Algae Growth

[scullyfish]

We have had a sudden growth of Algae in our 30 gal tank. We have done 2 complete cleanings in the past 2 weeks. This last time the algae returned in 3 days. We culled some of the fish, thinking there were too many in the tank, but that hasn't seemed to help. Any advice??? We have tried everything we can think of.

 

[ScottS]

I hope this isn't stating the obvious, but are there any algae eating fish in the tank (otocinclus, siamese algae eater, pleco etc) ?

How long are the lights on?

Is the tank near a window?

 

[ferret]

Does 'cleanings' include partial water changes to reduce nitrates and other nutrients from the water?

 

[scullyfish]

Yes, the guppies and swords we have are algae eaters. We also have 2 plecos

The lights are on during the day 7am-8pm

The tank is in a room with two windows, with sheers on the windows.

We have had the tank setup since April and have never had such a bad algae problem. None of the factors mentioned above have changed since setup of the tank.

Thanks--

 

[scullyfish]

Yes, cleanings refers to changing 60% of the water, cleaning/changing filter medium, wiping down of tank walls.

Thanks so much for the quick responses!

 

[grimlock3000]

Some things to think about...

A lot of Livebearers do eat algae but they are not very good at it. My Guppies always seem to be nibbling on algae but they rarely put a noticable dent in it.

How often do you feed the fish? Algae can only grow quickly if there are ample excess nutrient in the water. If you feed twice a day, try cutting back to once. While doing this, reduce the light by one hour each day, and then two hours each day.

What kinds of Plecos do you have, and do you feed them algae wafers or another type of sinking pellets? As some Plecos get older, they will sometimes stop eating algae if they can come up with anything else to eat. You can end up with a bigger fish that eats more overall, but does not touch the algae, then produces more waste, which produces more algae... Most fish store neglect to tell people that some Common Plecos eat less algae as they grow.

You might want to check your tap water too, it could be high in phosphates.

How large is the tank and what other types of fish are in it? What kind of lighting do you have as well?

Sorry for all the questions but there is a lot to cleaning up algae and then keeping it that way.

 

[scullyfish]

I will take what you have said into consideration.

We feed the fish once a day, 6 days a week.

We feed the placos (not sure exact kind) sinking pellets, which the other fish do nibble on as well.

2 weeks ago I did test the tank's water and everything appeared normal. I don't have the actual results, but I have them written at home.

 

[scullyfish]

I had a few questions about my plan of attack--

Put the light on a timer?
Should I add salt? I am assume (Aquarium salt ( not table salt ))
Do I need to add different fish or scavengers? If so what kinds?
Do I need to add real plants? If so what kinds? How many should I try?
Any other suggestions?

 

[grimlock3000]

Try to not feed the sinking wafers to the Plecos and see if they get to work on the algae. Obviously you need to keep and eye on them while you do this to make sure they do not starve or anything in case it takes a while. I only put algae wafers in my tank when my Pleco has eaten most of the algae, it works out pretty well.

 

[ferret]

I have never directly fed my two common plecos. They eat algae still and any leftovers from the other fish. In my oscars tank this really isn't a problem in the least, since oscars leave tons of food to sink to the bottom. My african tank I worry about sometimes, cause I no longer feed them sinking pellets. I think he still gets enough though, he's the larger pleco and very active.

Another warning, if they're common plecos, they're going to grow 2 feet long. In a small tank they will grow stuntedly and probably develope health problems. I would not suggest them for anything less than a 55 gallon tank. Preferably 75 gallon.

On a second note, at 8 and 10in's each, both my 75 and 90 gallon are algae free. The 90 gallon has two snails that lend a hand in cleaning, but not the 75.

 

[grimlock3000]

Put the light on a timer?
-This can help if you are not around to control the lights when you want to be

Should I add salt? I am assume (Aquarium salt ( not table salt ))
-Many people will argue that salt has no place in a FW tank, while other use it religously. Having said that, salt can very very little to do with algae control.

Do I need to add different fish or scavengers? If so what kinds?
-I would not worry about that just yet, your Plecos might start eating it, see the above post I just made. Oto Catfish, Rubber Plecos, and Bushynose/Bristlenose Plecos are somewhat common and and good algae eaters over the long term if you do decide to make a switch. Depending on the tank and the Plecos, the Plecos might outgrow the tank and then you can get something else.

Do I need to add real plants? If so what kinds? How many should I try?
-Real plants can help a lot, they compete with the algae for nutrient in the water and will usually win. Java Moss and Anarchis are good plants to get you started.

Any other suggestions?
-Avoid using chemicals to clear up the algae.

 

[ScottS]

In step with the others, do you know what type of pleco you have? Some species predominantly feed on algae while others rarely touch the stuff.