BLUE ALGAE.........

[ryan]

This stuff will turn me crazy soon. I thourght it had gone when I left the tank in complete dark for a week, at the cost of all my plants. But nearly 2 weeks later after many removal jobs on the algae it is back, big time. The sand substrate is now green and plants like vallis are covered overnight and because they can't photosynthesis when covered they can brown. I just don't know what to do, I have been looking for a phosphate removing sponge but no luck yet, and I don't want to use any chemicals as I am worried for my fish.

The is a 50us gallon tank with sand subsrate and one 70l CO2 injector, I am not quite sure of the light wattage, I have one reflector on the back strip light.

Fish- 1 Golden Nugget, 1 King Tiger, 1 Gibbiceps/Leopard, 1 Kissing Gourami, 3 Neons, 2 Angels, 2 Corys.

PLEASE HELP

 

[ryan]

I have just brought some VIRESCO AQUARIUM CAPSULES, they are suposed to take up the Nitrates and Phosphates that the algae uses to grow, I just wondered if they are safe with my fish.

 

[mrnewbie]

as im led to believe although theres more 2 it , plants use nitrate and phosphates to grow if the plants have used all the nitrate in the water they will stop growing or slow right down leaving an abundance of phosphates which algae love , what r your nitrate levels ?? if they r non existent could this be part of the problem

 

[pmoyniha]

In theory the plants should survive better under low Phosphate etc. conditions than algae as they can store their nutrients much better than can algae. I might try the darkness for a longer period, take your plants out and bleach them to kill any algae that is growing on them then store the plants in a bucket or somethign while you darken the tank. then, do a big water change. in order to get rid of the stuff in mine i did 40% changes every other day during the last week of darkness.

It might not be the healthiest for the fish... but what can you do. Another thing is that i found that some of the algae was trapped in my filter and "reseeding" the tank. You may want to clean your media.

Pat