Staghorn Algae??

[Phmichelle]

Hello! I have a betta tank (about 4 gallon), no filter or pump, with one beautiful betta, one cherry shrimp, one ghost shrimp and a couple of small plants. They all seem very healthy and happy. I change the water once a week or more and feed every 3 or 4 days. I have recently gotten this white fungus looking (algae?) in the tank. It's not a problem aesthetically but I want to make sure it's safe for the critters and not indicative of some other problem. I've cleaned it out as best I can when I clean and there isn't a lot of it, I'd just like to verify what it is and ask if anyone knows of any problems this may cause or indicate. I've done some image searching and my guess is that it's staghorn algae?? Thanks in advance for any reply.

 

[Rivercats]

You need to post pic's in order to see what algae you for sure have. You say you change water 1 or 2x weekly but how much do you change out? What type lighting are you using and how long are you running it? Algae isn't harmful to stock unless you have a severe green water algae bloom that can cause oxygen depletion.

Just so you know betta's are tropical fish and should really have warmer water temps. If temps get too low betta's will usually become sluggish. It's also helpful to run a nano filter in the tank.

 

[Phmichelle]

Another pic

Not sure why I can't attach 2 images but here's another.

 

[Phmichelle]

Reply

Can't seem to attach more than one pic. Anyway, yes I keep my house really warm (70 to 75). I change out about 80 or 90% of the water.

 

[Rivercats]

That is staghorn which I am very surprised to see. One thing it likes is water with very low flow and low CO2. You really need to get a nano filter which will help with water circulation. Beside the questions I asked above do you gravel vac the tank? Excess mulm in the substrate can raise nutrient levels. The staghorn won't hurt the stock but since you have live plants I suggest using Flourish Excel daily at a rate of 1ml of Excel to every 2 gallons which will also aid in plant growth with the extra benefit of being a mild algaecide.

 

[Phmichelle]

I have been afraid of vac because the shrimp are so small. Any suggestions for that? Thanks so much, I will look in to the nano filter and other things you mentioned.

 

[Rivercats]

It's hard to vacuum with baby shrimp in the tank but at least you can gently wave your hand over the gravel to lift detritus into the water column right before a water change. Also you need to do 50% WC's in order to keep nutrient levels low.

 

[Phmichelle]

Thanks so much, you've been very helpful.

 

[Phmichelle]

Ok so I've been researching all day and I feel even more confused about my options! The 2 nano filters that are discussed most often are the Red Sea brand and the fluval. I don't think the Red Sea will work on my tank as it's round and that one seams to be for a straight edge. The Fluval looks pretty big for a nano filter. So my concerns are 1. Flow being slow enough for betta 2. Fitting on/in a round tank and 3. Aesthetic. Also are there any small filters that are combined with a heater? I've decided to go ahead and get a heater but I don't really want 2 cords running out of the tank. Thanks!!

 

[Rivercats]

A round tank can be hard to fit a filter. You could try getting some Flourish Excel and use 1ml per 1 or 2 gallons of tank water daily and see if that takes care of the problem. First remove as much of the algae as possible and then start using the Excel and see if that remedy's the algae issue.

I have a couple Fluval Edge 6g tanks that came with tiny nano Fluval HOB's that work great. Another possible option might be some type of very small bubbler which will at least move water in the container.

 

[Phmichelle]

So I found a heater that is workable (tetra, 2 to 15 gallon submersible heater). The shrimp are happy as hell, moving around like I've never seen them. I also bought the tetra whisper 1-3 but haven't put it in yet (introducing one thing at a time). I ordered the flourish excel as it was hard to find here in AK. I'll report back on my findings!

 

[Rivercats]

Since you have shrimp in the tank you need to start with a small dose of liquid carbon and work you way up. Only start using 1/4 of the amount the bottle recommends for 2 or 3 weeks. If shrimp are fine you can up it to 1/2 the recommended amount for that amount of time. Just watch your shrimp and go slowly.

Also if you do any spot treating with hydrogen peroxide 3% be sure not to squirt any directly on the shrimp.