I dont think there is really a way to completely rid your tank of it........if there is I havent figured it out yet!

Answer 4

ok nicely first of all you want to verify your happenings. #a million: Get a tape recorder to record an EVP (electric powered voice phenomena) Ask questions and tape the responses. to substantiate you do have a presence. #2: in case your worst fears have bin recognized attempt to call a paster or priest to bless your position. (pay attention this would anger the spirits.) #3: If this doesen't paintings then carry out your owne blessing with holy water, burn sage by the homestead and use the bible. #4: in case you expieriance any signs and indications that you're in risk call some ghost hunters or go away the homestead. #5: Oh and not in any respect you a spirit board. this can open a portal that would want to not in any respect be opened and make your issues even worse.

Answer 5

Get some Nerite Snails, they love algae and will not replicate all over the place. Also your cuchlids will find them very hard to kill.

Answer 6

Snails do eat algae, but a better way is with algae killing chemicals you can get at petsmart... or you can buy just a scrubber- I have a magnetic one that works rather well.

Answer 7

plecos don't normal get eaten. that'll probly hurt their digestion system. try getting a bigger pleco i have 3 about med size plecos i've had em forever. get 2 bigger and than what you did

Answer 8

Go to the pet store and buy a alage eater.