I have a green algae problem

[LostInFish]

I have to clean my tank walls almost daily to keep the algae off. I run my lights for 6 hrs a day. It was 10 hrs but I cut back do to the algae problem I use Seachem flourish,Aquavitro envy and propel for fertilizer and I do 3 water changes a week ammonia is 0 ppm nitrite 0 ppm nitrate 0 ppm gh 12 and kh 6 any help would be appreciated

 

[BBradbury]

Algae Problems

I have to clean my tank walls almost daily to keep the algae off. I run my lights for 6 hrs a day. It was 10 hrs but I cut back do to the algae problem I use Seachem flourish,Aquavitro envy and propel for fertilizer and I do 3 water changes a week ammonia is 0 ppm nitrite 0 ppm nitrate 0 ppm gh 12 and kh 6 any help would be appreciated

Hello Make...

Algae is normal and an important part of an aquarium. To keep it under control a bit better, you can gradually feed your fish less. If you're feeding too much flaked food, the extra food dissolves in the tank water and feeds the algae. Large, weekly water changes of half the tank's volume will help.

Floating plants like Brazilian water weed and Pennywort thrive in nutrient rich water and look much better in the tank than algae. These plants will use the extra phosphates from the dissolved flaked food.

Ramshorn snails are great, natural algae controllers. They'll eat most kinds of algae. You can get them at the local pet store.

In the mean time, just scrap the algae from the front glass, so you can see your fish and leave the rest. It will eventually die back if you use some of the suggestions above.

B

 

[LostInFish]

Hello Make...

Algae is normal and an important part of an aquarium. To keep it under control a bit better, you can gradually feed your fish less. If you're feeding too much flaked food, the extra food dissolves in the tank water and feeds the algae. Large, weekly water changes of half the tank's volume will help.

Floating plants like Brazilian water weed and Pennywort thrive in nutrient rich water and look much better in the tank than algae. These plants will use the extra phosphates from the dissolved flaked food.

Ramshorn snails are great, natural algae controllers. They'll eat most kinds of algae. You can get them at the local pet store.

In the mean time, just scrap the algae from the front glass, so you can see your fish and leave the rest. It will eventually die back if you use some of the suggestions above.

B

Yes I feed a lot I have discus in the tank. I also have snails like crazy lol but they mostly come out at dark so I don't mind them. I will try to feed a little less and maybe try that pennywort. Thanks for your help

 

[JustinKScott]

No no! Don't feed your poor discus less!


Algae comes from a misbalance of nutrients, too much or too few.

What kind of light are you using? -- I need specifics; bulb type (t5ho,etc), age of bulbs, brand/model, color temp.

You obviously have plants, how many/what type?

What size tank again?

--

As an example, on my established ADULT tank I feed 5 beef heart per day, 2x WC per week, and lights on for 10 hours a day. No algae problems.

We need to diagnose what's feeding the algae.

 

[LostInFish]

No no! Don't feed your poor discus less!

Algae comes from a misbalance of nutrients, too much or too few.

What kind of light are you using? -- I need specifics; bulb type (t5ho,etc), age of bulbs, brand/model, color temp.

You obviously have plants, how many/what type?

What size tank again?

--

As an example, on my established ADULT tank I feed 5 beef heart per day, 2x WC per week, and lights on for 10 hours a day. No algae problems.

We need to diagnose what's feeding the algae.

T5 ho 24 watt x4 white bulbs about 6 months old as far as plants I have 6 tiger lotus 2 calamustratum onion and 2 amazon swords

 

[LostInFish]

The lights are 2 white and 2 purple colored

 

[LostInFish]

And it's it 150 gallon tank 12 Discus 10 pentazonas 4 long fin albino bristlenose 4 clown loaches 2 yo yo loaches 3 red dot goby's and 5 Cory cats most of these fish are young still so not very big yet

 

[JustinKScott]

Yup; I bet you are growing algae like crazy.

You have a lot of mouths to feed. I'd try to rehome a lot of them; but that's just me.

--- assuming that's off the table ---

You are generating a serious amount of nitrates of which you algae gets first dibs. Remember: nitrate should never be zero unless your filter is broken.

You are also generating a ****-ton of light; although I have 4x t5ho on my 75g.

All this is feeding your algae, which is eating up everything that your plants aren't. You need to starve the algae; so what you need to do is increase what your plants are doing. Plants will always out eat algae if encouraged.

So buy more plants. Prefer FAST growers to slow growers, because they will consume more nutrients.

Fast growth plants need something you don't have... CO2. You have a 150g, which means you must have pressurized. So it's time to bite the bullet and buy CO2 and a drop checker.

You need to know more about your lights than just the hew; look them over an understand what they are doing.

There will be other suggestions like algaecide or UV but they won't help unless you have green soup.

 

[JustinKScott]

Ohh wait!


You have purple lights. Replace them first. Those are doing nothing for your plants, but your algae likes them just fine.

 

[aqua_chem]

Plants use blue light fine. I agree that 4xT5HO might be a bit much, and GDA is usually a good indication of this, but the color of your lights isn't your problem.

 

[JustinKScott]

Plants use blue light fine. I agree that 4xT5HO might be a bit much, and GDA is usually a good indication of this, but the color of your lights isn't your problem.

You are right. I forgot & had to look it up.

 

[LostInFish]

Yup; I bet you are growing algae like crazy.

You have a lot of mouths to feed. I'd try to rehome a lot of them; but that's just me.

--- assuming that's off the table ---

You are generating a serious amount of nitrates of which you algae gets first dibs. Remember: nitrate should never be zero unless your filter is broken.

You are also generating a ****-ton of light; although I have 4x t5ho on my 75g.

All this is feeding your algae, which is eating up everything that your plants aren't. You need to starve the algae; so what you need to do is increase what your plants are doing. Plants will always out eat algae if encouraged.

So buy more plants. Prefer FAST growers to slow growers, because they will consume more nutrients.

Fast growth plants need something you don't have... CO2. You have a 150g, which means you must have pressurized. So it's time to bite the bullet and buy CO2 and a drop checker.

You need to know more about your lights than just the hew; look them over an understand what they are doing.

There will be other suggestions like algaecide or UV but they won't help unless you have green soup.

I'm confused my nitrates are high ? But I need to make more of them? How can that be if I show 0 ppm. As far as co2 goes I don't want it. And I don't have a lot of algae just a little on the glass here and there . I will do some checking into the lights. Thank you everyone for all your help

 

[Old Scales]

If you add more plants, look into Hygrophylia Difformis(water wisteria). It grows easily and fast and uses Nitrates very well. You need 10 to 20 ppm of nitrate for the plants also .5-1.0ppm of phosphate plus proper trace elements to keep the plants growning well enough to out compete the algae. On your lights, bulb temperature is important for the reasons Aqua-chem stated. There are many plants that will grow well without a CO2 system if you can't afford one yet or don't want to get that involved. You could just add liquid carbon like Excel or ATI CO2 booster or order liquid gluteraldyhide. Hope this helps. On plants, go to the web and research, research. Luck, OS

 

[LostInFish]

If you add more plants, look into Hygrophylia Difformis(water wisteria). It grows easily and fast and uses Nitrates very well. You need 10 to 20 ppm of nitrate for the plants also .5-1.0ppm of phosphate plus proper trace elements to keep the plants growning well enough to out compete the algae. On your lights, bulb temperature is important for the reasons Aqua-chem stated. There are many plants that will grow well without a CO2 system if you can't afford one yet or don't want to get that involved. You could just add liquid carbon like Excel or ATI CO2 booster or order liquid gluteraldyhide. Hope this helps. On plants, go to the web and research, research. Luck, OS

I will do some more research thanks a bunch

 

[Billbug68]

Before we go suggesting adding plants, feeding regimen, etc., I think we should first determine, is this green spot algae? Is it difficult to scrape from the glass?

 

[LostInFish]

I use a white scrubber pad and I scrub vigorously to remove it but it does come off and it shows up mostly on the glass

 

[Billbug68]

Also, how long are you running the lights? GSA can be contributed to low phosphates and long photoperiods of intense lighting.

 

[LostInFish]

Also, how long are you running the lights? GSA can be contributed to low phosphates and long photoperiods of intense lighting.

About 6 hrs a day I run the lights

 

[LostInFish]

If you add more plants, look into Hygrophylia Difformis(water wisteria). It grows easily and fast and uses Nitrates very well. You need 10 to 20 ppm of nitrate for the plants also .5-1.0ppm of phosphate plus proper trace elements to keep the plants growning well enough to out compete the algae. On your lights, bulb temperature is important for the reasons Aqua-chem stated. There are many plants that will grow well without a CO2 system if you can't afford one yet or don't want to get that involved. You could just add liquid carbon like Excel or ATI CO2 booster or order liquid gluteraldyhide. Hope this helps. On plants, go to the web and research, research. Luck, OS

Hey, did I forget to mention I use Seachem Floriush and aqua vitro excel and propel

 

[Billbug68]

Hmm... Is it possible to only run two bulbs in your fixture?