Excess Algae?

NewFishKeeper · Post by **NewFishKeeper** » 20 Feb 2005, 16:46

We now have a plec who is just the cutest thing!

But we seem to have a lot of algae in our tank, is there anything else i can do to minimise it?

thanks in advance

Maarten · Post by **Maarten** » 20 Feb 2005, 17:19

A lot of algae is a sign that the balance in your tank is not optimal, it could be too much/long or blue light.

or the redfield ratio is off wack, so the levels of nitrates and phosphate are not in balance due to overfeeding (more that the fish can it) or plants that deplete one of the 2 materials.

You should search on google for "redfield ratio" (I only know some dutch sites about it)

NewFishKeeper · Post by **NewFishKeeper** » 20 Feb 2005, 17:32

ok thanks alot for replying, have googled and its all over my head but theres some good info so will find out as much as i can

Thanks again!

Maarten · Post by **Maarten** » 20 Feb 2005, 22:04

What kind of lightning do you use? and how many hours a day?

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 20 Feb 2005, 23:46

I hope none, because using lightNing for your tank will set the house on fire and kill all the fish and the fishkeeper as well!

Maarten · Post by **Maarten** » 21 Feb 2005, 01:28

sidguppy wrote:I hope none, because using lightNing for your tank will set the house on fire and kill all the fish and the fishkeeper as well!

Excuse me for my typo (I know how to write lighting

but english is not my first language

NewFishKeeper · Post by **NewFishKeeper** » 21 Feb 2005, 08:22

lol!

Um yes it appears that as i love to gaze at them i have had the light on for too long!

So how long do you recommend the light it on for a day? Its a blue light if that helps, i am really new to this so you have to bear with me!!

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 21 Feb 2005, 13:51

As Maarten pointed out, blue light is "better" for algae growth, so if you have more than one tube in your tank, you may want to take one blue out and replace it with something more yellow/red.

Checking the phosphate/nitrate in the water is probably also a good thing. If you take a water-sample to the fish-shop, they should be able to check the nitrate and phosphate level. Or you can buy a test-kit for about 8 quid (guessing) each, one for nitrate and one for phosphate. Most test-kits come with a guide on what's good and what's not. Nitrate is poisonous to the fish, so you want that to be less than 20 ppm at all times. Phosphate is less bad for the fish, but if it's high the algae will grow like crazy.

Changing water more often will help on both.

Feeding the right amount will help water quality and the fish's quality of life.

--
Mats

Maarten · Post by **Maarten** » 21 Feb 2005, 17:25

NewFishKeeper wrote:lol!

Um yes it appears that as i love to gaze at them i have had the light on for too long! So how long do you recommend the light it on for a day? Its a blue light if that helps, i am really new to this so you have to bear with me!!

it depends what kind of tank you have, for most tropical tanks 12 hours is advisable.. if your redfield ratio is ok, you could go for 13-14 hours max without much algae problems. I have my Sera Tropical daylight and Sera Plant color TL's on for 13.5 hours, about once every 2 weeks I have to clean the front window of an occasional green dot of algae

Never use normal TL in your aquarium, those have too much blue in the spectrum. I you have 2 Tl's in your tank, use one daylight (white) and one plant color (pink)

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 21 Feb 2005, 19:20

if you have big problems, take it down to 8 hours. automatic timers help loads. you'll never leave to lights on by accident again.

what sort of pleco do you have? if it's a gibby or a common it may contribute more nitrates to the tank than it consumes in the algae. ie, it may make the problem worse!!

Zebby · Post by **Zebby** » 21 Feb 2005, 19:45

A diatom filter may help lower the amount of algae you have.
Get a NitrAte test kit ,
I found the common(Pterygoplichthys pardalis) one of the better algae eaters if not over feed.
Also the Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus is very good, I have 1 that keeps a 55G aquarium clean all by himself.

NewFishKeeper · Post by **NewFishKeeper** » 22 Feb 2005, 08:33

racoll wrote:what sort of pl*co do you have? if it's a gibby or a common it may contribute more nitrates to the tank than it consumes in the algae. ie, it may make the problem worse!!

Its a common one, but we only just got him, so he wont eat that much just yet!

Thanks for all your help on this

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:48

try an get rid of the common pleco. get a bristlenose, a whiptail or some otto's instead.

these are much more vegetarian, and will keep your algae down, and not outgrow (and pollute) your tank in a year!

this is what i would do to get rid of algae.

1) swap common pleco for one of the above fish (depends how big your tank is).

2) remove and scrub the decor that's covered in algae. scrub as much of the tank as you can, as well.

3) buy a timer (about a fiver) and set it to 8 hours.

4) buy a nitrate test kit. if it's above 10 mg-l, do a 50% water change.

5) do a 50% water change anyway.

6) do a 50% water change weekly.

7) test your tapwater for nitrate.

8) get floating water lettuce to soak up nitrate and block out light.

9) don't buy chemicals that kill algae.

10) think about a new florescent tube.

NewFishKeeper · Post by **NewFishKeeper** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:52

wow! thats great thanks so much!

I cant get rid of the pl*c he was a present from my dad, although we know he will have to go as he gets bigger

The shop have said they will take him when he gets too big, so thats not a problem. I like the Otos and will be getting some when i get rid of the pl*c i think thats the best way to do it, ill do all you said

About the water change, what do i do? just leave the fish in and take half the water out? Sorry to sound stupid!

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 22 Feb 2005, 13:20

yup!

just siphon out 50% of the water with a hose. try to suck up any detritus (cr*p) that's at the bottom of the tank. better still, buy a gravel vacuum.

be careful not to expose your heater or filter intake to the air. if you turn these off, remember to turn them back on again!!

mix hot and cold tapwater together in your bucket so it's the same temp as your tank.

add the recommended amount of declorinator.

pour it in the tank carefully.

do this every week (regardless of algae)

once you've sorted the algae problem, do about 25% weekly. your fish will appreciate it!!

unless your tapwater is grossly polluted with nitrates and phosphates, it should sort out your problems.

NewFishKeeper · Post by **NewFishKeeper** » 22 Feb 2005, 13:32

Thanks so much!

I'll let my Husband read this post, its him that will be doing it!!!!

Zebby · Post by **Zebby** » 22 Feb 2005, 22:42

Dont do 50% water change thats to much.(big shock on bio)
I would do 25% every 2 days till NitrAtes under 40mg/L then gradualy work out the amount of water needed to change every week to keep the level under 20mg/L.

NewFishKeeper · Post by **NewFishKeeper** » 23 Feb 2005, 08:41

my nitrates ares fine, my local suppplier tested it for me

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 23 Feb 2005, 09:38

Fine may mean a lot of different things. What was the actual value?

Fine as in "all fish will be fine" isn't the same as "fine, nearly no nitrate to grow algae".

The other one to test for is phosphates...

--
Mats

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 23 Feb 2005, 10:59

personally i wouldn't hesitate in doing a 50% water change, especially if i had algae problems.

what do other people think?

Zebby, what do you mean by "big shock on bio"?

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 23 Feb 2005, 11:18

I do "big" water changes on one of my tanks three times a week. It's probably overkill, but I change three builders buckets (15L full up, probably about 12-14L) every time.

The tank is 80 x 30 x 40 cm -> 96L. Given that it's not filled ALL the way to the edge, and some gravel, etc, so probably about 85L. 13 * 3 -> 39L. 39/85 -> 45%. I've been doing this for a few weeks, and not seen any problem with the biological filtration in the system.

This tank is semi-cold water (22'C), has ten danios, one male guppy, and somewhere around 30 (28 at last count, but they move around and hide so it makes them hard to count) little Bristlenose babies (about 4 weeks old now) and a bristlenose male on eggs (should be wrigglers by now).

I've read that some professional breeders change up to 80% of the water every day, but they probably got different setups.

The "shock on the bio", I guess, would be that it would remove beneficial bacteria, but since the beneficial bacteria is (or should be) inside the filter and attached to surfaces of the tank, rather than suspended in the water, I don't see much of an argument against big water changes, as long as the water is treated with dechlorinator and the same temperature as the original tank water.

My bristlenose babies certainly look like they like it, and none of the other inhabitants seem unhappy.

--
Mats

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 23 Feb 2005, 11:20

I do "big" water changes on one of my tanks three times a week. It's probably overkill, but I change three builders buckets (15L full up, probably about 12-14L) every time.

The tank is 80 x 30 x 40 cm -> 96L. Given that it's not filled ALL the way to the edge, and some gravel, etc, so probably about 85L. 13 * 3 -> 39L. 39/85 -> 45%. I've been doing this for a few weeks, and not seen any problem with the biological filtration in the system.

This tank is semi-cold water (22'C), has ten danios, one male guppy, and somewhere around 30 (28 at last count, but they move around and hide so it makes them hard to count) little Bristlenose babies (about 4 weeks old now) and a bristlenose male on eggs (should be wrigglers by now).

I've read that some professional breeders change up to 80% of the water every day, but they probably got different setups.

The "shock on the bio", I guess, would be that it would remove beneficial bacteria, but since the beneficial bacteria is (or should be) inside the filter and attached to surfaces of the tank, rather than suspended in the water, I don't see much of an argument against big water changes, as long as the water is treated with dechlorinator and the same temperature as the original tank water.

My bristlenose babies certainly look like they like it, and none of the other inhabitants seem unhappy.

--
Mats

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 23 Feb 2005, 12:11

that's my opinion too!!

obviously if the water in the tank hasn't been changed for a long time, the pH could drop (or rise). this would have to be taken into account, but is not a reason for not doing 50% water changes.

Post by **Shane** » 23 Feb 2005, 16:18

Dont do 50% water change thats to much.(big shock on bio)

I think some of this attitude comes from the old fish keeping days when "aged" water was believed to have magical properties and people did not understand how biological filtration takes place. If you have the buckets and all the other junk out to do water changes, why spin your wheels with a small water change? Just carry an extra bucket or two and do the job right. I would recommend 30-50 percent as a "normal" water change. Dirty fishes (like Panaque spp.) will need a 60-80 percent water change weekly just to get the tank clear of sawdust. I do think a series of small water changes are better than one big water change if you have the time. Also, as was pointed out by racoll, you will need to work up to this regiment over time.
-Shane

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 23 Feb 2005, 16:37

Shane wrote: I do think a series of small water changes are better than one big water change if you have the time.
-Shane

As I mentioned somewhere else, the average (and peak) nitrate (or other pollutant) level would be lower if you split the same water change volume into two lots.

Having four tanks in different places, doing multiple water changes each week does become a bit of a chore. Fortunately, all but one tank are pretty small, two being small enough to just do one bucket per water change, and one taking three buckets for a ~50% change.

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Mats