algae...again

[flips]

what is the best way to get rid of algae? i have 2 small otto cats but i guess they can't keep up i can see the algae already starting to grow on the glass/gravel....

how do you guys clean yours?

 

[rdd1952]

What type algae is it? Since it is on the tank walls and gravel, I strongly suspect that it's blue green algae (deep green kind of slimey). If that is the case, there aren't any algae eaters that will touch it. You will have to rumove it by hand. It is very difficult to get rid of. You basically have to find the cause of it (usually overfeeding and having the lights on too long and/or having the tank where it gets direct sunlight) and eliminate the cause.

 

[flips]

thank you for your reply ! as for the blue/green algae, i'm not sure that's what i'd define it as :\ it's more of a green/brown colour. the otto cats eat it all day long, but they are very small lil guys and can't get it all. the problem is most likely that i've been leaving the lights on too much, as i've got the feeding down pretty well (they eat everything i give them in 2 min; usually less) i watch them to make sure they all get some, and it's gone. the algae is not so much on the glass (i see a few specs here and there) as it is on the gravel and ornaments, where the otto cats are busiest. hopefully by leaving the lights off more often this problem will be better. i am trying to clean off what i can from the ornaments, etc.

any more advice is welcome

 

[rdd1952]

How long are you burning your lights? Do you have live plants? if no live plants, you really only need to burn your lights when your there to view the tank. I definitely wouldn't burn them for more than about 8 hours a day if your plants are fake.

If you have real plants, you can get a cleap mechanical timer and hook the lights to that so they come on and go off at the same time every day. I have mine on for 4 hours in the morning (5:30 to 9:30) and 6 hours at night (4 to 10).

 

[JDS]

I've got a bit of an algae problem in one of my tanks.
Its only at one end though ... the one that points towards the window.
I've just covered that one end with the black background stuff.
Hope that helps