algea

[schizo_fish]

i have green algea (the free-floating type) in my tank and was wondering what nutrients and chemicals algea feeds off in the water?

 

[yhbae]

Algae is a plant so they require same food as typical plants which includes fertilizers such as nitrates, light and CO2. So if you have lots of fish, lots of light and not much surface disturbance, you will have lots of algae...

 

[clutterydrawer]

nitrates in particular. do you know how high your nitrates are?

 

[schizo_fish]

my nitrates are way over 120, but im gonna be going a 75% water change today to bring them down.
a few weeks ago i had the same algea problem but then i had 0 nitrates, what could have caused it then?

 

[clutterydrawer]

maybe the same amount of nitrates were being produced but the algae had eaten it all? I don't know. direct sunlight?

 

[schizo_fish]

it doesn't get any direct sunlight but the room is generally quite well lit (naturally) most of the day.

 

[Bangin]

You could check for phosphates. They sell test kits at some LFSs. Do you add any chemical buffer to the water? Ph down? Ph up? Some of them contain phosphates.

You typically want a nitratehosphate ratio of 10:1 to avoid algae outbreaks.

 

[schizo_fish]

ive never added any chemicals to my tank, well apart from ammonia when fishless cycling.

 

[schizo_fish]

oh yeh, and of course declorinator

 

[yhbae]

It probably is the combination of high nitrates and light - that usually produces alot of algae...

 

[Link]

Before you do any large water changes check the nitrate and phosphate levels in your tapwater. If they are high you'll just add more.
You can get Phosphate and Nitrate removal resins that you put in the filter. Unless your tanks huge then they will work quite well, just follow the instructions. Also turn the tank lights off for around two hours each day, algae hates it. You can pick plug in timers up from Argos for about £4.

 

[schizo_fish]

nitrate in tapwater is 0, not sure about the phosphate. When i had an algea bloom before i didn't turn the light on at all for about 3 days, and kept the curtains in the room shut.