Algea That Wont Go Away!

[Devorax]

We bought 5 each of cherry and amano about 6-7 weeks ago. The cherry shrimp appear to have become gourami food but the Amano are still about. They started off about the size of a small neon (with legs...lol), roughly body size this long ____
Now 6-7 weeks later on and several moults later they are this long ______ so not that much growth in length, but the size visually seems to be quite a growth spurt. I don't think they will get any bigger now, they are clearly fully developed and appear very alert/intelligent. Brilliant little things mind, they love running out across the gravel at feeding time and nicking any falling food and running back off with it, much to the bemusement of the fish that was just about to eat said flake/pellet...lol
I would say though that even with a small army of shrimp, a handful of snails or a couple of plecs, you won't see an instant fix solution, it may take a couple of weeks for the algae to completely disappear, and you may find that with plecs especially, that they will clean one section of the tank but leave the rest untouched (which makes you feel like plonking them on the sections you want done first, like the front so you can see in...lol), so it can be a bit frustrating at first, but it sure beats blitzing the tank every month, and it's somethinig else to watch!!

 

[Nick16]

Amano shrimp are pretty easy to keep, they just keep themselves to themselves and feed off of anything they will find. A snail will just convert algae in to poop so yes the bioload increases, but if it means extra gravel vacs to have a clean tank, IMO well worth it. A shrimp or few won't make any noticeable difference to the mess though, for some reason they don't do that, although when they moult it is quite alarming as they appear dead!
I am at a loss as to why only one tank has the problem, but a bristle nose plec will also do the job well, I'd put both in there to do the clean up, as it will take one juvenile a long time to do it by himself. They seem to be harmless enough (we have one) and you might have a hard time keeping an eye on them because they attach themselves to anything, usually out of obvious sight! To catch them, I'd suggest using a net to guide them toward a tub or something similar and then catching them in the tub. Their fins etc are quite sensitive and nets can damage them, especially in the babies. Alternatively, catch them by hand, it's not the easiest thing to do but it is more gentle, I do that and it is reasonably simple once you got the hang of it. Just beware of jumping between the tanks!
I know you wanted to cure the problem instead of controlling it, but it would seem that without blitz cleaning everything, using snails/shrimp/plecs is the only alternative, and it's a bit more interesting...lol

dont put a BN in there. the tank is far to small. Im sorry but how stupid can you be? amano shrimp do poop, i think people forget that. Lastly, dont just leave them to find some food, you have to give them a veg like cucumber once or twice a week and also some sinking alage pellets otherwise they will die. the same for the snail.

 

[electric yellow]

dont put a BN in there. the tank is far to small. Im sorry but how stupid can you be? amano shrimp do poop, i think people forget that. Lastly, dont just leave them to find some food, you have to give them a veg like cucumber once or twice a week and also some sinking alage pellets otherwise they will die. the same for the snail.

I think youre miss reading what he was saying. Thats just silly as its only a 28ltr tank. Earlier in this thread i said i have baby bristol noses. He wasnt advising me to drop in a full grown adult permanently. I have two baby ones that are 3cms if that in my other 28ltr tank because they are too small to to put straight into my bigger tank. I am aware of foods etc and already have sinking algea pellets and algea wafers that my clown loaches eat and also my other bristol noses.



Back to the algea problem....a while ago i even took out half of the gravel as i thought it may be a filtration issue but that hasnt made a difference. It hasnt stopped Ramjet building his bubble nest because it gets bigger every day.

 

[Devorax]

To cure the algae problem as it stands, BN plecs are perfectly fine in there, and once the algae situation has been cured, they can go back to their usual accommodation, assuming they are the choice of the OP, and in any case they grow to no more than a few inches, not like the monster common plec at 18 inches.
I never said shrimp don't poop and I said they don't add to the bioload. For all the waste they consume from the fish, dying vegetation, waste food particles etc, they have a positive effect on the bioload. Of course they poop, but it is so small and is so insignificant compared to what they consume, they are valuable re-cyclers.
Apple snails. Okay. We have 2. They started out the size of your average Brussels Sprout. Now they are the size of an average tomato, in about 8 weeks, plus they have deposited many egg clutches. We have done nothing for them. The only thing we do is make sure that there is at least one algae wafer in the bottom of the tank for the fish to nibble on mid-meal, and the snails rarely feed off it as they are other places in the tank. So no, I'd say they need no special care, nor the shrimp. Plecs are a different case yes, but since the Op already keeps 2, they are already versed in the care of these fish.

EDITAlso, with after thought, the BN Plec we have rarely sees the algae wafer either, and he has doubled in size, so whilst there is some truth that they do need alternative sources of food beyond what is growing in the tank, they can do well enough on growing algae too. It's just a case of finding the right balance. Also, to Electric Yellow, sorry for adding this post but I didn't see you were typing at the same time as me.....lol

 

[electric yellow]

^^
LOL no problem.

My BN tend to munch on the left over food that drops down to the bottom after everyone else misses it or doesnt forige for it.

 

[Devorax]

So have you come up with a control method then? There is one possible other method, which is possibly dangerous, and that is to remove all fish and filter media etc, leaving the gravel, plastic plants, heater and anything else man made behind, and then add some kind of algae killing pesticide for a while, then rinse everything twice in very hot water and try again from scratch? I'd think there was plenty of room for a disaster in this idea but if you are pulling your hair out, it might be worth a gamble?

EDIT Scratch that, just noticed you are receiving that bargain of a tank real soon (you jammy sod! lol) so are you going to abandon the 'algae tank' and start from scratch with the new bigger one? I know I would....lol

 

[electric yellow]

Yeah the idea of the bigger tank is tpo get rid of the small ones. I will need to keep the small ones running for at least another 4mths till its set up, we move house etc etc.

Im going to drop past my aquarium this weekend and talk to the guys. Maybe i will need to drop a bristol nose in there or something to pick up the exess food if thats whats causing it....everything is green now Hes faring at all the algea covered things not sure what they are lol. Hopefully its not bad for him. Im planning on another 50% water change tomorrow and scrub. I put him in a plastic bowl last time so i could scrub it all and not scare him.

 

[Devorax]

lol, just when I call you a jammy sod for getting a bargain big tank, I go and get one too! Check out the thread called 'I Wonder If This Is Big Enough' to see it on this forum. Umm, I am totally at a loss about the algae now. I had to laugh because as I was reading your last post, I somehow imagined your betta going to bed one night, then waking up the next morning to a carpet of green!

Short of putting a dozen snails in now, I really don't have any suggestions. Soz.

 

[electric yellow]

^^
He has a blanket of green alright. Not sure how im going to handle it to tell you the truth. Im thinking a couple of corys and a bristol nose plec to pick up the excess food if it is that....but i already have them in my other 28ltrs because they are tiny and too small of the big tank. (I plan to transfer them to my 3ft when theyre big enough)

 

[electric yellow]

So today i scrubbed down the walls, heater and ecorations. I went and bought two more bristol noses. They are lil baby ones. About 2cm in length. I did a 50% water change before putting them in. They are munching their wa round the tank. I lfet some algea in there for them to eat. Hoping by the time lights go on tmw it is a little bit better.

*fingers crossed*

Ramjet seems oblivious to them....which is odd because i thought he would be the one chasing them....

 

[bolivian_d]

I had a terrible algea problem in my betta tank but a little hygrophillia polysperma cleared that right up.

Edit: Unless you eliminate light or get some live plants you'll be stuck with algea. Everything else is a short-term fix.

 

[Devorax]

FWIW, in the UK we have something available called 'Greenaway'. I think it's intended for ponds, but I don't see why it wouldn't work in tropical settings. It claims to be harmless to fish and plants, and targets algae only. It also states that it is not a pesticide. I know you aren't in the UK, but maybe there is something similar that is available where you are. I have no experience with it, because I haven't had an algae problem yet (fingers and toes crossed...lol), but it is sold in the fisheries sections of places we got to, so maybe it might work. As an afterthought, I'm sure with a little persuasion I could get some and post it to you if you get stuck......

 

[electric yellow]

See ive tried algea fix chems and things before and it killed my fish. So i wont treat algea chemically again. Well its day three after putting the bristol nose plecs in and the tank is sparkling. Im monitoring it this week. Ive reduced the lighting and am going to persist.

 

[Devorax]

GREAT NEWS! At least the BN plecs are being fed well!

 

[electric yellow]

Lol yeah theyre lil fatties now. They all seem pretty happy. Ramjet eats his food and they are eating the algea pellets i drop in.