Bottom Feeder / Algae Eaters

[powerdyne6]

Curious to know what small bottom feeder / algae eating fish are out there or if there are any that does both of this? Also I am only wanting a fish that can be alone (if any exist).

I only have a 20 gallon tank that currently houses 11 Penguin Tetras and is lightly planted. I currently have gravel as a substrate (might be an issue to bottom feeders)

So looking for something that stays relatively small.

My tank PH hovers somewhere around 7.4 to 7.8

My main concern is I have started to see a rise of Brown Algae in my tank and looking to find the best solutions to this.

Thanks

 

[sharkweek178]

You can't count on a fish to solve the problem for you. The best thing to do is address the root cause of the algae. Which is usually an excess of light and/or nutrients.

 

[powerdyne6]

You can't count on a fish to solve the problem for you. The best thing to do is address the root cause of the algae. Which is usually an excess of light and/or nutrients.

Agree. I am not sure what I am doing wrong with lighting. My light is only on 6 to 7 hours a day at an intensity of about 60 to 70%

The light is programmable

Would you suggest lowering the intensity? Keeping intensity the same but changing the time it is in for?

If it is nutrients what an I looking for.. to much of something? Or not enough of something else?

Thanks

 

[Byron]

We will need more data to be able to offer constructive advice. Light data (type, spectrum, duration on each day) and are any plant additives being added. How frequent and what volume are water changes, and do they all include a good vacuum of the substrate? Are you keeping the filter well cleaned?

You have already accepted @sharkweek178 advice on acquiring something live with which I completely agree, so no point in belabouring that aspect.

 

[sharkweek178]

Agree. I am not sure what I am doing wrong with lighting. My light is only on 6 to 7 hours a day at an intensity of about 60 to 70%

The light is programmable

Would you suggest lowering the intensity? Keeping intensity the same but changing the time it is in for?

If it is nutrients what an I looking for.. to much of something? Or not enough of something else?

Thanks

I've had success with both, lowering the amount of time the lights are on and lowering the intensity. At 6-7 hours, it doesn't sound like the length of lighting time is the problem. So I'd try lowering the intensity. You fish might like that better anyways.
Do you have live plants and if so, do you use fertilizers? Live plants can also help by absorbing the nutrients that algae would use. But an excess of fertilizer can feed algae. Overfeeding fish food can also create an excess of nutrients in the water.

 

[Byron]

I forgot to ask in my last post about this algae. I have seen "brown algae" refer to diatoms and also to black brush algae (which frequently looks dark brown). There are two somewhat different approaches depending which it is. A photo would help us ID it.

 

[Back in the fold]

Chinese Algae Eater .

 

[powerdyne6]

We will need more data to be able to offer constructive advice. Light data (type, spectrum, duration on each day) and are any plant additives being added. How frequent and what volume are water changes, and do they all include a good vacuum of the substrate? Are you keeping the filter well cleaned?

You have already accepted @sharkweek178 advice on acquiring something live with which I completely agree, so no point in belabouring that aspect.

I have the Hygger 957 18w light
6000 to 10,000K
The light is on 7 hours a day at 70% intensity.

The only live plant additive I am using is NutraFin Plant Gro and I am using about 7.5ml per week (whenever I do a water change)

My water changes are every Sunday roughly 50% removed (at this time I will vacuum “some” of the substrate) I can’t get to others because of the plants. At this time I also rinse the filter in the removed aquarium water. I use API water conditioner when the new water goes in.

I feed once daily and quite sparingly. (Flake food and mini pellets) I do feed bloodworms once a week.

 

[powerdyne6]

I've had success with both, lowering the amount of time the lights are on and lowering the intensity. At 6-7 hours, it doesn't sound like the length of lighting time is the problem. So I'd try lowering the intensity. You fish might like that better anyways.
Do you have live plants and if so, do you use fertilizers? Live plants can also help by absorbing the nutrients that algae would use. But an excess of fertilizer can feed algae. Overfeeding fish food can also create an excess of nutrients in the water.

Yes I have live plants and use 1 product weekly (Nutrafin plant gro) about 7.5ml in my 20 gallon

I might try to lower the intensity to 50 or 60% and see if I notice a difference

 

[powerdyne6]

I forgot to ask in my last post about this algae. I have seen "brown algae" refer to diatoms and also to black brush algae (which frequently looks dark brown). There are two somewhat different approaches depending which it is. A photo would help us ID it.

I can get some pics when I am home from work. It looks like “brown algae” diatoms but I guess I can’t be sure as I don’t have the experience

 

[Byron]

I have the Hygger 957 18w light
6000 to 10,000K
The light is on 7 hours a day at 70% intensity.

The only live plant additive I am using is NutraFin Plant Gro and I am using about 7.5ml per week (whenever I do a water change)

My water changes are every Sunday roughly 50% removed (at this time I will vacuum “some” of the substrate) I can’t get to others because of the plants. At this time I also rinse the filter in the removed aquarium water. I use API water conditioner when the new water goes in.

I feed once daily and quite sparingly. (Flake food and mini pellets) I do feed bloodworms once a week.

Useful info here, thanks. Will wait for the photo to detail options, but there are a couple things I see here. First, the light. The Kelvin is 6000 to 10000 and this is high in the blue but low in the red. "White" light is composed of colour wavelengths--think of a spectrum or rainbow--and the Kelvin measures this with warm light (red, yellow) at the lower end and cool light (blue) at the higher end. The higher the K the less red and more blue, and similarly in reverse. Plants need red (primarily) and blue, but the red is very important; adding green improves plant growth. With the K scale, ideal light is in the 5000K to 6500K range. I experimented with one tube at 6500K and one at 11000K once and I had algae issues and poorer plant response than when I had one 5000K and one 6500K.

I took a look online, but doesn't tell me much about changing the diodes to lower the K. If it does not, then working with the duration may work if we need to after I've seen the algae. Diatoms are not much of an issue, and common in new setups. Floating plants and duration may well deal with this, we'll see.

I couldn't find much on the NutraFin but it should be OK. It says all micro nutrients, so that's good. I used the substrate sticks some years ago and they were incredible, but are no longer being made. Reducing the amount in balance with the light should be fine, we can work this out again once I see the photo.

Everything else sounds good! Dig into the open areas of the substrate to get all the organics when you water change. Areas under wood/rock or planted should be left alone, completely.

 

[powerdyne6]

Useful info here, thanks. Will wait for the photo to detail options, but there are a couple things I see here. First, the light. The Kelvin is 6000 to 10000 and this is high in the blue but low in the red. "White" light is composed of colour wavelengths--think of a spectrum or rainbow--and the Kelvin measures this with warm light (red, yellow) at the lower end and cool light (blue) at the higher end. The higher the K the less red and more blue, and similarly in reverse. Plants need red (primarily) and blue, but the red is very important; adding green improves plant growth. With the K scale, ideal light is in the 5000K to 6500K range. I experimented with one tube at 6500K and one at 11000K once and I had algae issues and poorer plant response than when I had one 5000K and one 6500K.

I took a look online, but doesn't tell me much about changing the diodes to lower the K. If it does not, then working with the duration may work if we need to after I've seen the algae. Diatoms are not much of an issue, and common in new setups. Floating plants and duration may well deal with this, we'll see.

I couldn't find much on the NutraFin but it should be OK. It says all micro nutrients, so that's good. I used the substrate sticks some years ago and they were incredible, but are no longer being made. Reducing the amount in balance with the light should be fine, we can work this out again once I see the photo.

Everything else sounds good! Dig into the open areas of the substrate to get all the organics when you water change. Areas under wood/rock or planted should be left alone, completely.

Hey Byron
A couple pics to hopefully see what I am talking about

1st pic is a little blurry. 2nd is better

 

[plebian]

My main concern is I have started to see a rise of Brown Algae in my tank and looking to find the best solutions to this.

Ignore all the advice you get regarding lighting and nutrients. Brown algae will survive regardless of any lighting or nutrient conditions that will keep your plants alive. In short, if your plants live, so will the brown algae.

In a mature aquarium, with proper filtration and established microbial colonies, brown algae is self-limiting. The best thing you can do is nothing, other than keeping up on your water changes. Smaller more frequent water changes are better than larger less frequent water changes, especially with a small aquarium (or inadequate filtration). Do not clean filter media too frequently, or too thoroughly, as this removes the microbes that will eventually control the algae. The key is maintaining a stable environment.

 

[powerdyne6]

Ignore all the advice you get regarding lighting and nutrients. Brown algae will survive regardless of any lighting or nutrient conditions that will keep your plants alive. In short, if your plants live, so will the brown algae.

In a mature aquarium, with proper filtration and established microbial colonies, brown algae is self-limiting. The best thing you can do is nothing, other than keeping up on your water changes. Smaller more frequent water changes are better than larger less frequent water changes, especially with a small aquarium (or inadequate filtration). Do not clean filter media too frequently, or too thoroughly, as this removes the microbes that will eventually control the algae. The key is maintaining a stable environment.

Thanks for replying.. do you have an idea what is on the plants in the photos above?

 

[GaryE]

Chinese Algae Eater .

Noooo! The Chinese algae eater only eats algae when young. As it gets larger, it shows a preference for the body slime on other fish, if you get one smart enough to figure it out. The not smart one will just sit, get large, get ugly and watch the algae grow.

The first question I have is about the room the tank is in. Is there a lot of sunlight?