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I've noticed that since the clutch of bristlenose eggs hatched there has been a deterioration in water quality - an oily film on the surface (taken care of with paper towels) and an increase in algae (which I'm not too unhappy with, as there will soon be a few hungry mouths looking for food).

Is this a common thing?

Sounds like this could be related to (over) feeding. Algae blooms occur when there are excess nutrients. What is your setup?

125 litre tank, Fluval 405 external. Heavily planted into fairly fine (3-7mm) gravel, running 23 degrees.

Do you use light?

I'm defiantly over feeding as I growing the fry (was 70 now 30 - some of them I sold) with the parents (3 female 1 male) and they are all in same tank of 55 liter with sump filter on the back.

I'm feeding 3 times a dy abot 7-10 tabs (see the ling in my signature to see what tabs) and getting what you have describe.

The tank substrate is Fluval.

You feed a LOT of food - the thing is, I'm dropping 4 algae wafers a day in, and they're not all getting eaten despite the high tank population - my pleces seem to prefer the algae on the glass to the wafers (which I break up and scatter a little).

My fluval 125 tank comes as standard with lights, which are getting used. What I'm hoping is that as the fry get bigger and their appetites increase I'll see more uptake in the dried wafers, and will increase feeding accordingly. Introducing cherry shrimps and more fry actually seems to have increased water quality, algae is being taken care of beautifully as well.