Finally Done Cycling! Woo Hoo!

[Lynn W.]

All 3 of my tanks (20 gal, 29 gal, and 10 gal) are now cycled--ammonia 0, nitrites 0, and nitrates between 5 and 20. The 20 gal took the longest (fish-in) and the other two were fishless and about 2 weeks shorter in duration.
I had a brief bacterial bloom in the 29 gal. tank after I put the first 4 fish in. It cleared up in a day. The 20 gal has been cloudy for the last 3 days. I continue to do PWCs in that one. The 29 gal tank has a lot of stringy hair algae hanging out of the filter. What is the best thing to do to get rid of the hair?

Mainly I am just enjoying my fishy friends--as well as all the help I've received from my human friends online here. Thanks!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Im always happy to get new tanks started, very exciting for you.

You can clean the hair algae off with a toothbrush twirling it around. Is that the only place your having a problem?

 

[Lynn W.]

Thanks, Andrew--

Yep, the hair algae is really the only problem besides the algae (bacterial?) bloom in my 20 gal tank. The stuff floating around in there looks smoky gray to me, not green, so I am thinking it is the heterotroph kind of bacteria. Still, what do I know? I am hoping it will diminish on its own, or with another water change. I bought a couple of albino corys, thinking they might help, as well. For the 29 gal tank, I have a new, cheapo toothbrush from the dentist's office, which I will use on the hair algae. Would something like API's Algaefix help, too?

Oh, one more thing. I don't think it's a problem. I bought a couple of new plants (dwarf baby tears and a needle leafed ludwigia) and now I notice tiny little snails in my tank. Should I remove them? I haven't identified the snail species yet, so I don't know if they are friend or foe.

Thanks, again!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Thanks, Andrew--

Yep, the hair algae is really the only problem besides the algae (bacterial?) bloom in my 20 gal tank. The stuff floating around in there looks smoky gray to me, not green, so I am thinking it is the heterotroph kind of bacteria. Still, what do I know? I am hoping it will diminish on its own, or with another water change. I bought a couple of albino corys, thinking they might help, as well. For the 29 gal tank, I have a new, cheapo toothbrush from the dentist's office, which I will use on the hair algae. Would something like API's Algaefix help, too?

Oh, one more thing. I don't think it's a problem. I bought a couple of new plants (dwarf baby tears and a needle leafed ludwigia) and now I notice tiny little snails in my tank. Should I remove them? I haven't identified the snail species yet, so I don't know if they are friend or foe.

Thanks, again!

Hair algae normally grows when there is to much iron in the water I believe. I don't like adding chemicals to my tank so I really know nothing about the algae fix stuff. I wouldn't think that it
would help. But who knows? Lol

The snails are probably going to because a problem with line plants. Snails eat plants so I'd remove them if you can.