Algae on live plants

[Burleson]

So I started a live tank not to long ago and the algae just has gone crazy on the live plants and it is not very visually appealing so does anyone know how I can get it off

 

[MaloK]

Hello, and welcome to this humble forum !

The big fear when you start your first planted tank: Whatever your age... Is always the same.

Lose money... And that prevented me from blowing it at first for a long time... But after seeing algae eat the 2-3 skittish plant I had installed and turned them to snail food more than once... I got discouraged...

Then you meet that guy... You know, Rooted I would say... And HE laughed at me and told me to stop being a Whoosssss.... (How insulting !)

And plant that tank to the point that algae starts in disadvantage... Don't let nutrients buildup.

And that works... With today's smart / programmable lights and a little fertilizer... It's very good.

 

[Melcaara]

Algae happens because of extra nutrients and extra light. Usually light. If you're running your light for more than 6-8 hours, reduce it big time. Start with 6, as they grow in you can try 8

 

[Magnum Man]

you can also add some floating plants, to shade them a little

 

[fishorama]

You can also split the "lights on" time in 2 shorter "days". Timers help. I haven't tried that yet, but my plant clubbers often do. My tanks seem good with 6-7 hours for most medium/low light plants.

 

[MaloK]

you can also add some floating plants, to shade them a little

You above many is quite actively taking advantage of plants in you setups... And that is lightly speaking.

But... Not everybody want to use a machete to remove his filter from a tank.

I use slow and slower plants because fighting a creeper crawling my bed during the night, scares me... And yep, some plants are more work than many fish.

The foremost advice I could give if you want the lazy plants like me:

Cut that 256 chips High Power planted DEL to 30%-20%, lower blue even more. If you buy the deluxe things that goes across the whole tank... Cut, Cut, Cut...

Nutrients intakes goes better that way. I never really had floating plants because of the space they need and the addition of tight lids... All of them catches some rot and down it goes for me. Even duck weed. They said it would block my filter and the fish ate it in a week and the rest spoiled the water.

No moss of any kind made it trough a year, besides green hair algae... And some luxurious culture, that are not here anymore. It's becomes food at some point.

I'm taking it slow... But I'm building an epic java fern carpet in a snail ridden tank and it will look good...

At some point.

 

[Naughts]

So I started a live tank not to long ago and the algae just has gone crazy on the live plants and it is not very visually appealing so does anyone know how I can get it off

Can you post photos of the algae and the tank?

 

[Burleson]

Can you post photos of the algae and the tank?

Ya here you go
Not the best photo it is mainly there and on the walls but I just scrap it off the walls and I cut off a lot of the plant that have algae but it’s everywhere

 

[Burleson]

And on the light green plants there is a lot but you can’t see it very well in the photo

 

[MaloK]

Some more questions if you don't mind.

What is your light ?
What is your substrate ?
What filter do you have ?
Who are the tenants atm ?

Do you have a master test kit ?

 

[Burleson]

A finnex stingray aquarium led light
The substrate is in the picture
Just a sponge filter
In the tank atm I have 2 adult females,9 guppy fry and 5 cherry shrimp
Yes I have a master test kit

 

[Burleson]

The substrate

 

[Naughts]

The algae in the photo doesn't look problematic. Reducing the light and the nutrients should knock it back.

 

[MaloK]

Can you lower the intensity of the light and the blue spectrum individually ?

 

[Burleson]

Can you lower the intensity of the light and the blue spectrum individually ?

Uh no it just goes on and off and then blue light so I wish I could lower the intensity or buy a new light but I’m broke so I’ll just try to not keep it on as long