Not happy

[Masoniac]

So my dive into planted tanks has got me frustrated to the max. I added plants two weeks ago and algae, algae, algae. I read plants consume the nutrients that algae needs to thrive doesn't look like it did that for me. Please help. I have algae on my walls my heater my filter my gravel probably on my fish too.

 

[BBradbury]

Algae Problems

So my dive into planted tanks has got me frustrated to the max. I added plants two weeks ago and algae, algae, algae. I read plants consume the nutrients that algae needs to thrive doesn't look like it did that for me. Please help. I have algae on my walls my heater my filter my gravel probably on my fish too.

Hello Mas...

First, if you have a new tank, then the water chemistry takes time to set up. You have a small cube with water, plants and hopefully fish and all those things need time to adjust to one another. It's just like in nature. The waters and fish and plants have taken a long time to become stable. No problem.

Algae isn't a bad thing, it grows in most healthy tanks. It thrives in water with a lot of nutrients in it, especially phosphates. Phosphates are in most of the fish and plant food you buy.

Right now, I'd just get an algae scrapper and remove the stuff from the front of the tank, so you can see the fish. You can get a few "Ramshorn" snails. They love all kinds of algae and will remove it pretty quickly. You can ease off the amount you fertilize and feed your fish for a couple of weeks and see how the algae is affected.

There are a number of other things you can do, but just be patient and let the tank work for a while.

B

 

[Masoniac]

Hello Mas...

First, if you have a new tank, then the water chemistry takes time to set up. You have a small cube with water, plants and hopefully fish and all those things need time to adjust to one another. It's just like in nature. The waters and fish and plants have taken a long time to become stable. No problem.

Algae isn't a bad thing, it grows in most healthy tanks. It thrives in water with a lot of nutrients in it, especially phosphates. Phosphates are in most of the fish and plant food you buy.

Right now, I'd just get an algae scrapper and remove the stuff from the front of the tank, so you can see the fish. You can get a few "Ramshorn" snails. They love all kinds of algae and will remove it pretty quickly. You can ease off the amount you fertilize and feed your fish for a couple of weeks and see how the algae is affected.

There are a number of other things you can do, but just be patient and let the tank work for a while.

B

Thanks I'll just keep removing it

 

[blert]

Tank size/depth?
Lighting type/schedule?

 

[Masoniac]

Tank size/depth?
Lighting type/schedule?

It's a standard 55 light is a 6700k 96watt comes on at 10 off at 6

 

[KevinM]

moss ball! lol

I had brown algae growing all over my rocks and then I bought a nice sized moss ball. I put it in the tank(just letting it go where it wants) and whoa. algae is pretty much gone, but I also have more than enough algae to let my 3 mystery snails to get fat, really they cant even get back in their shells they are so fat lol

 

[Batt4Christ]

The jury is out in regards to algae and phosphates. In my own experience, excess nitrates + excess light (compounded when no CO2 injection is used) is far more likely to trigger algae.