Question about Algae?

[Coyote251]

Hello All, I have been having a bit of a problem with algae in my tank. It is a green spotted algae that grows on the glass. I have seen algae in friends tanks and it is a loose algae that can be removed with one of those magnet cleaners. This algae is stubborn and hard to scrub off. I have been checking the water on a weekly basis and it tests well for chemistry. I have been doing water changes thinking this would slow the growth. I changed the charcoal in one filter as well as rinsed out the foam and in the other filter I cleaned the filter medium. There are no live plants and I only have about 17 inches of fish in a 33 gallon tank. I have a Chinese algae eater that cleans the rocks (or tries) and a Otto that tries to clean the glass. Can anyone make any suggestions on how to get rid of this? I can scrub it off everywhere but below the gravel level, but it grows back within a week or two. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

You need to look into how long your lights are on and how much direct and indirect light the tank is getting from the sun. The best way I know of to remove spot algae is to use a plastic card (such as an old credit car or unused loyalty card) to scrape it off.

 

[eduguy]

How long are your lights on for daily

 

[Ian086]

You could try an Algae glass scrapper. It has a steel blade and will remove the most stubborn Algae. Also look into some Nerite snails. They are excellent at keeping the algae at bay!!. Looks like your tank is getting a lot of direct sunlight??.
PS..Your chinese algae eater will become too large for your tank...

 

[Hholly]

Razor blades do ok for scraping algae off glass.

 

[Ian086]

Razor blades do ok for scraping algae off glass.

Yes but only on GLASS, not for Acrylic Tanks!!

 

[Coyote251]

Thanks for the info. I do use a credit card and a brush to get rid of the algae, it's just that it seems to grow back quickly and looks like crap. The other problem is getting rid of the algae below the gravel line. The lights are on for about an hour and a half in the morning and then probably from 5 to 11 at night. There is quite a lot of sunlight in this room though so I may need to look at relocating the tank. I might try the Nerite snails if i can find them at the lfs. This tank is just using regular CFL bulbs in the hood, is there a better type of bulb to use to impede the algae growth? Does water chemistry play any part in the production of algae? is there something else I should be testing for? I am currently testing ph,nh3,no2,no3, and general hardness.

PS-The Chinese algae eater will move into a bigger tank when he outgrows the tank he is in.

 

[Ian086]

Thanks for the info. I do use a credit card and a brush to get rid of the algae, it's just that it seems to grow back quickly and looks like crap. The other problem is getting rid of the algae below the gravel line. The lights are on for about an hour and a half in the morning and then probably from 5 to 11 at night. There is quite a lot of sunlight in this room though so I may need to look at relocating the tank. I might try the Nerite snails if i can find them at the lfs. This tank is just using regular CFL bulbs in the hood, is there a better type of bulb to use to impede the algae growth? Does water chemistry play any part in the production of algae? is there something else I should be testing for? I am currently testing ph,nh3,no2,no3, and general hardness.

PS-The Chinese algae eater will move into a bigger tank when he outgrows the tank he is in.

The Algae scrapper i mentioned is made by Fluval or Marina i believe. Sorry i don't have one, a mate has. It has a long handle, so you don't have to get your hands wet. Try google. The Nerites are brilliant and will thrive on your Algae!!. Also they CAN'T reproduce in freshwater so you won't be overrun with them. Water chemistry does play a part, high nitrates encourage algae growth but i would say your problem is with the sunlight not the bulbs.. I stand corrected of course