major algea issue

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mr funktastic

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Messages
2,608
Location
alliston, ON
i have a 10 gallon that i used to have a few little fish in and i had 2 of the flourecent lightbulbs in there. (the ones that screw into a regual socket, like 11 watts or something like that) i never had an algea problem. then i switched out the fish for 2 juvi cichlids and a golden algea eater. i now have a major algea issue!! the sand should be white but there is a solid green carpet on it. can i just leave the algea? it almost looks like a lawn lol. i mix up the sand every once in a while to break it up so it isnt as bad but it just comes right back. would putting in a few plants help? i have a lot of little branch offs of my plants i could put in. any other advice? thanks for the help in advance
 
Maybe I just can't read straight today. Did you add more light recently or remove it?
 
I dunno, more water changes...getting plants would help, as they would compete for some of the nutrients in the tank. If you get plants, CO2 injection would be a good idea.
 
i may be wrong but do you have a bigger tank to move the cichlids up to when they get larger? A 10 gallon seems a bit small.
Also, adding some lowlight liveplants should help you out if you have less than 2 watts of light per gallon. Like maybe some Java fern or Java moss would be really good.
 
What kind of algae is it? I agree with the others that some live plants might help... by absorbing the excess nutrients... Have you thought of getting some oto's? They are great algae eaters. But if it is bluegreen sheets of algae it might even be cyanobacteria... which is photosynthetic but its a bacteria...
 
it is just your regular green algea and the problem is only on the sand. i have a golden algea eater and a snail in there to take care of the algea and on the glass and rocks they are doing freat but they wont touch the algea on the sand. i havent added any new light to the tank only different fish. and i am getting a 55 gallon after christmas that they will be going into and as i said they are juvis. i will try putting in some plants tonight to see if that will help any. i have 22 watts in the tank so i will have no problem growing the plants. i have some giant hygro stems that i can throw in, maybe they will be good. thanks for the tips so far.
 
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