Algae growth

[Allivymar]

I had asked this in Imw80's post, but realised I should really just start a separate one:

I started a very well planted 10g a few weeks ago. Its chock FULL of plants! I don't use any sort of fertilizer, and atm there is only 2 gouramis and 2 or 3 cherry shrimp. I am not having probs with algae blooms, but the tank walls are COVERED. I can't figure out why its so extreme; I can't see adding anymore plants LOL there literally isn't any room. I'm actually leaving it for the otos when they move in from QT but I have to keep scraping the front walls so I can see in! If there are that many plants in the tank (they appear to be doing well; all have tons of new shoots), why would the algae be that bad? Could it be related to the fact one of my gouramis keeps building HUGE bubble nests and is pulling bits of my plants off to do it (which, of course, means I'm pulling bits of plant detritus off the surface out of the tank all the time). None of my other tanks have this problem, so I doubt its the water supply.

In addition to the above, I noticed its only 2 walls which are covered; the front and the right (facing the tank). The back and left walls are clear. Maybe its a light issue? Theres a open space up front so I can see the fish once in a while, and the plants on the left aren't as thick or as high as the ones on the right or in the back (plus the gourami keeps building his nest on the left side). Theres about 43 watts of light on the tank (1 15 watt, 1 28 watt light).

I picked up a CO2 system the other day, but am waiting to put it in until I figure out the algae issue. Am I being silly by waiting?

 

[Guest]

I picked up a CO2 system the other day, but am waiting to put it in until I figure out the algae issue. Am I being silly by waiting?

Maybe cautious, not silly. Go ahead and fire up the co2. Hopefully the extra co2 will allow your plants to out-compete the algae for nutrients in the tank, minimizing your algae.

(1 15 watt, 1 28 watt light).

Is the algae worse under the 28 watt bulb? I'm guessing that could be it. However, don't change the lights, IMO.

Typically (at least in my tanks) the type of algae that grows on the glass is called green spot algae. I know of no way to get rid of it. However, most of my tanks have it, it lessens over time, but I don't know why. Having said that, I still have to clean the glass at least once a week, sometimes twice.

 

[justDIY]

good 'ol green-spot...

at least its not unattractive looking like brush/beard/hair algae!

my nursery tank is wrapped on three sides with aluminum foil because it sits in a sunny window, it appears very dark to my eye, but the algae loves it. I get hard (I mean, steel razor blade hard) green algae on the front glass, the left hand pane and the bottom - the three sides that receive the majority of sunlight.

my 29 gallon used to have greenspot on the glass when it had ~100 NO watts of light, once I upgraded to 192 PC watts it went for a few rounds with black hair / brush algae, and now, nock on driftwood, is algae free. the only thing that's really changed is my mother amazon sword stopped pouting and started growing again, and now that it controls nearly 1/2 the tank it must use up every drop of excess nutriant.

ya know, thinking back about that, the swords (mama and her potted daughters) all started growing once I removed the majority of ludwiga from my tank - I wonder if there is some sort of alleopathic realtionship there?!

 

[Allivymar]

I started out with the 15 watt light; used that for about a month and a half. Picked up the 28 watt light 2 weeks ago. Because there are so many plants in the tank, I would do 6 hours with the light on the front half of the glass cover, then move it to the back half for the next 6 hrs. Now I'm using both, although I don't switch them (the stronger one is in the front).

Strangely enough, the algae growth has been limited to that front/right side the entire time; no matter what lights I use or where they have been placed. There is no algae on the left side at all (or the back)...is why its confusing me. LOL I have fussy algae?

And its plain old diatoms n green algae combined (even weirder...4.3 watts per gallon and I get diatoms?). Fortunately, it comes off the glass VERY easily...almost in sheets. The gouramis adore it.

The otos have at least another 2 weeks in QT; I *think* I kicked the ich the cardinals were suffering from with just high temps, but I am still going to start QT on all of them in there from scratch. So at the least 2 more weeks before I have any dedicated algae eater in that tank; I'll be scraping as usual LOL Guess I'll hang on to those Dave n Buster game cards a little longer

 

[talenzmeier]

Echoing the Others

I concur with my esteemed colleagues, fire up the CO2. Are you fertilizing alot? Is it possible you have an excess of nutrients? If not, then corvuscorax pretty well sums it up. I've had hair algae, but I added some algae eating shrimp and my American Flagfish, as well as the Platies, are starting to chow down on the hair algae! I have quickly learned that algae is inevitable and the best you can do is manage it well. I'm waiting for nano-technology to come out with a computer driven biological organism that seeks out the DNA of algae and either consumes it or destroys it.

 

[Allivymar]

I havent even considered fertilizing yet; the laterite in the substrate seems to be enough atm (along with the fish poo LOL).

I do have 2-3 cherry shrimp in there; my impression is they deal with algae thats free floating as I've never seen them actually ON any algae. The same will probably go for the Bambo shrimp who will be entering the tank in 2 weeks. Once the otos are added, I'm sure it won't be an issue; I have just been surprised at the amount of algae considering the amount of plants. I'll try to take a pic LOL