I bought an Amano shrimp to clean up the 55's plants. Have 5 Panda Garra in a 10 gallon quarantine tank, they are about 1.5 inches long and the guy I got them from has had them about 4 months so fairly well quarantined already. and then I had an impulse buy and got 3 Buenos Aires Tetras, adults, set my old 29 gallon up with a sponge filter from the new 29, and some water from the 10 I took the healthy tetras (oh yeah, forgot to mention those, they moved to the 55) out of and out of my little catfish 10. will feed lightly for a day or 2 but it's not 100% new water and it should be ok. Try the Panda Garras in the 55 when I am sure they are healthy, my old Clown Pleco appreciates my caution.
Oh oh oh you got new fish too!! Photos when you can, please! The panda garras are so adorable, especially when they're wee!
The plants, I reckon a lot of the algae on the leaves is because it looks as though you have mainly anubius and java fern? Or crypt? Plus some floating plants? Since the anubius and Java ferns are slow growing and have thick leaves, it's easier for algae to take hold on the leaves and stick around and spread, and they both get worse when they're getting a lot of light. So in your shoes, with the cyano and other algaes on the anubius leaves especially, I'd remove the plant and use a very soft cloth or even cotton/muslin cloth and tank water to remove as much algae from the leaves, rhizome and roots as possible. I might also try removing them and trying a mild bleach solution that people use in a plant dip to try to kill off as much algae and cyano as possible. Anubius and java fern dipped briefly in the right amounts (would need to look up the amount to use and for how long) is tough and should be able to handle that. Alternatively, remove the plants from the tank temporarily and try the hydrogen peroxide cleaning method.
Any leaves that are badly coated and won't clean off after all that, I'd trim off of the plant. While I know it wouldn't eliminate the algae from the tank altogether, it would definitely reduce the amount of algae and cyano in there reproducing and spreading. It might also encourage a growth spurt in the main plant, like pruning an outdoor bush to shape it, you know? My horticultural friends tell me that cutting back a plant hard basically makes the plant go "oh no! I've lost tons of leaves and don't want to die, better put out a load of new shoots!" If it applies to terrestrial plants, I don't see why aquatic plants would be an exception.
Then I'd look to introduce some more shading for those anubius/java fern etc, like some faster growing stem plants that will absorb some of the organics, outcompete the algae, and provide some shade for the slow growing plants so they're less likely to get algae coated. A sheltering bush of vallis, L.sessiliflora, a sword plant, some crypts maybe? From what I can see in the photo, you seem to only have slow growing rhizome plants in there other than the floating plant, lots of anubius coffeefolia I think (my new favourite anubius, love the one I got recently!) and what I think is narrow leaf java fern? Or maybe a smallish cryptocoryne? All of those tend to get coated in algae when out in the open with no shade from the tank light.
That's just what I'd do in your shoes! You know me and that while I love planted tanks, I'm far from an expert. I can't wait to see all the new fish!
I want some now, lol. Really like the mollies that are with the bronze cories too! And wow! You did an amazing job cleaning up the algae in that tank, it really shows a huge difference. What method did you go with in the end for cleaning up the algae and stuff from the plant leaves?
