Algae Problem

Have an algae problem growing on everything rocks, plants, equipment etc. The lfs said I should use Tetra Pond Algorem. Has enyone have any experience using this in a tank.

 

I don't have any experience with it. I can tell you however that the algae will come after any quick fix, unless you get to the root of the problem. There is an imbalance between light, macro and trace elements, which needs to be rectified

 

@Just4me please tell us about your tank.
1. Low or high tech?
2. Lighting type (kelvin rating) and hours per day
3. flow and filtration
4. ferts or no ferts.
5. post pic if you can

After that we can help

 

Sorry for the dumb Q but would a UV Sterilizer help to sort out he algae and keep the water clear

 

I just took a few pictures so here goes. Lighting is both natural and 2 x T5's.

Picture of tank

Shows position of the T5's

Position relative to door

The current weather so it will help show how much natural light reaches the tank. There is no direct sunlight on the tank. The sun is over the opposite side of to the door.

The filter internal on the right hand side of tank. There are 2 x 1000 l/h pumps. 1 returns water through a pipe along the back with small holes. The other give surface movement.

Lights 2 x T5's 65000k each. They are on 10 hours, have tried 6 hours but made no difference.

I use the above food and blood worms on a rotation.


Only ferts used once a month.

UV light will only work for free floating algae that can pass through sterilizer.

Hope this helps.

 

A picture of the problem

 

What is your water change regime? So you vacuum the gravel?

tank looks very nice by the way. Personally I wouldn't stress about such a little algae... A few Siamese algae eaters will sort that out.

 

1. Direct sunlight is a NO NO
2. Running a low tech tank for 10 hours a day is to long. 6-7 hours, you might even get away with 1 tube only as your plants are mostly low tech. (6500K is perfect)
3. Clean your filter, a dirty filter is as bad as a dirty tank.
4. Add a small internal filter to help filtration and flow.
5. Look at adding DYI CO2, this will help.
7. Cutting light will help, but it will take time.
8. Get a clean up crew, siamese algae eaters ottos, snaills and if you can shrimp.

 

@HennieRoux Thanks hope the following answers help.

1.there is NO direct sunlight
2. have tried to run for less time it is on a timer will try again.
3. Clean the mechanical part of the filter with each water change at least weekly. Do not touch the bio part at the bottom as to my knowledge this will defeat the whole purpose of having cycled the tank to grow the bacteria.
4. Have water flow in several directions.
5. Forgot to mention I am running diy co2 will be putting in a better system hopefully this month as soon as I can get all the parts together.
6. will try cutting light again.
7. My cleanup crew at the moment is 3 ottos, 3 bristlenose plecs don't know if the rest count but 5 clown loaches and 10 corys. the snails don't last because of the loaches. As for shrimps there are none available in our area but not sure they would survive but would have to research.

The current temp of the tank is 25 which doesn't help but I can't drop it the heater is a its lowest setting so doesn't even come on. today is cooler the temp usually goes as high as 26.5.

 

Do a restart on your tank

Firstly cut your tubes to one, and cut light to 6.5 hours a day, try and increase your CO2. Run this for 1 month
Then after that increase your lighting to 8 hours a day, run this for another month.
Then after that increase to 2 tubes, ensure that they are not old tubes. (you can go 1 x 6500k and 1 growlux to mix the light spectrum)
Add 2 Siamese algae eaters
DO not run your lighting for more then 9 hours a day with co2. I get great results with only 8 hours a day, algae free.
Increase your ferts dosage scheduele if you are running co2.
I have a daily one I can send you.
Seachem Excell works wonders with algae, you can start spot dosing with a siringe. Or try @Slagter `s new range liquid carbon, allot cheaper.

 

your tank is coming on nicely, all good advice from Hennie - have a look at doing some spot treatment with h202 see Hydrogen Peroxide? - Page 2 as a past thread. This is not a cure all but surly a good tool on the way to reducing algae.

Some hardsscape is more prone to alage than others - esp if they are leaching some mineral, fluctuating CO2 is more prone to encourage algae growth - any improvement is sure to help.

BTW check for non-aquatic plants - they might be a contributor with rotting roots and leave and this will lead to bad water quality.

Don't mix glut and h202 ... it just does not feel right.

Later Ferdie

 

@f-fish read the article. don't feel confident about using h202. The algae that worries me most is on the plants, the rocks and wood are secondary. Sorry but don't get what glut is. Must be old age catching up.

 

totally understand - h202 has a place and is probably less of a potential problem than some of the other stuff we are ok with adding into our tanks.

glut = glutaraldehyde liquid carbon like ~ Seachem Flourish Excel ~ Scape's Liquid Carbon ...
"Glutaraldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH₂(CH₂CHO)₂. A pungent colorless oily liquid, glutaraldehyde is used to sterilise medical and dental equipment. " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutaraldehyde

Later Ferdie

 

Thanks haven't seen Scape in the south lfs and only some Seachem products occasionally. I will keep an eye out.

I have reduced the light time again and will see what I can do about getting pressurized a co2 delivery system together.

 

@HennieRoux Qf-fish Thanks have started implementing your advice
1. Reduced the time T5 (only 1) is on to 5 hours.
2. dug out a powerhead filter and add it to increase flow.
3. The cleaner crew seems to be working.
4. Watched another video about diy co2 and revamping my setup to try maintain a more constant and even supply.
5. Still not sure about ferts. Mine says monthly so I don't want to overdose or is that even possible.

Overall I am pleasantly surprised by the improvement that is already showing. I prefer this approach to the chemical one anyhow. If I can learn to get things in balance it will help keep the algae under control and not have to expose my fish to unnecessary chemical.

Thanks.

 

Great... it will most def give results, sometimes we tend to over kill our tanks with light. I have seen some great tanks with minimum lighting.

I would say, that you can safely dose @ least once a week on micro and macro, and gradually increase that after some time.

Good luck @Just4me

 

Update. The improvement is still quite astounding. The plants have virtually no algae. There are still patches on the rocks and wood. I am sure this will continue clearing.

 

I dose 4times the "recommended" amount of ferts and I have no algae. No co2 only SCAPE carbon and I have strong led lights. Kessil leds