Controlling Algae in 10 Gallon

[Mickeybags]

Hi all,
I've developed a small algae in my ten gallon planted tank. Its grows on the glass, rocks and plants. Its not a huge issue as I can scrub it off the sides of the glass. The problem is I can't get to every corner and around the heater and filter. It is very unsightly. What can I do to get these little nooks and crannies? I'm 100% sure that I leave the lights on too much. The problem is I only have the one 15 watt incandescent bulb. I am fooling around with the timer so I can see the fish but also keep the algae under control.

 

[FWFishTanks]

I've heard nerite snails do the job. You should also do weekly water changes, if you are not already. This will keep the excess nitrates down, and thus starve the algae.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Nerite snails do great at eating alge... but they come with their own kind of problem... they lay white eggs (that will never hatch because they need brackish water) that seem to be attached with super glue. You'll need to then find some Malaysian Trumpet Snails to help eat the white eggs (but even then, there will be some left-over signs of the eggs).

The other thing to do is make sure you're doing frequent enough partial water changes. This is needed to remove the fertilizer your fish food eventually becomes after the nitrogen cycle.

 

[Cthulhu]

Plants help a lot against algea. Get some java moss, anubias or java fern, and replace your lightbulb with a plant's bulb from the hardware store. Also, you can dose Flourish Excel, it will help the plants and acts a bit as a algicide.

 

[aquaticterror]

Sounds like blackbeard algae, which I know there isn't very many things that will touch that specific type. I had to start over again when my 4g shrimp tank was taken over. I had to remove everything and treat with a hydrogen peroxide solution after 2 weeks of complete darkness failed to significantly cut back growth. I hope you have luck in ridding your tank of the gray menace

what am I doing?

 

[Mickeybags]

Most of the algae on the glass is white. That comes off no problem. But on the back of the tank it's dark green and brown spots which are a pain to scrub off


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[Cthulhu]

I once had an invasion of BBA and I managed to get rid of it by overdosing Flourish Excel. I dosed about 4 times the normal amount every day, I don't remember how long I did it but it was at least 2 weeks. It didn't kill all of it, but what was left was very weak and easy to remove (while normally BBA stays stuck very hard and is almost impossible to scrape off), and what I didn't remove eventually disappeared.

Some people have experienced problems by overdosing Excel, but it seems for most people, like me, everything went perfectly fine. I didn't lose a single critter (I had lampeye killies, amano shrimps and dwarf african frogs).

 

[PerfectDepth]

I'm 100% sure that I leave the lights on too much. The problem is I only have the one 15 watt incandescent bulb. I am fooling around with the timer so I can see the fish but also keep the algae under control.

Is there any direct sunlight hitting the tank at any point? A little bit of indirect sunlight is fine.. any more than that, you'll have algae issues.

Also, as a prevention measure you could try a split photoperiod. With your low-lighting you should be fine with 8 hours total. 4 hours on in the morning, 3 or more hours off, then 4 hours on again in the afternoon or evening. Plants will do well with a little daytime siesta, and it should disrupt algae growth since algae needs a longer photoperiod.

 

[Sk3lly]

Your algae is caused by excess lighting paired with an inadequate co2 supply.

If you have no co2, either start dosing a liquid carbon or raise your lighting in turn lowering the intensity.

Excess nutrients and nitrates are NOT the issue. The Estimative Index form of fertiliser dosing is based on overloading a tank full of nutrients so that a plant never goes without. If this caused algae then it wouldnt be a popular way of dosing


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[Mickeybags]

Very little sunlight. It faces a window (dorm room the whole room gets sunlight) the blinds are usually closed so that's not an issue. I use flourish excel weekly was well


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[PerfectDepth]

Very little sunlight. It faces a window (dorm room the whole room gets sunlight) the blinds are usually closed so that's not an issue. I use flourish excel weekly was well


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You could try a 3-day blackout (with daily excel for good measure). Then going forward cut down on total hours, and split the photoperiod.

 

[Rivercats]

It sounds like you have more than one type of algae. Posting a picture would be helpful. How many hours do you run your lighting daily? When dealing with algae it is best to run lighting only 6 hours daily with or without a siesta until your issues are under control. Raising your light or placing a piece of screen on the aquarium top will also dim the light.

Also MTS's (Malaysian trumpet snails) do not eat nerite eggs. Nerite eggs will dissolve over time if not removed manually.

Also how long has the tank been set up? Liquid carbon and hydrogen peroxide 3% can both be used to treat some types of algae at a rate of 3ml for every 1 gallon of tank water. Turn off filters, treat, then leave filters off 20 minutes. But if you don't correct the problem that is causing the algae it will just come back.

 

[aquaticterror]

It sounds like you have more than one type of algae. Posting a picture would be helpful. How many hours do you run your lighting daily? When dealing with algae it is best to run lighting only 6 hours daily with or without a siesta until your issues are under control. Raising your light or placing a piece of screen on the aquarium top will also dim the light.

Also MTS's (Malaysian trumpet snails) do not eat nerite eggs. Nerite eggs will dissolve over time if not removed manually.

Also how long has the tank been set up? Liquid carbon and hydrogen peroxide 3% can both be used to treat some types of algae at a rate of 3ml for every 1 gallon of tank water. Turn off filters, treat, then leave filters off 20 minutes. But if you don't correct the problem that is causing the algae it will just come back.

Wow!!! That is some of the most precise and helpful advice I have seen in a long time.

MTS don't eat nerite eggs, but would an assassin snail?

what am I doing?

 

[Rivercats]

There are no other snails that will eat other snail eggs so either leave them to dissolve on their own or on glass you can use a magnetic algae scraper. On DW you can pop them off with something that has a pointed end. If on plants you need to leave them dissolve on their own.