Major Algae Problems

[agusf]

hello,

Ive had an aquarium for 3 months now, and Im getting fed up with
my constant algae problems. Algae is EVERYwhere on my tank. At
first I thought it was due to the fact that I used fertiliser on
my plants, so I stopped using the fertiliser. I bought 5 oto plecs.
this was 2 months ago. I know plecos are not a cure for algae
though. I also myself combat this algae. I am constantly cutting
of leaves of my plants, scraping algae of plants, of bogwood, of
glass, of flowerpots. it is even on (and i think in) my filter!
recently, 3 of my otos died. this was sad, so I bought a very young
bn plec and 3 amano shrimp. But I just cant do this anymore! so I
asked a friend on what to do, and he told me to turn off lights in
the aquarium, but blanket over aquarium and leave it like that for
48 hours. but IDK if thats bad for my tank?

heres some general info:
120/150 liter tank, not sure
2 main live plants, 1 looks like seeweed
the other is big and has stems which lead up to big leaves
the leaves look like any typical leaf.
1 medium sized piece bogwood.
2 small flowerpots
JBL clearprofi 200 filter
fish:
- 4 swordtail, 1 male 3 female
- 2 kribensis male/female
- 2 pearl gourami, 1 male, l female who is sick in hospital tank.
- 2 oto plecs
- 1 young bn plec, dont know gender yet
- 3 amano shrimp, can only see 1 in tank, maybe they jumped out as they are known to do?

 

[GrayScale]

How many hours do you have the lights on for? What do you dose and how much/often? Did you cycle your tank before adding the fish?

What are your water stats now?

With answering those questions it would be a little easier to diagnose.

 

[anon02]

Ammonia + light = algae

A 2/3 day blackout may get rid of the present crop but unless you address the cause it will be back

 

[Squidward]

My understanding is that phosphates cause algae, more than ammonia.

Try some floating plants. These are know to absorb a lot of the nutrients from the water. And they will also reduce the light.
Some floating plants: Limnobium, Pista

Also, some fast growing plants such as Elodia would absorb the nutrients quickly and may out compete the algae

 

[ian]

right, lets clear a few things up. We need to know what algae it is before you need to go blacking out your tank. If you can't get a pic, then a good description will surfice.

Phosphate will NOT cause algae, in fact it help in a lot of algae cases. I dose nitrate and phosphate every day, and the tank is spotless. This is a old school way of thinking about algae.

 

[Squidward]

right, lets clear a few things up. We need to know what algae it is before you need to go blacking out your tank. If you can't get a pic, then a good description will surfice.

Phosphate will NOT cause algae, in fact it help in a lot of algae cases. I dose nitrate and phosphate every day, and the tank is spotless. This is a old school way of thinking about algae.

What are the causes then?
I find it strange how some people have endless problems and others don't.
In my tank, I have had a little bit of black hair algae, but it's never gotten out of control. And I really don't do anything special. Some hardy, easy to grow plants. No additional fertilizer, no CO2.
Other people have fancy set ups, and the algae does better than
the plants!

 

[ian]

The cause of alage has been posted above. Light and Ammonia cause algae, healthy plants should out compete algae for nitrate (n) and phosphate (p). As for which tanks get algae, it's all about striking that balance-equalibrium. It is harder for other to strike than others and there are many other factors to take into account, like flow, position of powerheads and C02 diffusers, if the C02 is inconsistant, light ect ect.

As you know N and P are caused by fish and fish waste, well the plants will use these very quickly. They are the most important element (apart from C02) for plant survival. When you have a planted tank, some need more N and P for a good balance. Some don't as other parts of the equation ie light is lower and the plants aren't needing as much as the photosynthasis is slower.

The black algae, you're describing is probably BBA or Staghorn, both caused mainly by low C02 levels, if its not bothering you leave it. If it is then give us all a shout

 

[the biffster]

what are the stat
of your tank at this
moment in time

ammonia

nitrite

nitrate

PH

temp

 

[RadaR]

right, lets clear a few things up. We need to know what algae it is before you need to go blacking out your tank. If you can't get a pic, then a good description will surfice.

Phosphate will NOT cause algae, in fact it help in a lot of algae cases. I dose nitrate and phosphate every day, and the tank is spotless. This is a old school way of thinking about algae.

What are the causes then?
I find it strange how some people have endless problems and others don't.
In my tank, I have had a little bit of black hair algae, but it's never gotten out of control. And I really don't do anything special. Some hardy, easy to grow plants. No additional fertilizer, no CO2.
Other people have fancy set ups, and the algae does better than
the plants!

Everyones tank is a bit different. Some folks will experience algae because they're not meeting the demands of the plants. Unhealthy plants = algae.
The more light there is, the more trickey it gets. When more light is introduced, the CO2 and nutrient demands increase as well. Failing to meet these demands renders in plant deficiencies/unhealthy plants. When the plants arent happy, they begin to break down and uncontrollably leach ammonia (among other resources) into the water column. Algae spores already present in the water column will eventually bloom and flagellate after they've got enough light+ammonia. These spores dont care about nitrates or phosphates, they dont need them. Hence why Nitrates and phosphates do not cause algae.
So what's the key? Dont have mega tons of light, there is no need. It just makes everything more difficult and gives you a small margian for error. If you do need to provide CO2 (because your light levels dictate it), then make sure it's enough and it's stable. If your lighting is high enough to dictate that you need macro nutrients (NPK) as well as micro nutrients (trace elements), then make sure there is enough.
Flow and circulation are important too. What's the point in dosing nutrients and CO2 if these arent getting to the plants at a quick enough rate. The flow also reduces the chance of "deadspots".

 

[Squidward]

I guess keeping a good planted tank is a fine balancing act.
That's why I went the very simple, basic route. I thought the less complicated my system is, there is less to go wrong.

ianho,
The BBA is under control at the moment. Has remained at a low level, so I am not getting too worried about it. If it gets out of control, I will give you a shout.