i want to grow some Algae

[Vez]

Yip, the heading is correct,

I want to grow some Algae for my 2 SAE’s, they have done a super job in the cleaning the tank, and now I’m sitting with no Algae for them.

I feed the fish in my tank a very good diet, and I see that they chow some flakes now and again, and then the Algae wafers…. But I constantly see them searching for Algae on plants.

The main two Questions are:


1: should I rather wait for my CO2 that’s coming next month?
2: or will the Algae wafers be good enough?

Thanks

Vez

[boebie]

Hey Vez, be careful what you wish for :p. My SAE's also stripped the tank clean, now they eat algae wafers and just about anything edible.

[Vez]

Thanks boebie, i want to add some Otto's, but i did some homework on them, so thats also why i want some Algae.

i have my lights running at +-11-12hrs a day...

[A Bauer]

Hi Vez
Why don't you put some rocks in a bucket or old tank outside in the sun to grow algae - you could have a couple and just keep swapping them with ones in the tank.

[oscar freak]

i tried that putting boulders in some water in the brighest spot i could find outside and not a speck of algae in weeks im considering swopping the position of my tanks

[A Bauer]

Great just goes to show when you don't want it it grows and when you do it won't.

[Vez]

thanks A Bauer

i will try that and see if it works for me,

[Reedfish]

i tried that putting boulders in some water in the brighest spot i could find outside and not a speck of algae in weeks im considering swopping the position of my tanks

Yup, I had some bits of slate in a bucket outside. After a few weeks they were covered in algae. Put them in the tank and started some fresh pieces.
This was for my Malawis, when I had them.

[Lowflyer]

Thanks for posting this vez. Just what I needed to read. I'm also wanting to grow some algae for my Butterfly Pleco, aka Hillstream loach. Will it eat wafer?

[Vis]

My hillstream loaches ate wafers and granules.

Its harder growing algae on darker rocks but white rocks will grow algae in no time.

[gdt78]

A window with direct sunlight onto the aquarium will gaurantee you algae.

[Vez]

Yip, i know, but the plants dont like it that much, my 3ft had about 2-3 hours direct sunlight every morning, and i had plenty of algae to go around for the SAE's

But the new tank does not see any sunlight......and im not redoing that tank again!LOL

[OscaCT]

Hi - wafers is a better solution.

[Phinix]

We have a algea problem with our outside koi pond. the stuff is so long, its about 3 metre strings. you take out from one spot, the next day its regrown. lol

[Zoom]

Have you got plants in this pond, or using plants as filtration? If not, use a product called pond clear. Works well, but kills plants too.

If you do have plants, theres a product called crystal algae (is that the right name azurekoi? ) made by Robulin. Works a little slower, but is plant friendlier.

[Phinix]

Zoom we don’t really want to use chemicals. We do have lots of plants. it’s a 35000L pond. So we got a good filter system, also recently installed a UV filter light. The problem is the water is rich in nutrients and it gets allot of direct sunlight, so we planning to get more shade over it, like trees or something. But just got 100 more goldfish/koi so they also starting to eat the algae, making a small dent though :P

[Zoom]

Ouch. . . 100 more fish equals lots of excess waste and thus excess nutrients. I hope this isnt going to cause worse problems.

I am also dead set against using chemicals. . . But the crystal stuff was a blessing in disguise when i used it. I had been fighting with a certain type of algae for over a year, and eventually I used the crystal stuff for a month, and that algae has never come back. I guess I ultimately destroyed every singe spore of that dreaded staghorn algae.

[azurekoi]

Zoom - sorta right...he,he - Crystal Algae Clear by Robalon Products..... Works a charm.

[hein24]

I guess I ultimately destroyed every singe spore of that dreaded staghorn algae.

Hate staghorn

[Zoom]

I think it is possible the biggest aquarist nightmare. And you only realise it when you have it for a few monts.

[hein24]

I find its difficult to get it out of moss... I tried blasting it with a siringe (spelling) and some excel but then the vallis I have in the tank started to take a beating...

[luquail]

:cry: is that what the stringy green crap is that's taking over my tank....

will that pond stuff work in an aquarium???

[Vez]

the best person to answer this is azurekoi he knows the pond stuff very well!