Having trouble controlling algae in tank

Having read through the majority of posts on algae control, It looks as though I'm experiencing multiple issues in my small tank. Brown algae spots on the glass and decorations, green algae on a clay pot and substrate, as well as grey, cloudy water.

The algaes started in first, and I tried to compensate by adding corydoras, thinking bottom feeder = algae eater. On to plan B. Secondly, I introduced 2 mystery snails, one of which, I suspect, was promptly eaten by my tiger barbs. I awoke on the 2 nd day to find an empty shell, and the remnants of a shell door. However, the remaining snail seems to forage only on the glass, and sparingly on the substrate; completely unhindered by the barbs. Plan C. I recently introduced a couple otos. On day one they seemed quite happy to gorge themselves on the abundant algae growth on the clay pot, but on the morning of day 2, I found one of them stuck to the filter intake, lifeless. Considering the amount of algae removed from the clay pot, I assume he ate himself to death.

I've considered moving my 5-inch pleco into the smaller tank to curtail this growth, or buying a smaller one, but I already have one, and I don't relish the thought of leaving my pleco in the smaller tank. Then there's the issue of the cloudy water...It's my understanding that this is due to a bacterial bloom, consistant with over-feeding. I did a 30% water change a few days ago, and replaced the filter media. I do have 2 live water-line height Aponogeton plants in the tank also. I'll feed them a bit less, and see what a new filter pad can accomplish.

Chemical testing reveals:
NO3: (Nitate) < 20
NO2: (Nitrite) 0
GH: 75
KH < 0 (off the low end of the scale)
pH: between 6.2 and 6.8
NH4: (ammonia) < .5
Temp: 80 degrees F

What's the next step?

P.S. The afflicted tank is next to, but not in front of a window, so the amount of direct sunlight to the tank is minimal.

 

You need to get your ammonia down asap. Did you remove all your filter media? If so your tank may go through a mini-cycle. Your filter media holds most of your beneficial bacteria. In the future just change part of your filter media at a time. I would do small partial water changes 25% each day until the ammonia comes down, then when it does monitor your levels everyday and be prepared to do a water change. Remove all your algae and cover the side of your aquarium that is near the window and see how that is. that's what I would do, what lighting do you have?

 

Just put in a new filter pad. Kept the same carbon filter. The only algae spots on the glass are at the top of the filtrate level. As for lighting, just your standard 15 Watt fluorescent tube. I'll cover the window side of the tank, and monitor NH4 daily til it goes back to 0. The fish don't appear to be under any sort of duress at this point. The tigers always warn me of chemical imbalances by fading.

 

Try cleaning all of the algae off everything and put up something on the side of the tank facing the window to keep the light from going in the tank. Do the water changes and bring the ammonia down.

What's your lighting?

 

Do I need to "clean" the deco with anything special?

 

The algae is only a reflection of two things #1 High algae food - ammonia and nitrate and
#2 Light

So the things you need to do for getting rid of algae are. #1 Water changes: 50% / day until ammonia & nitrite are 0 and nitrate is 5-10.
Cut the amount of food you are feeding fish.
#2 Make sure your light to the tank is shortened 10 hrs MAX / day broken up into
two 5 hour sessions with 2 hours dark.
#3 Have SOME form of algae eater to help you out, otoes are great but they
don't tolerate any ammonia, and your nitrate is too high as well.
THAT is what would have killed an oto, not eating itself to death!

What was it you were saying about feeding your plants?

You haven't said how big your tank is, or how many other fish you have in it. This would help us give you better suggestions.

Remember the beneficial bacteria are on the decorations, glass, in the gravel and in the filter material. EVERY TIME you clean these you decrease the bacteria. So scrubbing to try to eliminate algae is counter productive. This is the reason to control the food, light, and have a clean-up crew.

Best of Luck, and if you give us some more info. maybe we can help more.

Fish in the Frozen North

 

Currently in the 10 gal tank, I have 4 tiger barbs, 2 panda corys, 2 otos and a mystery snail. Pushing, if not moderately exceeding capacity limits, I know. Haven't actually "fed" the plants anything to this point. It was just an experiment anyway, but the plants appear to be doing very well. I acidentally did a 70% water change just now. (Got distracted), but the amount of debris in the substrate astounded me. Clearly, I have been feeding too much, and not cleaning the gravel sufficiently during water changes. Unfortunately I did jump the gun a bit as well, by scrubbing the deco, and soaking them in steamy hot tap water. Should still be enough bacteria in the substrate and carbon filter to maintain biological levels, but I will monitor those levels daily until they drop off, as well as the suggested water changes for a few days.

 

Great! I often do 70% changes, and it should be just fine. You are right the vacuuming of the gravel is key! I bet you will soon see improvements.

Fish in the Frozen North

 

Sweet!...Great info folks...very helpful. Thanks.

 

I was going to give my input... but you already got evrything that I was going to say to you!!

Good luck!

 

Well, thanks anyway! ;D

 

Yep yep...Seems to have done the trick. Did the big water change, new filter, etc etc...All harmful chemicals are not yet zero, but significantly lower today, and the water is clear-ish. Will continue with small water changes daily until levels reach zero.

 

The algae is only a reflection of two things #1 High algae food - ammonia and nitrate and
#2 Light

So the things you need to do for getting rid of algae are. #1 Water changes: 50% / day until ammonia & nitrite are 0 and nitrate is 5-10.
Cut the amount of food you are feeding fish.
#2 Make sure your light to the tank is shortened 10 hrs MAX / day broken up into
two 5 hour sessions with 2 hours dark.
#3 Have SOME form of algae eater to help you out, otoes are great but they
don't tolerate any ammonia, and your nitrate is too high as well.
THAT is what would have killed an oto, not eating itself to death!

What was it you were saying about feeding your plants?

You haven't said how big your tank is, or how many other fish you have in it. This would help us give you better suggestions.

Remember the beneficial bacteria are on the decorations, glass, in the gravel and in the filter material. EVERY TIME you clean these you decrease the bacteria. So scrubbing to try to eliminate algae is counter productive. This is the reason to control the food, light, and have a clean-up crew.

Best of Luck, and if you give us some more info. maybe we can help more.

Fish in the Frozen North

One thing on this that I've found since my tank is directly across from a window and I had a HUGE algae problem. I found the two hour siesta thing does not work very well and have talked to other plant people and their is no proof that it actually works. I found my biggest problem was natural light, when I got rid of natural light a lot less algae happened. Another thing like you said it would be overfeeding, you can add hornwort or anarchis to help soak up the extra nutrients that the algae is using to grow.

 

Yeah, I 've considered that too (the plants), but I think it's kinda going to have to be played by ear. With 12 inches of fish (at present) in a 10 gal tank, it'll take a little finesse to balance having well fed fish, and keeping ammonia levels down.

Here's a thought...I have 4 tiger barbs, 2 bottom feeding corys, and 2 algae eating otos. Should I only be feeding the tigers? The corys will clean up the scraps, as will the otos, to an extent, yadda yadda...See where I'm going with this? I'm thinking feed just the tigers, and what they leave behind will be enough for the rest of the community. I had been feeding with reguard to the number and size of the fish in the tank.

 

I think that is a very good plan of action. I NEVER worry about my corys or otoes in how I plan feeding. I have several other bottom feeders that I consider like my rapheal cat, but since I never see him out eating, I really can't "plan" for him either. I do drop an algae wafer in every now and again for my pleco.

So as you say, feed the barbs, and not the others, except maybe every three or four days you could drop in something sinking to give them a treat, but just a very small amount.

Fish in the Frozen North

 

I concur with that course of action...Engage

 

If you feed veggie flakes the otos can digest them better

 

Just put in a new filter pad. Kept the same carbon filter.

Oh NO!!! You never want to change the pad....Just the the carbon bag........The carbon is no good after about 3-4 weeks anyway...The pad is where the bacteria actually live. You never want to change that unless it's falling apart...And even then you'd want to save a portion of that and use it to colonize the bacteria on the new pad. This is the biological part of the filter...The carbon bag is the mechanical part of the filter. This is what cleans and polishes the water. If the pad itself becomes clogged you can remove it and swish it around in used tank water, then slip it back into place...But don't wring it out.....

 

One thing on this that I've found since my tank is directly across from a window and I had a HUGE algae problem. I found the two hour siesta thing does not work very well and have talked to other plant people and their is no proof that it actually works. I found my biggest problem was natural light, when I got rid of natural light a lot less algae happened. Another thing like you said it would be overfeeding, you can add hornwort or anarchis to help soak up the extra nutrients that the algae is using to grow.

I've had algae problems and have turned off lights for a week. It helps. Not 100% but it does help. You are correct though...reducing the amount of natural light and careful feeding works best.

 

Ok...There apears to be some confusion in nomenclature. The filter unit (the box on the back) for my 10 gal tank is a Tetra "Whisper" 5-15. It contains the little black "carbon filter", and a bag-like insert, that I refer to as the filter pad, which is what I replaced.

My 29 gal tank has an older model Aqua-Tech filter unit. Presumably 20-40, based on the design of the newer models. In it I have one of those blue "scratch pad" and black plastic carbon filters, set behind a bag filter intended for use with Aqua-Tech 20-40 filter units. While the bag filter is narrower than the carbon filter behind it, and some water does go around it, I have had no problems with clarity, and the chemical composition has remained stable for months. I'm already aware that I should get larger and/or newer filter units, however, I've done pretty well with what I've had to work with.

 

The Whisper 5-15 should have a black sponge-like filter pad and a 'bio-bag' filled with activated carbon. The bag like filter is what you want to change....Maybe that's where the confusion between us comes from?

 

So the black sponge IS the filter pad, and the bag thing is referred to as a "filter bag", yes?

 

Yes. The sponge is what you never want to change....The filter bag with the carbon is what should or could be changed. If you use activated carbon like me, you should change it faithfully. I change mine every 3-4 weeks as after about that time the AC has lost its life. Some folks who don't use the AC use just the floss bag as an additional filter and change that less often. How much less IDK.....

 

Sounds right to me, but yes, the filter bag is what I replaced, so we're on track there. As for the 29 gal, I replaced both, but left the old filter bag inside the unit, behind the new blue/black thing for a day. Nitrate level went up very slightly in that time, but still within acceptable parameters. Will keep an eye on both.

 

You might experience a spike and minI cycle in the 29....Keep an eye on it and try not to change the pad in the future.

 

Don't change the blue/black filter insert? Kinda confusing since I have 2 different filter units, incorporating 3 different inserts. Accorting to the package it came in, it's an activated carbon filter cartridge, with the blue floss pad attached. I assume this is the same thing as the black sponge in the small tank, but Oh...according to the filter bag package for the bag I have also has carbon and such...overkill?

Thing of it is, the 10 gal filter unit came brand new with the aquarium kit. The 29 was given to me as is, so I wasn't quite sure what NEEDED to be in there, since I looked all over, and no one carries the Aqua-Tech stuff for this model of filter unit, so it's rigged, but it's working. In fact, I may've inadvertantly gotten eactly what I needed.

 

Update: Yep yep...looks good. Have done 2 20-30% water changes in 3 days. Water is clear, fish are content, plants have exploded! Looks like a good thorough gravel vacuuming was the lynch pin. As of yesterday, chemical composition is as follows:

NO3: <10
NO2: 0
GH: 75
KH:<0 (off the low end of the scale)
pH: 6.8
Ammonia: Almost Nil ( between .25 and 0)
Temp: 80

 

Sounds good Is the algae problem better? It should be with lower nitrates. Just keep up the water changes and you should be good to go!

Fish in the Frozen North

 

Congrats [move/]

 

Yep...No mo algae ;D