[RN2bmumof3]

I have a 65 gal hexagon I have had it set up for african ciclids since october. Over christmas I had a major algea bloom and since then I still cant get it to clear up. I am running a 50gal emperor 250 marineland and a 30-40 gal whisper over the back filters. I have 2 bubble stone in the far corners as it is a deep tank and I want to be sure there is adequate O2 supply. The tank is in a corner that gets the least amount of sunlight and absolutly no direct sunlight. I have about 30 fish more than half are under 1 in some are about 2 inches and only 2 that are full grown. Decorations are all riverbed rock that was all cleaned and soaked before I put it in and then boiled over christmas when I panaked and cleaned out the tank completly. I also have one large carved red rainbow rock and several fake plants as the live ones get destroyed. amonia levels stay at 0 nitrite stays at 0 nitrate less than 5.0 ph stays firm at 8.2 and my KH around 200 but i have seen it get really high like over 400! I have tried changing the filters without changing the bio filter I have tried cleaning them both I have been doing 20-40% water changes every couple days I have tried covering the tank to light for 2 days nothing seems to help clear it up at all! I do not know what else to try! I would love to post a picture if anyone could tell me how.

 

[frank1rizzo]

easy on the water changes. Let things settle in.

How often do you feed them?

 

[bmweiler09]

I had a similar problem a while back and never knew for sure what the cause was. I determined it was excess nutrients, and found out it later on that the tank got about 45 minutes of sunlight first thing in the morning.

Like you I tried huge water changes, chemicals and excessive cleaning with no luck. I ended up doing a 5 day blackout which eventually cleared up my tank.

Start by making sure your tank is not getting any direct sunlight throughout the day, even a half hour can be detrimental. Phosphates are also known to be a food source of algae, so get your tap and tank tested for it. How long are your tank lights on during the day? what kind of lights are you using?

 

[RN2bmumof3]

I went a little over 3 weeks last month without changing any water thinking it was just recycling after I foolishly changed everything in december but it only seems to get worse and I lost about 5 fish when it got really bad. there is also a greyish film on the inside walls that wipes off easy and is orange when It gets on the cloth. And it isnt over feeding I only feed every other day and only enough that they finish it within 3-4 min

 

[bmweiler09]

but it only seems to get worse and I lost about 5 fish when it got really bad.

An algae bloom will not harm the fish. Have you been monitoring your ammonia nitrite and nitrate regularly since you started the tank? If you made a large change to the aquascape there's a chance it started a mini cycle.

 

[Cyclesafety]

A tall hexagon tank has a low surface area to volume ratio. You need to somehow get more oxygen into the tank. The air stones don't help much: instead figure out how to break the surface of the water. A HOB (hang on back) filter with the return splashing into the surface would help. If you've got lots of money, an Eheim 2229 wet/dry canister filter would help too.

As I think you know, light is the biggest issue. Continue to limit it. You also might have too many fish, or you may be feeding them too much.

If what you are calling algae is brown, then it is diatoms. Diatoms will go away once your tank matures. Nerite snails are also dynamite on diatoms.

As you can tell, its not going to be just one fix. Your first mistake was buying a hex tank.

 

[RN2bmumof3]

the lights are only on for about 8 hours a day sometimes less the lights are Aqua Rays Fresh water tank lights and the room is brights during the day but the tank never has the sun light shining directly on it.

 

[DJRansome]

Try a total black-out for several days...cover the tank.

 

[RN2bmumof3]

I know that hex tanks are a pain I didnt buy it, it was given to me as partial payment on a snowblower we sold the 2 filters I have are both HOB's and the 2 stones are placed at the bottom front corner and back corner to help circ the water the O2 stream is hard enough that the fish wont go near it much.

 

[RN2bmumof3]

I am going to try covering it again for 3-4 days I will post back to let everyone know how it goes.

 

[pack-rat]

If you haven't already, test your makeup water for nitrate and phosphate. Frequent water changes won't really help if you are adding more of what the algae wants.

 

[RN2bmumof3]

nitrate is less than 5 and I do not have a phosphate test I have the Gh and KH amonia PH Nitrite and nitrate and all are fine except I cant seem to get a reading for the GH the KH is around 200 but the GH no matter how many drops I add the color does not seem to change at all it stays yellow, not even orange like the directions say it starts as and as I add a drop at a time and mix it up just as the directions say no matter how many drops even up to 30 drops the color does not change.

 

[DanniGirl]

RN2bmumof3,
Have you tried this --->

I would try posting in Dr. Tim's forum and see if he can suggest something.

 

[Chunkanese]

Honestly I don't know the problems people have with algea. I've had my tank in a sunroom before sure it got a little here and there but it's actually healthy and I would just wipe it off. Even then it was never a problem and looked crystal clean. Having a power head helps too. It will give a constant flow making it hard for the algea to root itself down and grow. Now with my tank I clean the front periodically and anything that grows on the back I leave. The fish eat it and it looks more natural.

 

[NJFisher]

Olives, they work slow but 10 of them in there the tank will be spotless in a week or two. I just had a similar problem due to underfiltering a tank and they cleaned everything very well.

 

[pack-rat]

Ok, I don't know what 'olives' are in this context, a kind of snail or fish?

 

[Frenzy]

Just 2 weeks ago I got fed up with having to clean the front of my tanks of algae. I'm fully aware algae is a healthy phenomenon and the fish love it, especially after cleaning the tank and it all over the water column but I have the fish to look at and take pictures of so I like the front at least clean.

The answer for me was simple in the end. I added 2-3 bristle nose to each tank. No more algae.

 

[bmweiler09]

Just to clear things up..

The answer for me was simple in the end. I added 2-3 bristle nose to each tank. No more algae.

Was the OP talking about an "algae bloom", like the free-floating algae resulting in extremely cloudy green water? Or a "bloom of algae", like excessive growth of algae on rocks and tank walls in a short period of time?

 

[RN2bmumof3]

I think it's an algae bloom it's free floating the sides and rock are clear it's the water if it's cloudy and yellowish green the glass inside has
a thin film that looks white until I wipe it off with a white rag and it is actually orange

 

[RN2bmumof3]

Sorry they are so big Im not sure how to make them smaller