[planted Tank] Help With My Algae Boom

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• RubberSoul
• Mar 1, 2019

I have a 10-gallon tank that has been running for over a year.\

Recently it has a serious algae boom majorly hair algae, I've got a Bio-Wheel Penguin 200 filter here and a BeamsWork DA FSPEC LED 2800 Lumen light running 7 hours a day and I'm majorly feeding tropical flakes to my fish.

I've got :
4 siamese algae eaters from liveaquaria that don't help much with hair algae
2 Amano Shrimp that don't eat much hair algae either
2 guppies

I use API test strips and the results are of follows:
40-80 ppm of Nitrate
0ppm Nitrite
6.0 PH
40 ppm KH
0-30 ppm GH

I realize the Nitrate is kinda high so I'm gonna change my water tmr. However, I have a question for you guys, should I change my filter? My Bio-Wheel is working like trash as the wheel seldom spins and the cartridge always gets jammed by the thick algae or leaves that got sucked in. I'm thinking about the Penn-Plax Canister filter, is it necessary for me to change to that?
I used to dose Excel and Thrive for my tank but as soon as I realize the algae issue a few months ago, I've stopped Thrive. I dose 1 ml of Excel every day but the effect is minimal. Any suggestions? Thanks, guys!!!

 

I'm new to this forum so I'm still figuring out the picture uploading thing, here is another photo, my tank is currently heavily planted tho, and the algae issue is severe!

 

I didn't inject CO2 in the tank and according to my research tho this might be a problem, also the high Nitrate is also a contributing issue. If I were to stop this, other than changing the water frequently, shortening the lighting cycle, will change the filter systems work? Thanks!

 

Will UV Sanitizer help in this situation? I'm quite frustrated honestly

 

Water changes, pull out by hand / siphon / long tweezers.
Snails would help a lot, I like ramshorn snails.

 

How often do you do water changes and what percent? Algae is caused by excess organic buildup and too much light for the present level of ferts/CO2.

Your parameters are also kind of wacky. While nitrate does not cause algae, once algae actually starts happening the nitrates will help it along. Which goes back to frequent regular water changes

When you stopped dosing Thrive, you started limiting the plants' nutrient intake, making them less healthy. Unhealthy plants are not able to outcompete algae, and algae swoops in to use all that light/nutrients that the plants can't fully utilize.

 

I believe hair algae are the result of too much light. It has to be in proportion with other nutrients: potassium, nitrates, phosphates, micro elements and CO2.
If one nutrient is too low or absent you are in trouble

Thus a lack of CO2 well could be the cause.

Also want to point out 10 gln is definitely too small for the Siamese algae eaters. Seriously Fish has good information about them

This could be a reason your nitrates are extremely high.

Even if the Siamese algae eaters are still small, behavior wise they meets bigger tank. Not only to grow to their full potential.

Good luck with fighting these algae. You probably can remove lots of it with a tooth brush that is brand new.

 

How often do you do water changes and what percent? Algae is caused by excess organic buildup and too much light for the present level of ferts/CO2.

Your parameters are also kind of wacky. While nitrate does not cause algae, once algae actually starts happening the nitrates will help it along. Which goes back to frequent regular water changes

When you stopped dosing Thrive, you started limiting the plants' nutrient intake, making them less healthy. Unhealthy plants are not able to outcompete algae, and algae swoops in to use all that light/nutrients that the plants can't fully utilize.

I usually do a 20-30% change once per two weeks I'd say, I think I'm gonna increase that. What filter do you recommend tho, I find my Bio-Wheel is not doing that good. Do you recommend using a canister filter for this tank? Thanks!

 

I believe hair algae are the result of too much light. It has to be in proportion with other nutrients: potassium, nitrates, phosphates, micro elements and CO2.
If one nutrient is too low or absent you are in trouble

Thus a lack of CO2 well could be the cause.

Also want to point out 10 gln is definitely too small for the Siamese algae eaters. Seriously Fish has good information about them

This could be a reason your nitrates are extremely high.

Even if the Siamese algae eaters are still small, behavior wise they meets bigger tank. Not only to grow to their full potential.

Good luck with fighting these algae. You probably can remove lots of it with a tooth brush that is brand new.

Thanks for the reply! I do realize this issue and have been thinking about upgrading this tank for a few months, tho it means all the LEDs and stuff needs a change too... Will a 20-30G
fit potentially? I see the siamese algae eaters love to swim around and my tank is indeed too small for them......

 

Thanks for the reply! I do realize this issue and have been thinking about upgrading this tank for a few months, tho it means all the LEDs and stuff needs a change too... Will a 20-30G
fit potentially? I see the siamese algae eaters love to swim around and my tank is indeed too small for them......

Making these fish happy requires a huge tank I learned today.

According to Seriously Fish a 20 or 30 gln still would be way to small. They say these fish need a 5 ft long tank.

A group would require an aquarium with base measurements of or equivalent.

Quick math learned me that this equals close to 125 gallons Sounds like a lot and that makes me doubt if I made a mistake with the math/conversion.


That said, I once had one in a 29 gallon , once adult I feel that tank was too small. A fast moving 6 inch fish barely can turn in a 29 long. These tanks are not wide enough.

Just my 2 cents

 

Making these fish happy requires a huge tank I learned today.

According to Seriously Fish a 20 or 30 gln still would be way to small. They say these fish need a 5 ft long tank.

A group would require an aquarium with base measurements of or equivalent.

Quick math learned me that this equals close to 125 gallons Sounds like a lot and that makes me doubt if I made a mistake with the math/conversion.


That said, I once had one in a 29 gallon , once adult I feel that tank was too small. A fast moving 6 inch fish barely can turn in a 29 long. These tanks are not wide enough.

Just my 2 cents

Gosh, it's been everywhere that this fish only needs a minimum of 20 G that's why I bought it in the first place, never thought it could get that big!! The size of the siamese algae eater is currently smaller than a guppie lol. I'm surely gonna upgrade my tank to a 29 gallon for now and will see what I can do next

 

Gosh, it's been everywhere that this fish only needs a minimum of 20 G that's why I bought it in the first place, never thought it could get that big!! The size of the siamese algae eater is currently smaller than a guppie lol. I'm surely gonna upgrade my tank to a 29 gallon for now and will see what I can do next

I was wondering if I would like to have them in my 65g long. I'm in doubt. But too never expected that they need a tank with such a huge foot print. Seriously Fish is well rated though, I trust their expertise.

Aw, never saw these SA that small, when sold here they are twice the length of a platy. Being that small I guess you have some time before you need an upgrade.

Are you planing to keep your current tank when you upgrade? You should because the MTS (multiple tank syndrome) is contagious LOL