Thursday, July 30, 2009
algae control any suggestions?
Answers:
hi.. glad ure jams doing well..
delia generally has good tips/recipies
anyway
1. move out of direct sunlight
2. if you have a shiney background, in direct sunlight. remove it
3 :) - just to look nice, buy a blue shiney roll of xmas paper, and put it on the back.. looks pretty
4.. snails, but they do get out of control. so buy some loaches, they eat snails, and look like little snakes
5. catfish.. i had one i called Gyser.. he did a great job..
for fun in the tank, add some live breeders, eg guppies, then u get baby fish
6. dont forget to add your blue stuff every water change, with your dechlorinator
If you have an inside fish tank then you could use little sea snails and they eat the algae from inside the tank.
Get a UV light or try wheat straw - both from a decent garden centre. Pick up a free "Hoselock" catalogue and get all the answers.
direct sun lite is one reason for the growth of algae. If the tank is covered with lid then there will be no growth of algae. u can also usage of bleaching powder or chlorination will help in drastic control of algae.
They make algae control tablets, there's these little suction tubes you can get for real cheap that siphon out the rocks and algae eaters work well too.
I use something called Pondclear also there are fungal control chemicals you can add to the water quite safely as long as you know how much water is in your tank and add the correct amount of drops. I use both all the time, works wonders for a clear tank and healthy fish.
for an inside fish tank you can get sucking catfish which go up and down the glass eating the algae would not put any bleach or cleaners in the tank i have 3 in my tank they keep the glass very clean
I would suggest getting a plecaustamus. (I could have spelled that wrong.) They are also called algae eaters. you can get a small or a large one from Walmart for about $5.
I've had one for about two years in my tank. It keeps it squeaky clean.
Use the little sea snails or i found that adding a bubble wall into the tank to oxyginate the water worked really well for me, i was not getting any more algae in the tank once i put the bubble wall in.
only have your light for about 4 hours a day.it breeds faster when the light is on.
keep your tank out of direct sunlight and get a algae eater perform weekly water changes
if its an indoor aquarium i would suggest getting a catfish/plecko that will eat the algae, also do a good water change taking out ornaments rocks etc and scrub these items with a scrubbing brush, clean all of the sides of the tank. make sure that the tank is not in direct sunlight or that you are not leaving the light on in the tank too long i had this problem just put it on for 6-8 hours a day maximum and hopefully this should solve the problem
Feed less so that there is less fish waste being turned into nitrates that are feeding the algae. Buy a pleco (they do a fantastic job, and when they grow too big they can be traded in for smaller ones. Also, get a new bulb for your tank. Old bulbs cause an increase in algae growth.
A
There are so many ways to tackle algae control within the aquarium. For the most part it is all about maintaining good water quality, which isn't always as easy as it sounds. Sure, your filter systems will do some of the work, but any filter system is based on cultures of aerobic bacterias and as a result, will all produce nitrate as an end product. Nitrate is used by plants as food. Algae is a plant so will relish a high Nitrate concentration. Filters also trap a lot of organic matter and as this breaks down, not only will it produce Nitrate, but also phosphate - another wonderful plant/algae food.
Once you know what an algae needs to survive, you can try to tackle more specific areas. The use of high quality nitrate and phosphate removal medias will help alot if you can utilize them properly.
Reducing the amount of light the aquarium recieves will also retard algae growth, to an extent, but algae needs very little light to thrive. If one species of algae do not like the conditions provided, another will.
Increasing plant numbers in the aquarium can often be help. Plants and algaes are essentially the same and will have the same basic requirements. Plants are a higher lifeform than algae and any thriving form of higher life forms, in sufficient numbers, will dominate and overrun lower species - look at the humnan race!
So you can pack your tank with lots of healthy plants. They will draw up phosphates and nitrates as food, and the taller plants will shade parts of the aquarium and starve the algae of sufficient light.
You can add algae eating fish but there are problems with this method. Many species grow very large and will destroy a nice looking aquarium. The may also consume most of the algae in the tank and will then need dietary supplements. the more food you put into an aquarium, the more waste is created by the fish, the more nitrate and phosphate is created as all this waste is broken down. More food for the algaes.
Also, not all algaes are eaten by all herbivore fish. In my experience, plecos and their relatives (hundreds of them) will prefer softer algaes like diatoms and other unevolved types. Encrusting and hair algaes are often ignored - especially if other food is more freely available. As some of these species get older and bigger, they tend to eat less and less. At a certain size, most plecs are not likely to be preyed upon, so the need to grow quickly beyond a certain size is a waste of time and energy. It;s easier to go and hide and come out when you feel like eating. Many algae eating cats do most of their best work when they are young, small and vunerable.
So be wary of adding more fish to a tank with water quality problems. The more fish, the dirtier the tank will be. Remember, waste is not always visible. the things you can't see are the cause of what you can see.
Test your water for phosphates and nitrates and take steps to bring these levels down if they are too high. Absorbtion medias, fewer fish, less food, or a more efficient feeding program, more healthy plants - will help water quality.
As for aglae eating fish - Ottocinclus (soft algae)and Amano Shrimp (hair algae). If you tank is large enough, Siamese Algae Eaters, renowned for eating black brush algae
Hope this helps
If your tank is in direct sun light move it,
Clean it weekly and invest in some of those magnetic algae cleaners
Check you are not over feeding your fish
Get a plec or some snails or other algae eating creatures
KEEP OUT OF DIRECT SUNSHINE USE A PAD TO CLEAN THE GLASS AND SUCKING LOACHES TO EAT THE ALGAE.DONT USE SNAILS THEY OVERRUN YOUR TANK !!
THEN YOU WILL HAVE A SNAIL PROBLEM.
HOPE THIS HELPS
I'll give you my standard answer for algae:
"Have you had your nitrates tested lately? If not, take a sample to your local pet store that sells fish and get it tested. Anything less than 40ppm is safe, but you want it less than 20ppm to inhibit algae growth. If it's more than 20ppm, you need to do a water change. You should be doing at least 20% a week. If your nitrates are too high within a week's period, chances are, your tank is overstocked. Also, consider cutting down on feedings. If you're feeding your fish daily, consider feeding them every other day. Excess food will contribute to high nitrates as well.
If your tank is in direct sunlight, consider moving the tank or closing the curtains/shade. Also, leave your aquarium light off for a couple of days. Algae needs light to grow. You take away the light, you can't grow any algae.
Consider planting some live plants like java fern. They will help convert the nitrates into food for themselves.
Lower your temperature to mid-70s. Be careful not to lower anymore than 4 degrees a day, or else you run the risk of messing with your fishies' immune systems. And we don't want any sick fishies.
Ghost shrimp are known to eat algae, and they add practically nothing to your bioload. And they're cheap.
Do not get any algae eating fish, like a pleco. Depending on your tank size (if it's anything less than a 55-gallon), they will quickly outgrow your tank.
And if all else fails, and you have to add chemicals, make sure you get an algicide that does not contain copper, as some fish are very sensitive to it, and it's quite difficult to remove. I recommend Algae Magic by Weiss, as it's organic and safe for all fish, plants, and invertebrates."
If your tank is getting too much light (either from the light on your tank - assuming you use one), or from the sun, I would either move the tank to a darker place, and/or just use your light on the tank less.
Algae Eaters will help, but depending on the size of your tank - please buy wisely (keeping in mind that your common Plec can reach sizes of up to 18").
If it's not problem, and you have at least a 55/60g tank - then common are fine, but if it's a smaller tank - go with true, genuine SAE (Siamese Algae Eaters). They are hard to find, but if you can find them they are some of the best.
Good luck!
Try to keep the tank out the direct sunlight as this will increase the growth of the algae. Try to buy bottom feeders and fish that will essentially clean the tank for you!
Because you are asking this question I take it you are a novice in keeping fish. "Fruitfly"above answered this question for the most part, but was to complicated. I think a good algae eating fish is your answer. The ones that he mentioned at the end of his answer are very good, but can be difficult to keep and short lived. In my opinion the best one is the Gibbiceps or Sail fin Plecostomus. With their spotted body and high sail fin which is up most of the time, they are a striking addition to any tank. I have 6 of them spread out in 6 aquariums from 5 to 90 gal. I have no live plants in any tank except the 5 gal.and there is virtually no algae in any of them. They are very hardy and long lived ( I have two that are over 8 yrs.old ) and have not had any fatality's as yet. And they have not disturbed any of my setups. Cut down on your light by putting them on a timer for a set number of hours ( 10 to 12 ) each day. Try to feed them the same time each day, and only as much as they will eat in 10 minuets.Turn your filter off while feeding. I have been keeping fish for over 50 yrs and have all the test equipment "Fruitfly" mentioned but rarely use it.
if any direct sun light is on your tank then move it this will slow the algi down as sun light allows algi to grow much faster
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment