We set up a 60 gallon aquarium. I have taken my rocks and wood out and soaked them in peroxide. I had to get rid of a bunch of plants. We still get algae like crazy. It's killing my aquarium. I have been doing water changes every other day. I would also like different tubing for my fluval fx 200 filter. Any suggestions??
Aquarium help
- Thread starter Ked2016
- Start date
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Algae is the result of excess nutrients and light.
What are your water parameters (preferably taken before all these water changes)?
How long do you keep the aquarium light on for?
Don't overstock your aquarium.
Keep up with your water changes.
Don't overfeed your fish.
Keep live plants to outcompete algae for nutrients.
Keep aquariums well away from natural light.
Limit aquarium lighting to 6 - 8 hours per day.
It's not going to be a quick fix, but limiting excess nutrients and light over a period of weeks/ months will limit algae growth. If you are seeing excess algae it is the result of excess nutrients and/ or light.
As far as I know there is no such filter as an FX200. Do you mean one of the Fluval FX range of filters (FX2, FX4 or FX6) or the fluval 206? If there is anything FX200 filter could you link something so I can see what it is?
I presume you don't like the ribbed hoses? Unfortunately the hoses need to be like that so they can bend round the hose brackets. You can replace the ribbed hosing but you would also need to replace the intake and output assemblies to something compatible with a standard hose.
Why don't you like the hosing?
What are your water parameters (preferably taken before all these water changes)?
How long do you keep the aquarium light on for?
Don't overstock your aquarium.
Keep up with your water changes.
Don't overfeed your fish.
Keep live plants to outcompete algae for nutrients.
Keep aquariums well away from natural light.
Limit aquarium lighting to 6 - 8 hours per day.
It's not going to be a quick fix, but limiting excess nutrients and light over a period of weeks/ months will limit algae growth. If you are seeing excess algae it is the result of excess nutrients and/ or light.
As far as I know there is no such filter as an FX200. Do you mean one of the Fluval FX range of filters (FX2, FX4 or FX6) or the fluval 206? If there is anything FX200 filter could you link something so I can see what it is?
I presume you don't like the ribbed hoses? Unfortunately the hoses need to be like that so they can bend round the hose brackets. You can replace the ribbed hosing but you would also need to replace the intake and output assemblies to something compatible with a standard hose.
Why don't you like the hosing?
I had hose on my last fluval that was a litte clear. I just don't like it being so dark. I took a picture of my filter and aquarium. My parameters I don't have the exact numbers anymore. They were all good just one was very high. Never seen it that high I have a an aquariums for a few years now. This is my only major problem child.
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I also have a slight smell now. I found the seeds I put in rotted. I was thinking that I might need to clean the sand better. I never had a aquarium this big. With all natural items. I took it all out to clean make sure no algae was on it. I am having a really hard time with my drift wood. I soaked it in peroxide and water. It has a green tint ( the wood)
One of your other posts, before you upgraded your filter, reported elevated nitrite levels. It would be good to know what your parameters are at now you have new filtration running and its had chance to cycle.
When you are talking about hose, do you mean the hose coming from out of the filter up the back of the aquarium? Or are you meaning the intake tube/ stem that goes into the water? The ribbed hoses on fluval canister filters have always been black as far as I've been in the hobby. The intake stem was an opaque white colour and recently changed to a black tube. The black stem was a frequent request by hobbyists because most people use a black background on their aquariums and the black stem gets hidden by the black background whereas the old opaque stems stood out. You can still probably get some old stock of the opaque intake stem if you search the Internet for online sales for parts for old filtration systems. The best option would be to apply a black background to your aquarium.
A black background will hide all the hoses etc, make everything in the aquarium pop out visually, and give your fish a greater sense of security. In switzerland its actually illegal to not have at least 1 face of an aquarium covered as being exposed on all sides can be stressful for fish. Applying a film type or painted background would be difficult to do without breaking down the aquarium, but you could tape sheets of black cardboard to the back. Some people make black bin liners work.
Here is an old article on Switzerland animal welfare laws. There are also laws on aquarium size for larger species, and laws ensuring social animals including goldfish have company. So you can't keep a goldfish without a tankmate. Donkeys, gerbils etc can't be kept on their own.
www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
When you are talking about hose, do you mean the hose coming from out of the filter up the back of the aquarium? Or are you meaning the intake tube/ stem that goes into the water? The ribbed hoses on fluval canister filters have always been black as far as I've been in the hobby. The intake stem was an opaque white colour and recently changed to a black tube. The black stem was a frequent request by hobbyists because most people use a black background on their aquariums and the black stem gets hidden by the black background whereas the old opaque stems stood out. You can still probably get some old stock of the opaque intake stem if you search the Internet for online sales for parts for old filtration systems. The best option would be to apply a black background to your aquarium.
A black background will hide all the hoses etc, make everything in the aquarium pop out visually, and give your fish a greater sense of security. In switzerland its actually illegal to not have at least 1 face of an aquarium covered as being exposed on all sides can be stressful for fish. Applying a film type or painted background would be difficult to do without breaking down the aquarium, but you could tape sheets of black cardboard to the back. Some people make black bin liners work.
Here is an old article on Switzerland animal welfare laws. There are also laws on aquarium size for larger species, and laws ensuring social animals including goldfish have company. So you can't keep a goldfish without a tankmate. Donkeys, gerbils etc can't be kept on their own.
Swiss legislation to affect aquarium hobby - Practical Fishkeeping
www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
I don't think my tank is over stocked. We have a few adult guppies two females and one male. They have had babies that's why we upgrade to a bigger tank. We don't know what to do with the baby guppies they are two small yet for anything. Two frogs, two nitrate snails, 4 alien fish ( don't know the real name) some shrimp.5 of the neon striped ones. The tank is 60 gallons. I clean the bottom now in sections every 3 days. I don't have the water parameters from then. I can take some after work today. We were not trying to breed guppies it just happened. I was trying to breed shrimp. Our filter is not working right it keeps shutting off. We have to keep it 75% open that is not to much on every one is it? The flow i mean.
You certainly don't sound overstocked, but knowing your water parameters is always useful. The cause of your algae is more likely to be down to light.
Make sure your aquarium is as far away from natural light as you can reasonably get it. Far side of the room, 3 to 4m away from a window. Or keep the blinds/ curtains closed. And reduce the time that the aquarium lights are on for. 6 hours is usually sufficient for healthy plant growth, if you have live plants. I have an aquarium with the light on for 4 hours per day and the plants do fine. If you don't have live plants then reduce the light even further. Just have it on an hour or 2 in the evening when you are home.
If your filter is cutting out there is something wrong with it. How long have you had it? What is a regular maintenance schedule and what maintenance do you do?
The problem with getting a bigger tank due to livebearers breeding is that it doesn't deal with the issue. It just kicks the can down the road. Guppies breed prolifically, you start with a few, they make babies, then the babies start breeding with each other and their parents and make more babies, then those babies start breeding, etc etc etc. In a short space of time your aquarium is overpopulated and then you move them to a bigger aquarium, and then that one gets over populated and you need more aquariums or an even bigger one.
The only way to stop this happening is to separate sexes. And as soon as the fry are old enough to sex, separate those into M/F. And females store sperm so can keep producing babies for a year. So as new fry show appear keep separating them. After a year or so you should stop seeing fry if you keep males separate from females.
We have another member who had a few guppies in small aquariums, they bred and they too got bigger aquariums rather than deal with the issue. Their plans to sell the fish didn't work out, they can't even give them away. The hobby is full of people trying to get rid of guppy babies and not enough people wanting to take them. And the fish just keep growing in number and various plans to deal with the issue never really work out.
Gotta deal with the problem at source rather than just trying to accommodate an ever growing population of fish.
Can you post a photo of these alien fish? Someone might be able to identify them for you.
Make sure your aquarium is as far away from natural light as you can reasonably get it. Far side of the room, 3 to 4m away from a window. Or keep the blinds/ curtains closed. And reduce the time that the aquarium lights are on for. 6 hours is usually sufficient for healthy plant growth, if you have live plants. I have an aquarium with the light on for 4 hours per day and the plants do fine. If you don't have live plants then reduce the light even further. Just have it on an hour or 2 in the evening when you are home.
If your filter is cutting out there is something wrong with it. How long have you had it? What is a regular maintenance schedule and what maintenance do you do?
The problem with getting a bigger tank due to livebearers breeding is that it doesn't deal with the issue. It just kicks the can down the road. Guppies breed prolifically, you start with a few, they make babies, then the babies start breeding with each other and their parents and make more babies, then those babies start breeding, etc etc etc. In a short space of time your aquarium is overpopulated and then you move them to a bigger aquarium, and then that one gets over populated and you need more aquariums or an even bigger one.
The only way to stop this happening is to separate sexes. And as soon as the fry are old enough to sex, separate those into M/F. And females store sperm so can keep producing babies for a year. So as new fry show appear keep separating them. After a year or so you should stop seeing fry if you keep males separate from females.
We have another member who had a few guppies in small aquariums, they bred and they too got bigger aquariums rather than deal with the issue. Their plans to sell the fish didn't work out, they can't even give them away. The hobby is full of people trying to get rid of guppy babies and not enough people wanting to take them. And the fish just keep growing in number and various plans to deal with the issue never really work out.
Gotta deal with the problem at source rather than just trying to accommodate an ever growing population of fish.
Can you post a photo of these alien fish? Someone might be able to identify them for you.
We never wanted to breed guppies. So we need another aquarium for females. My husband will love that lol. We just got the filter it's about 2 months old. We have live plants I don't have anything plastic in my aquarium. Ill try dropping the light down right now it's on 8hrs. I didn't realize guppies breed so much. Good to know thank you for that information. I know I said I would do my water parameters I didn't get to it yet. Tomorrow definitely sorry for the hold up. You have been so much help thank you
You are only talking about 2 female guppies, I would ask your fish store if you can trade them for males. Unless you are intensionally breeding its best to keep just males. When your fry are old enough to sex, do the same. Nip it in the bud right from the start.
It's always beneficial to have a good relationship with your local fish store, buy what you can from them rather than online. They are more likely to do you a favour when you need it like trading in fish. If you got your filter from the store I would tell them what's happening with it and see about an exchange if they agree its faulty. Much easier to do that with an in store purchase compared to an online purchase.
It's always beneficial to have a good relationship with your local fish store, buy what you can from them rather than online. They are more likely to do you a favour when you need it like trading in fish. If you got your filter from the store I would tell them what's happening with it and see about an exchange if they agree its faulty. Much easier to do that with an in store purchase compared to an online purchase.
Hi Ked. I have the same exact canister filter as you. Mine shuts off every 24 hours to purge itself of air. It starts back up after 1 minute. Also, when cleaning it be sure you fill it at least 3/4 full of treated water before you close it up. I run mine at 100% and it was creating alot of surface agitation and current. I didn't care for that and my fish really didn't appreciate it either. I purchased the spray bar for it and that helped to the point that myself, fish and plants are happier with the results at 100% flow rate. The spray bar is discharging beneath the surface by about 2 inches, aimed at the back tilted down slightly.
My water parameters are
PH 6.0
HPH 7.8
AMMONIA O
NO2- 0
NO3- 10 OR 20
There is nothing decaying, I been cleaning the extea food and everything on the bottom. I just started last week really cleaning the sand. My plants are healthy looking. I took everything out and boiled it. Nothing was put back in yet. My tank has been bare for a week or two because of the algae. We noticed the filter has to be all the way open or it won't work right. Shuts off and stays off. So I got the spray bar. Thank you for that. My poor shrimp have been having a hard time. My son has a tank he's 9. His tank is perfect lol. I was thinking about putting the female guppies in his tho he has a beta.
PH 6.0
HPH 7.8
AMMONIA O
NO2- 0
NO3- 10 OR 20
There is nothing decaying, I been cleaning the extea food and everything on the bottom. I just started last week really cleaning the sand. My plants are healthy looking. I took everything out and boiled it. Nothing was put back in yet. My tank has been bare for a week or two because of the algae. We noticed the filter has to be all the way open or it won't work right. Shuts off and stays off. So I got the spray bar. Thank you for that. My poor shrimp have been having a hard time. My son has a tank he's 9. His tank is perfect lol. I was thinking about putting the female guppies in his tho he has a beta.
Those parameters are fine. See if reducing the lighting period down helps with the algae.
Reading the manual for your filter, it says that the aquastop valve needs to be fully open when turned on.
Once it's been running for a few minutes, does the filter stop working if you then close the aquastop valve a little?
It sounds like you found a workaround to keep it running though. I don't think fluval will accept a return for it being faulty as they do say not having the valve fully open might cause the issue you are seeing.
Reading the manual for your filter, it says that the aquastop valve needs to be fully open when turned on.
Once it's been running for a few minutes, does the filter stop working if you then close the aquastop valve a little?
It sounds like you found a workaround to keep it running though. I don't think fluval will accept a return for it being faulty as they do say not having the valve fully open might cause the issue you are seeing.
I was turning down the outflow. I got a spray bar but it doesn't fit my filter. So I rigged it seems to be working. The fish and shrimp seem much happier now. My fish store no longer takes fish. I will probably have to get another tank now. I found 2 baby females that might be pregnant. I had no idea they breed like this.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
You should have been told, they are " the rabbits of the fish world. "
Glad to hear the spray bar is helping you. Your pic above looks like the inlet is not at 100% but that could be an optical illusion. I agree with Andy that guppies will breed like rabbits so the more plants, hiding places you have the more babies will survive. I hope you get your filter issues all straightened out. IMO 7 hours of light is good enough for most all but the fussiest of plants and even those can generally get by on 7 hours.
