General Aquaria Discussion • Algae wars?

[MSDdivers]

Is there a reliable product to add to my aquarium in order to help with my algae wars?

[zimmy]

Generally, the best weapons against algae are more water changes, reduced feeding and adjusting light intensity/duration.

What kind of algae are you dealing with?

[MSDdivers]

The algae’s are dark brown and sticks to the rocks and plastic plants. I change the water once a week 50%. I don’t over feed but I do throw in a food tablet for my catfish. I have two bristlenose algae eaters. I have my one light on for seven hours. I never use all three lights. I have no sunlight reaching my tank. I do a water test once a month and find that sometimes my Nitrates are as high as forty if I’m late in my water change. Most of the time it’s more like twenty.

I need to pay more attention, but I wonder if the occasional zucchini I feed them could contribute to the algae. I say this because I might go three or four weeks with very little algae and then I get a lot of it in one week. It’s like when it comes, it comes fast.

It’s also easily removed with a scrubber.

I don’t like taking everything out to clean things so that’s why I was hoping there was some kind of product that could help.

[DJRansome]

Products can be a threat to your fish. Sounds like diatoms. How long has the tank been set up?

[MSDdivers]

Products can be a threat to your fish. Sounds like diatoms. How long has the tank been set up?

Eleven months ago

[zimmy]

Diatoms can be an issue for tanks in the first year. My experience has been that eventually they go away.

If they don't in your case it could be due to having high silicates and/or phosphates in your water. A silica sand substrate in the tank can make the problem worse. A couple of products, which I haven't had to try, claim to help: Seachem's PhosGuard and API's PhosZorb. I can't speak to their effectiveness.

Seachem has a good website that you can look at to read more about their product and how to use it. Post back if you use it and it works.

[judyok]

If you have room for a few Otocinclus cats they will clean every bit of it up. They love diatoms.

[DJRansome]

Consider your stocking before going with otos...I would not mix them with mbuna for example.

[Samadhikash]

I would tend to suspect diatoms as well. The bn plecos I have eat the stuff up. If yours aren't making a dent, you might consider not feeding zucchini for awhile so they go after the diatoms instead.

[famikert]

Try putting your lights on a timer, 2 hours on, then 15 minutes off, 2 hours on, then 15 mintues off, and so on, I have heard this works for algae problems

[zimmy]

Try putting your lights on a timer, 2 hours on, then 15 minutes off, 2 hours on, then 15 mintues off, and so on, I have heard this works for algae problems

I'd be curious to know what the rationale is for your approach. I'm skeptical that it would make any difference.

There is something called a siesta regimen (developed by Diana Walstad) that you may be basing the above on, however, that method is for planted tanks. It involves leaving the lights on for 4 hours, off for 4 hours and then back on for about 4 hours. The idea is that over about 4 hours with the lights on, CO2 becomes depleted at which point algae will outcompete plants for scarce nutrients. Turning the lights off for 4 hours, allows CO2 to become replenished at which point you start over again when the lights go back on.

[katherine7]

Is there a reliable product to add to my aquarium in order to help with my algae wars?

Be sure there is water in the pump chamber -- if you don’t add water to the pump chamber, the filter will pull in air. Also, take care with how much water is in the aquarium. Most filters need the water level to be about one inch from the lip of the filter, and a shallow tank may prevent the filter from working.