Is algae good for an aquarium?

[Sidman24]

Beautiful tank

Thank you

 

[BBradbury]

Algae in the Tank

Thanks B !! Maybe I'll start feeding every other day?? That's really gonna be hard though when my big guys are swimming up the tank in the morning for food! Haha

Hello again Sid...

Reduce the food gradually and be more selective of the foods you feed. You don't want the larger fish to go on a "crash diet". That will slow their metabolism and possibly compromise the health of your fish. Back off on the flakes, those contain phosphates and phosphates are the biggest cause of algae problems. They were in my first tanks. Nitrates are second. Large, weekly water changes will help there. Anacharis and Hornwort are good nitrate users. Float those in the tank. A company by the name of Acurel makes a great polyfiber product for reducing all forms of nitrogen in the tank water.

Be choosier about what you feed. A tiny bit of flakes, a little freeze dried like tubifex worms and mostly frozen. Frozen is by far the most nutritious. There are no additives in foods like brine and Mysis shrimp, beefheart, plankton, and bloodworms. Check the local pet stores, there's a good quality food for most fish. Add a bit of minced garlic. There's not a healthier treat available for your fish. My Livebearers and Corydoras love it. Study the ingredients of the food you feed. I have one rule: If I'm not familiar with an ingredient, I don't buy the product. Check the frozen foods. They'll have one or two ingredients and water. Your fishes' innards will know how to process the natural foods. The additives typically just add shelf time to a product, not something you want to feed your pets. Those are the "fast foods" for the fish world.

Have fun!

B

 

[Sidman24]

Hello again Sid...

Reduce the food gradually and be more selective of the foods you feed. You don't want the larger fish to go on a "crash diet". That will slow their metabolism and possibly compromise the health of your fish. Back off on the flakes, those contain phosphates and phosphates are the biggest cause of algae problems. They were in my first tanks. Nitrates are second. Large, weekly water changes will help there. Anacharis and Hornwort are good nitrate users. Float those in the tank. A company by the name of Acurel makes a great polyfiber product for reducing all forms of nitrogen in the tank water.

Be choosier about what you feed. A tiny bit of flakes, a little freeze dried like tubifex worms and mostly frozen. Frozen is by far the most nutritious. There are no additives in foods like brine and Mysis shrimp, beefheart, plankton, and bloodworms. Check the local pet stores, there's a good quality food for most fish. Add a bit of minced garlic. There's not a healthier treat available for your fish. My Livebearers and Corydoras love it. Study the ingredients of the food you feed. I have one rule: If I'm not familiar with an ingredient, I don't buy the product. Check the frozen foods. They'll have one or two ingredients and water. Your fishes' innards will know how to process the natural foods. The additives typically just add shelf time to a product, not something you want to feed your pets. Those are the "fast foods" for the fish world.

Have fun!

B

Just so you know here is what I feed now! NLS cichlid pellets, then I also add the small fish formula pellets for the smaller fish. I feed frozen bloodworms once or twice a week as a treat

 

[Cactuspixie]

Just so you know here is what I feed now! NLS cichlid pellets, then I also add the small fish formula pellets for the smaller fish. I feed frozen bloodworms once or twice a week as a treat

Sounds perfect to me

 

[Mebbid]

Study the ingredients of the food you feed. I have one rule: If I'm not familiar with an ingredient, I don't buy the product. Check the frozen foods. They'll have one or two ingredients and water. Your fishes' innards will know how to process the natural foods. The additives typically just add shelf time to a product, not something you want to feed your pets. Those are the "fast foods" for the fish world.

Have fun!

B

Well put. Since I changed to a quality flake my fish obviously love it a lot more than the crap I was feeding them. My betta has even begun actively begging for food where he didn't before.

 

[BBradbury]

Is There Agreement Here?

Well put. Since I changed to a quality flake my fish obviously love it a lot more than the crap I was feeding them. My betta has even begun actively begging for food where he didn't before.

Hello Meb...

Interesting we agree on something. Usually, we're at opposite ends of an issue. This is an historic occasion. Good for us.

B

 

[Mebbid]

Hello Meb...

Interesting we agree on something. Usually, we're at opposite ends of an issue. This is an historic occasion. Good for us.

B

Don't spoil it

 

[Sidman24]

Well put. Since I changed to a quality flake my fish obviously love it a lot more than the crap I was feeding them. My betta has even begun actively begging for food where he didn't before.

What do you feed mebbid? Ive always read pellet is better then flake because it's less messy and such

 

[Mebbid]

I was never really a fan of pellets. I had to way overfeed with them just so everything in my tanks got a chance to eat. With flakes blowing all over its not really an issue. I have some very vigorous eaters though. But when I switched to the fluval flake I noticed a difference in a lot of my fish.