need an answer quick

[extremebunny]

I have a tank that is stocked full (97% on aqadvisor) in a freshwater 10g. My tank has been okay until now, but there is a ton of brown algae over the past few days. My fish are also very messy eaters and a lot falls to the bottom, but my cories do nothing about it. I am going to the pet store very soon to get a cleanup team. Snails? Shrimp? What kind will clean the best and how many?

 

[extremebunny]

I have 1dg, 1 platy, 4 cories, 5 skirt tetras (one is quite large)

 

[Ironworker161]

Keep in mind your clean up crew will produce more waste in your tank. I would consider a larger tank. IMO, your already overstocked when you consider that your fish will continue to grow. I hope this is helpful.

 

[Mcfly]

Messy eaters= YOU feeding too fast. Slow down feeding, and give smaller amounts.
Let the fish get the smaller falling bits before adding more food.

Algae blooms usually point towards poor water quality and/or too much light.

 

[extremebunny]

I heard that you don't count snails and shrimp because they eat as much or more than the waste they produce. I can't get a larger tank, but I am not planning on getting a snail or shrimp immediately anymore. I got algae remover from the store which hopefully should work. That stuff kills crustaceans and invertebrates anyway.

 

[extremebunny]

The problem is that the food falls when the fish bop their noses on the surface and then they don't see where it goes when it falls. I don't have the time to feed them more slowly anyway.

 

[Fresh2o]

I heard that you don't count snails and shrimp because they eat as much or more than the waste they produce. I can't get a larger tank, but I am not planning on getting a snail or shrimp immediately anymore. I got algae remover from the store which hopefully should work. That stuff kills crustaceans and invertebrates anyway.

Any food the scavengers eat become waste eventually.
Feed less. Skip a day.
What's the algae remover for? The brown algae. You are better off reducing the lighting and increasing water changes.

 

[nirbhao]

Snails poop, just like everything else.

 

[flchamp89]

Didnt you post a pic in another thread? If so I think it was diatoms.

 

[extremebunny]

It is diatoms and the algae remover says it works on diatoms.

 

[flchamp89]

You don't need an algaecide for diatoms.

 

[extremebunny]

no, it is not necessary, but is nice to have it go away faster without having to take everything out of the tank and scrub it. I understand that it is not toxic to have that type of algae, but it is ugly and isn't helping because I don't have any fish that will eat it. I didn't have any algae remover before so if there is a time when it is truly necessary then I will have it.

 

[sunscream13]

Water change and vacuum

 

[Mcfly]

I don't have the time to feed them more slowly anyway.

Then do you have enough time for the fish tank? When I feed 20+ fish it takes less than 5 minutes a day total, split into two feedings.... If that's too much time.....

Having a clean healthy tank requires time. It's a labor of love. Total time spent on my 60 gallon tank per week is 75 to 90 minutes. Out of 10,080 minutes a week, it's not much time.... and there's no algae or diatoms. Just a little perspective

I hope you get your issue resolved.

 

[extremebunny]

I have several other pets to feed at a similar time and I don't have the time then. I have time later in the day but I have always fed my pets in the morning. I know taking care of any kind of pet requires a lot of work as I have a rabbit, 2 rodents, and a total of 12 fish. It's not just me that's the feeding problem. It is a little , but I feed them and they miss the food when they come to the surface and it falls.i do let some purposely fall too because some of my cories feed at the surface but others feed at the bottom. They don't catch all of it though

 

[extremebunny]

I actually spend more time on my pets than other things but in the morning when they get fed I don't have much time. I have to find the right amount of food to let fall so that my cories eat it. They eat fallen flake food most days and I give them an algae wafer on the weekend.