My tank has a lot of Algae

Hello, I've had my 16 gallon tank about a month now and there is Algae growing everywhere, I have fry so they are in the breeding net and algae is growing very much on that, the gravel, the sponge filter, my ornaments and fake plants, and the water has a green tint to it. I have snails and shirmp and small pleco but it doesn't seem that they can keep up. What do I do to fix this?

 

Best ways are: get (more) live plants, use algae scrubber, or honestly do nothing. Algae is ugly but not bad for your tank. Or, decrease the time of your light.

You will eventually want a bigger tank for that pleco.

 

Is it brown or green? Reduce your light time to about 6 hours and see if that helps. The net is up by the light so it will get algae first.

 

What's your stocking, WC schedule (how much water do you change and how frequently), and how long are your lights on?

 

Best ways are: get (more) live plants, use algae scrubber, or honestly do nothing. Algae is ugly but not bad for your tank. Or, decrease the time of your light.

You will eventually want a bigger tank for that pleco.

I have a scrubber for the walls and have 3 different live plants, is there a way to remove it? Also my pleco is bristlenose

Is it brown or green? Reduce your light time to about 6 hours and see if that helps. The net is up by the light so it will get algae first.

It's green!

 

Do you have a picture?

 

You never said how long your lights stay on. Best way to prevent and reduce green algae is to change your water frequently and reduce how many hours your light is on, 8-6hours per day.

 

Do you have a picture?

You never said how long your lights stay on. Best way to prevent and reduce green algae is to change your water frequently and reduce how many hours your light is on, 8-6hours per day.

Okay I will try that thankyou!

Do you have a picture?

Yes I think I attached it in the wrong spot but it's in here!

 

Pretty tank. It does look like too much light algae. Your snails seem to like it!

 

Pretty tank. It does look like too much light algae. Your snails seem to like it!

Thankyou! So will using less light affect the plants and will the algae die on its own ?
Also will the snails going in the breeding net affect the fry at all?

Thankyou! So will using less light affect the plants and will the algae die on its own ?
Also will the snails going in the breeding net affect the fry at all?

Also I have a blue light setting for the glofish, can I leave this light on for a few hours or will blue light make algae grow too?

 

Thankyou! So will using less light affect the plants and will the algae die on its own ?
Also will the snails going in the breeding net affect the fry at all?

No it wont affect the plants. The algae will though, it will block their light. The snails shouldn't hurt the fry. They want that yummy algae.

 

No it wont affect the plants. The algae will though, it will block their light. The snails shouldn't hurt the fry. They want that yummy algae.

I'm not sure if you saw my question about my blue light but there that and another question I have is my mystery snails, 2 of them have like 'v' indents in their shells and most of them have ridges as there shells grow. Is there something wrong with them?

 

Do you have pics of the shells? And Valkyrie asked how much water do you change? That will help us too. The blue light may promote algae also just not sure how much.

 

Do you have pics of the shells? And Valkyrie asked how much water do you change? That will help us too. The blue light may promote algae also just not sure how much.

No I can attach some when I get home later! And I change the water 25 percent once a week, I used to leave the lights on for 12 or more hours because I wake up early for work and turn it in when I wake up, I definitely will leave it on for less hours!

 

I only have mine on for 7 hours when I am home. From 3-10. No need to have it on when you cant see it!

 

I only have mine on for 7 hours when I am home. From 3-10. No need to have it on when you cant see it!

Okay thankyou! I thought it was good for them to have light, should I leave the blue light on or off for those couple extra hours?

 

I would say off. I have heard blue causes algae but im not sure now how true it is. So I would say off for now. They will be fine with the amount of light. There is always ambient light during the daytime anyway.

 

I would say off. I have heard blue causes algae but im not sure now how true it is. So I would say off for now. They will be fine with the amount of light. There is always ambient light during the daytime anyway.

Okay thankyou for all the help!

 

Okay thankyou! I thought it was good for them to have light, should I leave the blue light on or off for those couple extra hours?

It is good for them to have a day/night cycle. A circadian cycle.

But its important to remember that the brightness of tank lights is optimized for our own viewing pleasure. That brightness level is far beyond what the fish actually need for their circadian cycle. In the wild, underwater habitats are typically much dimmer than our aquariums. Ambient room lighting is plenty from the fish's point of view.

 

It is good for them to have a day/night cycle. A circadian cycle.

But its important to remember that the brightness of tank lights is optimized for our own viewing pleasure. That brightness level is far beyond what the fish actually need for their circadian cycle. In the wild, underwater habitats are typically much dimmer than our aquariums. Ambient room lighting is plenty from the fish's point of view.

OKay sounds good thankyou! When I got home today the water seems cloudy and I'm not sure if it's from the algae or not

I would say off. I have heard blue causes algae but im not sure now how true it is. So I would say off for now. They will be fine with the amount of light. There is always ambient light during the daytime anyway.

I got home today and the water seems more green and now it's cloudy!

 

For the green dust algae, get some flourish excel and dose a bit of that daily. Something like a cap full per 5 gallons. When you clean the tank wipe down everything first so the algae is in the water column, then do the water change. The goal is to get as much of it out as possible.