Another Daft Q

[lizjamie]

My tank is finally cycled I think after about 3 months, but a lot of algae (brown/green) has grown all over the tank.

I have been searching but cant find a conclusive answer to:
1. Is it OK to to scrape it off the sides of the tank?
2. How do I clean the gravel, should i take it out for a scrub or just do my best with the gravel vac?

Am a bit paranoid about ruining the cycle.

Thanks in advance, one day i will be useful.

 

[raptorrex]

My tank is finally cycled I think after about 3 months, but a lot of algae (brown/green) has grown all over the tank.

I have been searching but cant find a conclusive answer to:
1. Is it OK to to scrape it off the sides of the tank?
2. How do I clean the gravel, should i take it out for a scrub or just do my best with the gravel vac?

Am a bit paranoid about ruining the cycle.

Thanks in advance, one day i will be useful.

could do with a stock list, and some more info on the tank contents, and position.
you can get "glass magnets" that allow you to clean the inside if the glass without needing to get your hands wet. so cleaning should not be a problem.
a possible reasons could be that the tank is exposed to too much direct sun light. or you aint got the "cleaning fish" that most of us use to ensure "auto cleaning".

 

[Seidge]

My tank is finally cycled I think after about 3 months, but a lot of algae (brown/green) has grown all over the tank.

I have been searching but cant find a conclusive answer to:
1. Is it OK to to scrape it off the sides of the tank?
2. How do I clean the gravel, should i take it out for a scrub or just do my best with the gravel vac?

Am a bit paranoid about ruining the cycle.

Thanks in advance, one day i will be useful.

Yes its ok to scrape off the tank, be careful not to scratch it though. I use an old credit card, glass magnets work but they have given my tank a few tiny scratches.

Dont ever take the gravel out of the tank, it holds all the good bacteria so it should never be exposed to other water such as tap water which has cholorine in it that will destroy the good bacteria. Just use the gravel vac, its only to collect waste and left over food not to actually clean the gravel.

 

[Cheffi]

My tank is finally cycled I think after about 3 months, but a lot of algae (brown/green) has grown all over the tank.

I have been searching but cant find a conclusive answer to:
1. Is it OK to to scrape it off the sides of the tank?
2. How do I clean the gravel, should i take it out for a scrub or just do my best with the gravel vac?

Am a bit paranoid about ruining the cycle.

Thanks in advance, one day i will be useful.

You don't say whether you cycled with fish or without. If you did a fishless cycle then the brown algae is normal in a newly cycled tank. I had it myself all over the sand, rocks and glass. I've had fish in now for around a month and it's just about all gone. I used one of those sponge/scrubby things on a long stick and cleaned the glass and it just went from everywhere else. There are other things that give you brown algae but I would suspect as it's newly cycled this is the reason.

 

[lizjamie]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies, I have 1 1.5inch oranda in a 58 litre tank.

I tried to do a fishless cycle, but then left it too long before I added the fish, decycled it a bit and ended up inadvertantly cycling with the fish ( I think). The tank has been running about 3 months now, so it has taken a long time to cycles but I have a fluval 2 AND a renal filstar thing that came with the tank in there so that is maybe why it has taken so long.

I have scraped off the stuff with a credit car now thanks and will do my best with the gravel vac. Am a bit confused about the timescale and the cycle, but have had an ammonia and a slight nitrite spike in the past 3 months and both are now 0 so think it is done.

Thanks again.