The start of algae

[Bish67]

My 20 gallon tank has been set up for 3 months....fully cycled and planted.
Recently light green algae has appeared in the tank...on the rocks...filter....and glass. Cleaned most of it off when doing a water change and it was very easy to remove. It hasn't re appeared yet....water conditions are 7.4 ph .....ammonia zero nitrate 5 n nitrate zero.
Whats the best addition in algae eaters.....? I know they are no sub for cleaning and water changes.....just wondered what could help?

 

[Mrs.h2012]

My 20 gallon tank has been set up for 3 months....fully cycled and planted.
Recently light green algae has appeared in the tank...on the rocks...filter....and glass. Cleaned most of it off when doing a water change and it was very easy to remove. It hasn't re appeared yet....water conditions are 7.4 ph .....ammonia zero nitrate 5 n nitrate zero.
Whats the best addition in algae eaters.....? I know they are no sub for cleaning and water changes.....just wondered what could help?

If you have nitrite your tank isnt fully cycled. A cycled tank shows consistent readings of 0 ammonia AND nitrite and nitrates at 40 or under (some say under 20).

 

[Mrs.h2012]

My 20 gallon tank has been set up for 3 months....fully cycled and planted.
Recently light green algae has appeared in the tank...on the rocks...filter....and glass. Cleaned most of it off when doing a water change and it was very easy to remove. It hasn't re appeared yet....water conditions are 7.4 ph .....ammonia zero nitrate 5 n nitrate zero.
Whats the best addition in algae eaters.....? I know they are no sub for cleaning and water changes.....just wondered what could help?

Try reducing the amount of time you have your lights on and see if that helps.

 

[Bish67]

mistake....on my my part
..nitrite is zero....nitrate is 5...predictive text ...

 

[Mrs.h2012]

mistake....on my my part
..nitrite is zero....nitrate is 5...predictive text ...

Ok good,
You have a cycled tank then like is suggested I would reduce the amount of
Time your lights are on. Try and find a bristlenose pleco. They only grow to 4 inches. Many members here like them a lot also if you can find an albino long fin bristlenose pleco... I highly recommend them, they are gorgeous

 

[Bish67]

tank is fully cycled ....defo

 

[BBradbury]

Green Algae

My 20 gallon tank has been set up for 3 months....fully cycled and planted.
Recently light green algae has appeared in the tank...on the rocks...filter....and glass. Cleaned most of it off when doing a water change and it was very easy to remove. It hasn't re appeared yet....water conditions are 7.4 ph .....ammonia zero nitrate 5 n nitrate zero.
Whats the best addition in algae eaters.....? I know they are no sub for cleaning and water changes.....just wondered what could help?

Hello Bish...

The light green algae is normal for a healthy, planted tank. It's nice looking and if you follow a sound tank management routine that includes large, weekly water changes, it won't over grow. It's also good nutrition for your fish.

If you want to get some "Livebearers", like Guppies, Platys, Swordtails, etc. these fish like a little vegetation. Ramshorn snails are also great algae controllers. Don't overfeed your fish and algae won't become a problem.

Just a couple of thoughts.

B

 

[Bish67]

ok...already got guppies n platties ......

 

[Bish67]

and i changing water regularly....looks nice yes agree.....

 

[Loading...]

Oto catfish should not be undestimated!

Check em' out!

 

[Bish67]

looking at Ottos as we speak...good shout

 

[Bish67]

should i shoal them?...how many??

 

[librarygirl]

Otos may or may not eat green algae; they prefer diatoms. Even if they do eat it, it'll still not fix the source. Adding fish to combat a problem is never a good idea. Best thing to do is figure out what's causing it and fix it.

What light do you have on the tank? What's the wattage? How long are the lights on? Does the tank get any direct sunlight? Are you dosing fertilizers or anything else?

 

[Bish67]

Light is a 24 watt 230 volt. no chemicals go into tank(bar the norm)
it doesn't get direct sunlight as its at the back of the room, lights are on for 7-12 hours a day

 

[Aqualady40]

I currently have 1 otto in my 20H and its doing a great job...I also agree with librarygirl too "get to the source of the problem" ...my issue was not doing large enough PWC...once I did 40%-50% pwc, dosed ferts, then turned all lights out, the next day I couldn't believe how clean and pretty my plants/tank looked...I was originally doing 10-20% pwc weekly but that wasn't doing the job for my tank...so now I will make sure I 40-50..oh I also swirled the bottom for debris (platy and sunset gourami are big poopers) to make sure I was getting atleast half or more of it out ( I didn't think it would be that much...boy was I WRONG)...

 

[librarygirl]

I'm assuming this is green spot algae and not blue green algae, which are different. Your light isnt too high at all. Maybe try a different photo period, cut it to 10 hours max or put lights on a timer for 4-5 hours on, 4 hours off, 4-5 hours on. Also I don't know your water change schedule but perhaps increase it some and make sure you arent' overfeeding and are sucking up waste from the bottom of the tank with regular substrate vacuum as excessive nutrients can cause algae too.

You could try adding a couple of nerite snails which might at the algae too, and as they can't breed in freshwater you won't be overrun with snails.

 

[Bish67]

yes its green algae light in colour. I change 20% of water on a week basis and i use a gravel van. I Dont over feed and i try and miss a feed once in a while. i will try and reduce amount of time. You have also answered another question as I was looking at what snails can do....wasn't wanting one that breeds so you have pointed me in the right direction.
thanks

 

[Rivercats]

Green spot algae is literally little green spots of hard algae that won't wipe off. If the algae isn't hairy or thread like your tank is still new enough you could be expierencing what is called green dust algae. It's light green and wipes off very easily. Not much is known about it really but controling your photoperiod to run 6-8 hours max daily is recommended for a planted tank. Another thing about green dust algae is it, like diatoms, tends to run its course over time BUT another thing about it is that when you clean it off the glass, plants, decorations your actually putting it back into the water which keeps the cycle going longer. When it comes to algae eaters nerite snails eat the widest variety of algae of any algae eater. They love diatoms, bio-film, green dust algae, and are the only algae eater that can actually scrape off and eat green spot algae. They are just handy little snails to have in a tank.

 

[Bish67]

It is the green dust algae...great ... thanks for clearing that up for me.Looks like i may be going nerite snail hunting at the weekend. Do they have any special requirements?

 

[Rivercats]

Nothing special for the nerites. There are Horned nerites (my favorite) which are the smallest, then Olive nerites (most commonly found) which are middle sized, and Tigers which are the biggest but come in different colors and patterns. I have maybe 40 Olives and Tigers in my 220g. One thing while they can't breed in freshwater they will lay eggs. When first put in they seem to go into laying egg mode then after that you'll get a few eggs here and there. They are individual little white dots. They come off the glass with an algae magnet and I popped the few on my DW off with long tweezers (24" ones). They do dissolve over 3-5 weeks on their own. The eggs don't bother me but some people go nuts over them. Just wanted you to know.