Cleaning out my nursery tank

[Tom_sparks]

Hi guys, just got back off holiday and one of my heavily pregnant guppies have given birth to between 20-30 fry. Just wondering what is the best way to go about cleaning the tank as there is quite a bit of algae at the bottom And I don't want to stress out the baby's or the other 3 pregnant fish.

 

[Shetland James]

Aglae in itself shouldn't be a huge bother if you keep the water clean. You could: Take it away from direct sunlight or bright lights; cover it with gravel or sand so it dies off; clean it with a toothbrush.

Also, you could have a small plec in your tank like a Hong Kong Pleco. They're about an inch long and will do some cleaning duties, but nothing major.

 

[Tom_sparks]

Sounds like a good idea maybe I'll go to our local aquatics shop tomorrow and get one or two of them. Just don't want to stress the fry out too much. Thanks james.

 

[Shetland James]

My one wasn't great, but in small tanks algae can bloom at an extraordinary rate if you don't keep on top of it. They're only small AND they can get territorial so if the tank is small perhaps they are not the best option.

You might consider getting an apple snail, as sometimes they're so efficient you can see the line of cleared algae behind them!