Help Me Get Rid Of The Algea

[busterbrit]

I have a 60L Biorb that has done really well. I have not lost a single fish (except when I introduce Otto's) and my plants are doing really well. The problem is I have to clean the walls every 2 weeks due to Algea which is taking a little of the fun away. I have a beautiful setup but it gets algea so fast which makes it look dirty. Any ideas to get rid of the algea?

Tank is in the kitchen. No direct light but it is a bright room. I don't even have the 10w bulb turn on till 6pm-9:30pm.

Algea Description: starts out with brown/green patches that cover the whole wall surface. Then these really bright green circle spots start to appear. The bright green ones are much hard to clean off.

Fish:
1 Dwarf Guarami
2 Dwarf Platies
3 Guppies
5 cherry shimp which have turned into about 20 (2-3 large ones left and the rest are really small)
1 Otto (I introduced 3 to see if they would help with the Algea but 2 died)

Plants:
3 Anubius
2 bogwoods with Java moss attached (the fish and shimp love to hang out in this stuff)

All the levels are great. I change 30% every other week. I was doing once a week but that didn't help so I tried every other week and that didn't help either.

 

[reignofcheese]

Algae is going to happen, it's the byproduct of a healthy tank. Cleaning it off the walls is going to be something you just need to do every two weeks - nobody said there wasn't some work to do. One of the best ways to deal with algae is to change your attitude toward it. Algae exists everywhere in nature, and it is healthy. When one allows it (when it is healthy green algae) to grow on decorations like rocks and driftwood it can really lend the tank a very natural look and not appear ugly at all. If you spend just a few minutes every week doing a quick scrub of algae of the glass, rub it off the plants, it would be easier - the longer you let it sit the more stubborn it gets.

Since the water changes didn't help (they won't if your tank is already clean) I would go back to once a week - we can't keep our tanks too fresh, and they are worth it aren't they?

 

[RadaR]

I was doing once a week but that didn't help so I tried every other week and that didn't help either.

If once a week didn't show results, then how would once every 2 weeks?
Sounds like you are experiencing diatoms. The cause? Ammonia (tiny concetrations undetectable on a hobbygrade test kit) in combination with light.
In your position you can do two water changes a week which reduces the ammonia concetrations and algae spores in the water. You could add some Hygrophilia polysperma to help utilise some of the ammonia as plant food.

 

[busterbrit]

I was doing once a week but that didn't help so I tried every other week and that didn't help either.

If once a week didn't show results, then how would once every 2 weeks?
Sounds like you are experiencing diatoms. The cause? Ammonia (tiny concetrations undetectable on a hobbygrade test kit) in combination with light.
In your position you can do two water changes a week which reduces the ammonia concetrations and algae spores in the water. You could add some Hygrophilia polysperma to help utilise some of the ammonia as plant food.

Would the lfs have "Hygrophilia polysperma" or would that be special ordered?

Algae is going to happen, it's the byproduct of a healthy tank. Cleaning it off the walls is going to be something you just need to do every two weeks - nobody said there wasn't some work to do. One of the best ways to deal with algae is to change your attitude toward it. Algae exists everywhere in nature, and it is healthy. When one allows it (when it is healthy green algae) to grow on decorations like rocks and driftwood it can really lend the tank a very natural look and not appear ugly at all. If you spend just a few minutes every week doing a quick scrub of algae of the glass, rub it off the plants, it would be easier - the longer you let it sit the more stubborn it gets.

Since the water changes didn't help (they won't if your tank is already clean) I would go back to once a week - we can't keep our tanks too fresh, and they are worth it aren't they?

I didn't realize it was normal for it to grow every two weeks on the walls. I thought something was wrong. That does help to know it is normal. I love it on the decorations...just not looking at it through the walls.

Thanks.

 

[RadaR]

I was doing once a week but that didn't help so I tried every other week and that didn't help either.

If once a week didn't show results, then how would once every 2 weeks?
Sounds like you are experiencing diatoms. The cause? Ammonia (tiny concetrations undetectable on a hobbygrade test kit) in combination with light.
In your position you can do two water changes a week which reduces the ammonia concetrations and algae spores in the water. You could add some Hygrophilia polysperma to help utilise some of the ammonia as plant food.

Would the lfs have "Hygrophilia polysperma"

Yes.