need help with algae in my freshwater fish tank?

Question

i dont know if it has to do with the inconsitent weather in texas or if i'm just having bad luck. last week i scrubbed down my tank, took 2/3 of the water out, and had everything looking very clean. But over the week (1 week) its gotten worse than it ever has, even when i get behind on water changes. i put a plant in a couple of weeks ago hoping it would take the extra nitrates out and i feel its worse than its ever been. i need suggestions on what to do to make it better. i know that the spring tempurater changes can cause some problems, expecially in texas where we have a tornado one day, its 65 the next, then its 90 the next. i've just never had problems this bad in the spring time. everything just has a really heavy coat of algae.

Answer 1

Algae can't grow if it doesn't have light or nutrients.

As far as the light, make sure the tank isn't getting any direct sunlight, and you can turn the tank lights off for a few days.

If the nitrates in your tank are high (or you've got nitrates ot phosphates in your tap water), these act like fertilizer to the algae. These can come frome overfeeding your fish (only give them what they can eat in 2-3 minutes twice a day), having too many fish in too small a tank, or not doing water changes soon enough, or not properly. I like to suggest that tanks have 25% of the water changed each week while using a gravel vacuum to clean the gravel so fish poop and any missed food doesn't accumulate. If you've got algae on the glass, you should scrape it off first so you can siphon it out. The less there is, the slower it can spread.

It could be possible that what you have isn't algae at all, but cyanobacteria (this used to be called blue green algae) - here's what this looks like: http://www.aquamax.de/Shop/Artikelbilder/Zusatzbilder/Algen%20im%20Aquarium_Blaualgen%20-%20Cyanobacteria_STUG_cyano1.jpg It's not algae, but bacteria.

If what you have is algae, getting an appropriatly sized algae eater might help. If it's cyanobacteria, not much wants to touch the stuff. Some good algae eaters are Otocinclus catfish (1 1/2 inches as adults, keep a few), plecostomus (can grow from 5" to 18" as adults depending on the species), snails, or algae-eating shrimp.

I'm including these links if you'd like more info on algae and cyanobacteria and their control:
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/algae/algcont.shtml
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/algae/cyano.shtml

Answer 2

after I had quite undesirable algae issues and dent personal an algae pad so i eventually were given one what I did is first scrub of algae with algae pad it really is in hassle-free words 2dollers. Do gravel vaccuming with a gravel siphon yet in hassle-free words take out 1/2 of water even as returning water make effective it really is similar tempreture and use water conditioner to attend to water. And keep light fixtures on in hassle-free words 6hrs. Aday. An finally. Get a clean clear out cartrige or sparkling it with aquarium water reckoning on what variety. I did this and havnt had algae transforming into In 2 month yet now it really is totally mild also make effective you do 20percent water substitute weekly and 50percent gravel vaccuming each and each month. yet remember the water conditioner even as putting new water in

Answer 3

I think algae grows from sunlight or incondescent light bulbs. Put your tank in a dark area, and use only florescent lights. You might even have lamps or ceiling lights affecting it. I hope you used salt water to clean the tank. Get a couple of agae eaters from the pet store, change your filter regularly, like the directions said. Even if you think its clean it sound like yours is getting bad fast. Cut down on how long you leave your lights on too.
Good Luck

Answer 4

If you have a large tank, 30g+ a apir of small bristle nose plecos would eat algae for you, if you have a smalelr tank I suggest Nerite Snails. They eat algae and don't do the plague of snails thing.

Answer 5

Warm water and leaving the light on too many hours in the daytime is why mine got like that . Light in water makes algea grow like crazy .. do you keep the light on all the time?