Bio Orb Problem

[lobon]

my girlfriend has a bio orb setup with tropical fish, it runs fine just that she keeps getting big build up of algae/debris etc on the substrate ......has anybody had similar problems ?? is it possible to change the substrate ?? any solutions to this problem would be appreciated

 

[*Fishkies*]

If you leave the light on to long this can cause algae to grow. Also if you do not clean the algae off right away it is almost impossible to clean it off, once it is left on for to long.

 

[Viettxboii]

how much light is in there and whats the substrate?

 

[lobon]

the substrate is the standard stuff that comes with the bio orb its like a very light volcanic rock type substance .....as for light i think they oly have approx 5-6 hrs per day

 

[nurglespuss]

hey there, its natural for algae to form btw.

How are you washing the substrate?

Have you tested the water parameters? nitrates/nitrites especially?

Algae can also be a problem if the tank gets too much sunlight...

Hope that helps.

 

[DarkEntity]

whats in the tank? It could just be that its way overstocked and thats whats causing the mess on the substrate

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

- Is the tank glass or acrylic? Almost all new glass aquariums will get brown algae (diatoms) that use the silicates that leech out of new glass to build tiny crystal-like shells around themselves. They go away eventually.

- Is she doing regular (weekly) water changes and gravel vacs? Uneaten food, fish waste, etc will build up and look nasty if it's not removed.

- Some algae is to be expected. Different algae can indicate a healthy vs unhealthy tank. Considering that the tank doesn't seem to be getting too much light if the algae is green I would be concerned about the water quality.

How long has the tank been set up?
Do you have the ability to give us any water parameters like NitrAte levels?