Algea!

[Meg0000]

Hi, I think I have algea on my plants, what type is it and how can I get rid of it?

 

[Retired Viking]

How long do you leave the tank light on for? You may have to reduce the time or intensity of the light or cut back on plant food or even how much you feed the fish. Also nerite snails do a good job dealing with algae

 

[Byron]

Agree. I can see little botches of black beard/brush algae. Like all problem algae, it is caused by an imbalance of light/nutrients. The light may be too intense, or not intense enough, or wrong spectrum, or on too long. The nutrients have to balance the light; if they are too many or too few, algae will take advantage.

The only safe way to deal with problem algae is to rebalance the light/nutrients. Most so-called algae eating fish won't touch this stuff (the one that will gets large and needs a group), and any chemical treatments will be detrimental to fish if not plants. Are you using any fertilizers now?

 

[Meg0000]

Agree. I can see little botches of black beard/brush algae. Like all problem algae, it is caused by an imbalance of light/nutrients. The light may be too intense, or not intense enough, or wrong spectrum, or on too long. The nutrients have to balance the light; if they are too many or too few, algae will take advantage.

The only safe way to deal with problem algae is to rebalance the light/nutrients. Most so-called algae eating fish won't touch this stuff (the one that will gets large and needs a group), and any chemical treatments will be detrimental to fish if not plants. Are you using any fertilizers now?

I leave the tank 8 hour and 30 minutes a day and I use flourish comprehensive once a week (2-3ml). I already have two nerite snails that I got 2 weeks ago. Are there shrimps eat that type of algea?

 

[Retired Viking]

Amano shrimp like algae but not sure if they will eat all types, I use flourish also but at 1/2 dosage. I have several nerite snails and they do a good job but it takes time after all their snails

 

[Byron]

I leave the tank 8 hour and 30 minutes a day and I use flourish comprehensive once a week (2-3ml). I already have two nerite snails that I got 2 weeks ago. Are there shrimps eat that type of algea?

If there were shrimps that effectively ate this algae, I am sure we would all know about them! This algae is the bane of so many aquarists. I have battled it a few times, but establishing or restoring the balance always deals with it. It won't go away, but it stops increasing, and that is the goal.

 

[Meg0000]

If there were shrimps that effectively ate this algae, I am sure we would all know about them! This algae is the bane of so many aquarists. I have battled it a few times, but establishing or restoring the balance always deals with it. It won't go away, but it stops increasing, and that is the goal.

I just saw that they can eat this type of algea maybe I will try them

 

[Meg0000]

Amano shrimp like algae but not sure if they will eat all types, I use flourish also but at 1/2 dosage. I have several nerite snails and they do a good job but it takes time after all their snails

I will try to do half dosage for the flourish fertilizer

 

[Meg0000]

could flourish exel help?

 

[Fishmanic]

I do not recommend using excel. . Many here believe it may be detrimental to health of fish. I have two bottles of the stuff you can have if you want to pay shipping cost. I refuse to use it in my tanks after seeing what it did to my floor. After spilling a few drops on my floor, It removed coloring from the vinyl flooring.

 

[Meg0000]

I do not recommend using excel. . Many here believe it may be detrimental to health of fish. I have two bottles of the stuff you can have if you want to pay shipping cost. I refuse to use it in my tanks after seeing what it did to my floor. After spilling a few drops on my floor, It removed coloring from the vinyl flooring.

Can I up root my plants with algea, put them somewhere not in the tank and use it? Also I think the shipping cost would cost as much as buying a bottle in store

 

[Byron]

Can I up root my plants with algea, put them somewhere not in the tank and use it? Also I think the shipping cost would cost as much as buying a bottle in store

This is not going to solve the problem. The only way to deal with problem algae is to establish/restore the balance of light/nutrients. If you removed the plants and did manage to somehow kill the algae, once you put them back in the tank the algae would reappear because you have not resolved the cause in tyhe tank. Also, Excel will kill plants if overdosed, just as it will kill fish and bacteria. Excel contains glutaraldehyde which is a disinfectant used in hospitals to sterilize surgical instruments. It is also used in embalming fluid and anti-freeze. That should give you some idea of its danger.

 

[Byron]

Some floating plants might solve this, as it does not seem bad. A little tweak to the system may be all that is needed.

 

[Meg0000]

Some floating plants might solve this, as it does not seem bad. A little tweak to the system may be all that is needed.

Thank you for your recommendation, I won't buy excel. I already have some floating plants but I noticed the plants that grow algae have direct light ( without the floating plants ) so I think that reducing my light period of one hour should help.