How can i control algae?

I've got a 10 gallon planted tank. It has been set up for almost 2 years. I've noticed algae on the walls of my tank, and on my plants' leaves. I'm going to try 2 and a half hours of light in the morning, then off, then 2 and a half hours at night. If this doesn't work, how else can I control this algae? I've tried scraping it off, and I can only get it off the glass- not the leaves. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

How many hours of light does it usually get? Where is the tank? Is it in contact with direct sunlight?

 

More frequent water changes to remove excess nutrients could help. Do you know your water parameters? Also, do you know what kind of algae it might be?

 

As long as you don't have photosynthetic plants, you can try an Aquarium blackout to combat the algae. Turn off all the lights and make sure zero natural light gets in, for a few days.

An accumulation of nitrate (NO3) can be one of many reasons why you are getting algae in the tank. Do you know your water params?

Changing your light cycle, however, should help with reducing algae.

If any natural light is getting into your tank, this can be a cause as well.

Good luck

 

Anybody has any experience with UV as resolution for algea problems?

 

It's a planted tank? Do you dose fertilizer? What light do you have? What plants?
A picture may help!

 

How many hours of light does it usually get? Where is the tank? Is it in contact with direct sunlight?

It's been getting like 3-4 hours in the morning and another 2-3 at night. And it's not in front of any windows so no direct sunlight. Thanks!

More frequent water changes to remove excess nutrients could help. Do you know your water parameters? Also, do you know what kind of algae it might be?

I'm doing two 30% water changes a week. Its black algae on the leaves, hair algae on the leaves, and brown algae on the glass. There's barely any hair algae, but it's still there. I usually have 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, and 40 ppm nitrate. Thanks!

As long as you don't have photosynthetic plants, you can try an Aquarium blackout to combat the algae. Turn off all the lights and make sure zero natural light gets in, for a few days.

An accumulation of nitrate (NO3) can be one of many reasons why you are getting algae in the tank. Do you know your water params?

Changing your light cycle, however, should help with reducing algae.

If any natural light is getting into your tank, this can be a cause as well.

Good luck

What does photosynthetic plants mean? (sorry I must sound pretty dumb lol). I have various anubias, java fern, a dwarf lily, and java moss. I also have a cryptocoryne and another anubias coming this week for the tank. Thanks!

It's a planted tank? Do you dose fertilizer? What light do you have? What plants?
A picture may help!

Its planted with live plants. I have anubias, java fern, java moss, a dwarf lily, I also have another anubias and a cryptocoryne coming this week. I dose with secheam flourish and I used one root tab. Thanks!

 

It's been getting like 3-4 hours in the morning and another 2-3 at night. And it's not in front of any windows so no direct sunlight. Thanks!

I'm doing two 30% water changes a week. Its black algae on the leaves, hair algae on the leaves, and brown algae on the glass. There's barely any hair algae, but it's still there. I usually have 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, and 40 ppm nitrate. Thanks!

What does photosynthetic plants mean? (sorry I must sound pretty dumb lol). I have various anubias, java fern, a dwarf lily, and java moss. I also have a cryptocoryne and another anubias coming this week for the tank. Thanks!

Its planted with live plants. I have anubias, java fern, java moss, a dwarf lily, I also have another anubias and a cryptocoryne coming this week. I dose with secheam flourish and I used one root tab. Thanks!

Basically what I meant by photosynthetic plants is any live plants that need light to survive. I don't know about some of the specific plants you have, but all plants to a degree need light. I would avoid an Aquarium blackout since you seem to have a variety of plants in the tank.

40PPM is pretty high for Nitrate. This could be a culprit for the algae you are getting. You want your Nitrate levels to be between 5-10ppm, but no more than 20(ish). Do a large enough water change to bring it below 20ppm.

 

Nice setup. Most of the plants you have are slow growers so the chances are that the algae is outcompeting the nutrients in the water column. I would take an old gift card or even a prefilter sponge or polyfill right before your WC's and scrape off as much as possible, feed less, cut your light time down to 4-6 hours. Add a Nerite snail and or an otto cat and that should help a bit with your algae. Also if any certains leaves become too covered in any algae that you cant easlily wipe off by reaching in n gently rubbing with your finger your best bet is to cut the leaf off and let the plant focus on new plant growth.

 

Basically what I meant by photosynthetic plants is any live plants that need light to survive. I don't know about some of the specific plants you have, but all plants to a degree need light. I would avoid an Aquarium blackout since you seem to have a variety of plants in the tank.

40PPM is pretty high for Nitrate. This could be a culprit for the algae you are getting. You want your Nitrate levels to be between 5-10ppm, but no more than 20(ish). Do a large enough water change to bring it below 20ppm.

My tap water nitrate is 40 ppm so I can't bring it down

Nice setup. Most of the plants you have are slow growers so the chances are that the algae is outcompeting the nutrients in the water column. I would take an old gift card or even a prefilter sponge or polyfill right before your WC's and scrape off as much as possible, feed less, cut your light time down to 4-6 hours. Add a Nerite snail and or an otto cat and that should help a bit with your algae. Also if any certains leaves become too covered in any algae that you cant easlily wipe off by reaching in n gently rubbing with your finger your best bet is to cut the leaf off and let the plant focus on new plant growth.

I do have an algae scraper. Almost all of the leaves on my plants have algae that I can't scrape off. I've been trying for weeks . I hope that making my light 5 hours a day will help. Thanks!

 

Do you have a clean up crew of some sort?

Also, you could try lights out for 24-48 hours. Plants will survive. Fish don't need lights.

 

Do you have a clean up crew of some sort?

Also, you could try lights out for 24-48 hours. Plants will survive. Fish don't need lights.

I dont have anything but Male endlers atm. I will probably have to do a blackout if it gets bad, although it's not as bad now- just annoying hilarious. Thank you!

 

I dont have anything but Male endlers atm. I will probably have to do a blackout if it gets bad, although it's not as bad now- just annoying hilarious. Thank you!

Phosphate increases will cause algae..and rapid over bearing plant growth.
Sea chem makes a phosphate regulator in a pouch like they do the purigen.
Maybe try a pouch of that in your filter media?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAFegQIDRAN&usg=AOvVaw3jbkn5neCGNn2PgDrpdEfn

 

Phosphate increases will cause algae..and rapid over bearing plant growth.
Sea chem makes a phosphate regulator in a pouch like they do the purigen.
Maybe try a pouch of that in your filter media?

Could you send me a link please? Thank you!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAFegQIDRAN&usg=AOvVaw3jbkn5neCGNn2PgDrpdEfnView attachment 698124

Thank you!

 

Anybody has any experience with UV as resolution for algea problems?

IME with UV, it only works with algae in the water. But it does the job very well.

 

Is tap water with nitrate at 40 really a thing? That’s wild.

 

wa

Thank you!

For sure.
Sometimes you have to gear away from the fish side and look at it from another angle.
I hope it helps.

 

Phosphate increases will cause algae..and rapid over bearing plant growth.
Sea chem makes a phosphate regulator in a pouch like they do the purigen.
Maybe try a pouch of that in your filter media?

That might cause more problems than it fixes. The nitrate to phosphate ratio in a planted tank should be around 10:1 and OP has 40ppm nitrate which can't be lowered due to nitrates in tap water. Stripping the water of all phosphates won't be good for the plants and the resultant imbalance could create new algae issues.

 

That might cause more problems than it fixes. The nitrate to phosphate ratio in a planted tank should be around 10:1 and OP has 40ppm nitrate which can't be lowered due to nitrates in tap water. Stripping the water of all phosphates won't be good for the plants and the resultant imbalance could create new algae issues.

I'll agree with that, they seem to be trying everything under the sun to get rid of the algae though and at this point I believe it to be worth a shot.

 

Is tap water with nitrate at 40 really a thing? That’s wild.

Absolutely. My mom had fish tanks like 8 years ago and it was the same problem

 

1sincr I've got mixed responses on the phosphates I'm going to do this:
Try my light on a timer with less light in a day.
If that doesn't work, ill keep it as is as long as it doesn't get worse.
If it gets worse, I'll try the phosphate thing. Let's hope the light works .

 

Absolutely. My mom had fish tanks like 8 years ago and it was the same problem

That’s wild. I’d install an RO system rather than deal with that.

 

You should get a phosphate test to determine the level before adding a phosphate remover. Those removers are usually only used in marine tanks or occasionally in freshwater fish-only (non-planted) tanks.

Plants need nitrates and phosphates. You have relatively high nitrates and possibly relatively high phosphates. That would be fine if you had a co2 injected high light tank but creates an imbalance in a low tech low light tank. That puts you in a difficult situation because it’s not easy to remove some (but not all) of your nitrates and phosphates if you have high nitrates (and possibly phosphates) in your tap water.

So one solution (though relatively expensive) would be to add co2 injection, more light and more plants. That way you'd be making use of all those nutrients in your tap water.

 

You should get a phosphate test to determine the level before adding a phosphate remover. Those removers are usually only used in marine tanks or occasionally in freshwater fish-only (non-planted) tanks.

Plants need nitrates and phosphates. You have relatively high nitrates and possibly relatively high phosphates. That would be fine if you had a co2 injected high light tank but creates an imbalance in a low tech low light tank. That puts you in a difficult situation because it’s not easy to remove some (but not all) of your nitrates and phosphates if you have high nitrates (and possibly phosphates) in your tap water.

So one solution (though relatively expensive) would be to add co2 injection, more light and more plants. That way you'd be making use of all those nutrients in your tap water.

I am getting more plants, but I can't afford to get a co2 system. Is there any plants that suck up a lot of nitrate? All my plants are low-mefuim light but I could probably increase the light. Thanks!1

 

I am getting more plants, but I can't afford to get a co2 system. Is there any plants that suck up a lot of nitrate? All my plants are low-mefuim light but I could probably increase the light. Thanks!1

Water Wisteria grows fast and sucks up a lot of nitrate. It will grow in low light tanks. I wouldn't increase light, without co2 it might just encourage algae to take advantage.

Can you access an alternative water source? Perhaps even rainwater if you live in an area where it wouldn't be contaminated.

 

Water Wisteria grows fast and sucks up a lot of nitrate. It will grow in low light tanks. I wouldn't increase light, without co2 it might just encourage algae to take advantage.

Can you access an alternative water source? Perhaps even rainwater if you live in an area where it wouldn't be contaminated.

I wouldn't trust the water near me to not kill my fish. But I've actually ordered two water wisteria plants for my community tank and baby fish tank. I could put some in my 10 gallon .