Algea

[Simon_DG]

My new aquarium is running now for 3 weeks + and i get algea now. The new plants turn brown from the algea and yea soms melt becouse they where bred als air plants but some are just brown from the algea what do i do ? Co2 and light are oke and my substrate to and i do weekly water changes and try to remove as much dead plant matter as i can. I have 1 bristelnose pleco and like 15 assasins snails.
Plz help View attachment 1View attachment 1

 

[BBradbury]

Controlling Algae

My new aquarium is running now for 3 weeks + and i get algea now. The new plants turn brown from the algea and yea soms melt becouse they where bred als air plants but some are just brown from the algea what do i do ? Co2 and light are oke and my substrate to and i do weekly water changes and try to remove as much dead plant matter as i can. I have 1 bristelnose pleco and like 15 assasins snails.
Plz help View attachment 312589View attachment 1View attachment 1

Hello Simon...

Some algae is natural and a good, natural water filter. You can slow its growth by feeding foods with low phosphates and gradually increasing your water changes to half or more every week. This will remove dissolved nutrients. If the algae has nothing to eat, it doesn't grow very fast. Snails will produce as much waste material as fish, so by limiting the food, you'll slow the snail reproduction.

B

 

[Simon_DG]

Hello Simon...

Some algae is natural and a good, natural water filter. You can slow its growth by feeding foods with low phosphates and gradually increasing your water changes to half or more every week. This will remove dissolved nutrients. If the algae has nothing to eat, it doesn't grow very fast. Snails will produce as much waste material as fish, so by limiting the food, you'll slow the snail reproduction.

B

Sorry forgot to mention the aquarium is a 66 gallon i do 25% water change every week the fish get fed 1 a day and the minimum everything gets eaten or at least 95% of it the snails are snail eating snails and only 15 they dont breed at large number never had more than 25 in the last 2 years of having them. Is there a way to get rid of the brown algea on leaves it lakes them look like they are dead or rotting.

 

[ZxC]

Fertilizers are a must in a planted tank (unless you are super low tech with a dirt / soil substrate).

I would recommend:
Grab a bottle of Thrive (use whichever type is recommended for your style of tank on Aquarium Fertilizer | NilocG Aquatics )

Build some DIY root tabs with Osmocote+ granular fertilizer and size 00 edible gel capsules. Place 1 or 2 capsules around the base of larger rooted plants up to once a month.

Buy some Metricide14 or Seachem Flourish Excel and use at a higher rate - I was using 100% Metricide14 @ 4mL's per 10 gallons per day to fight algae. Excel can be used at a slightly higher rate. Do some research to find the higher end of where people are dosing.

Buy some 3% H2O2 and research spot treatments for algae. Do this a few times a week.

Clean out all decaying organic matter from the tank - The largest sources are in the substrate (detritus) and in the filter. Clean substrate with siphon during water change and clean out all filter media in old tank water during each water change - I never go a month without cleaning out my filter(s). Remove all decaying plant matter and trim off damaged plant tissue. Run your filter media as follows: Large sponge, Finer sponge, biological media, filter floss. Throw out and replace the filter floss during each filter cleaning. Squish / clean out the larger sponges during each filter cleaning, and swish around the biological media in old tank water to clean it up a bit.

Increase your water change amounts (both frequency and amount changed).

If you want an algae free tank, you'll have to work for it