It was set up in March of this year. I have a few clown loaches but I’ve been trying not to introduce snails as I really don’t want them to take over as I’ve heard all kinds of stories about not being able to get rid of them. I’ve always been told to never let green algae grow, is this true? To add- I don’t have any plantsHow old is this tank? Oddly this sounds like diatom algae that typically comes with a new cycle. It could be that your old lighting was so poor it never supported the growth of healthy algae and so you are now having diatoms growing.
Diatom algae, if this is indeed your issue, is usually taken over by healthier green algae within a few weeks. You may want to enlist the help of some algae consumers.. nerite snails or the like, and check your nitrate levels. Lots of free nitrates not being consumed by other plants means algae will bloom rapidly.
Keep calm and let the tank adjust to your better lighting, your tank is probably just getting healthier with the new range of spectrum.
Yes it’s quite easy to just rub off. Is 8am to 6pm a good time range or should I lower it even more?730 am to 930 pm is an extremely long time to have lights on. I turn mine on at 12 and off at 8-830 try to lower the intensity and cut down on the total lights on time. During your WC's see if it comes off easily like dust. If that's the case then it most like is diatoms. Any pics of the tank and algae?
I’ll have to go find some nerite snails then. I had a tank a few years back and our cichlids just kept killing them so maybe these fish will be friendly to them. Thank you for the help!Nerite snails cannot be bred in captivity, so this is why I suggested them. However I have always kept snails in my aquariums. So long as you do not overfeed or overpopulate the fish in the aquairum their populations stabalise to the amount of waste and algae produced. I keep a Ramshorn colony in my current tank.
Algae is not bad, it means your tank is healthy. Having algae means that Copepode (microscopic crustaceans) can grown and thrive in your tank. Your fish will happily eat these and their diet will be healthier for the live food supplement. An easy aquarium to maintain has a healthy and balanced ecosystem, and that ecosystem has a food chain. One of the key pieces in that foodchain is algae.
kallililly1973 makes a good point though. No more than 12 hours of light in an aquarium. If you are trying to not allow algae to grow, you need to keep it to 6-10 hours, however I don't think this is a natural way to good. Plants and algae are your friends as long as you keep the balance.
That sounds a little better. I'de honestly cut down to 6-8 hours to see if you notice a difference. Also each WC I'd wipe it all off and do a good 50% WC weekly. I like to turn my lights on from 12-8 cause I come home for luch at that time and then when i'm home at 5 I still have 3-4 hours of watching them with the lights on still. I do it according to my work schedule to allow for more viewing time.Yes it’s quite easy to just rub off. Is 8am to 6pm a good time range or should I lower it even more?
I’ll have to go find some nerite snails then. I had a tank a few years back and our cichlids just kept killing them so maybe these fish will be friendly to them. Thank you for the help!
I’ve never thought of that, working around my schedule. I’ll cut it down to 8hours and see what happens. Thank you!That sounds a little better. I'de honestly cut down to 6-8 hours to see if you notice a difference. Also each WC I'd wipe it all off and do a good 50% WC weekly. I like to turn my lights on from 12-8 cause I come home for luch at that time and then when i'm home at 5 I still have 3-4 hours of watching them with the lights on still. I do it according to my work schedule to allow for more viewing time.