Gravel cleaning?

[platy guy]

I've had my aquarium for about a year now, and in recent months, green/brown algea has started growing on my gravel. I tried using a gravel siphon, but the algea refuses to let go. What can I do?

 

[iapetus]

What have you tried thus far?

Depending upon the situation, reducing the time that the tank lights are on, introdcing otocinclus catfish, adding fast-growing plants that out-compete the algae, reducing the fertilizers used and adding different fertilizers are all strategies I've heard for reducing the level of algae in a tank.

First, though, I'd start off by trying to identify the kind of algae you've got.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Also watching how much you feed can reduce it.

 

[GeraldTheMouse]

...adding fast-growing plants that out-compete the algae...

I'm just wondering, but how does this actually work, since algae already uses a small amount of nutrients to begin with, and there will always be nutrients in the water column from fish waste, and uneaten food, for the algae to rely on.

Anybody care to explain to me how exactly this would work?

 

[TabMorte]

I actually let algae grow on a rock in my 2.5G for that reason! It helped keep the nitrates down which is important in such a tiny tank.

 

[iapetus]

I'm just wondering, but how does this actually work, since algae already uses a small amount of nutrients to begin with, and there will always be nutrients in the water column from fish waste, and uneaten food, for the algae to rely on.

But, algae does require some nutrients. My anacharis and hornwort seem to suck the nitrates right out of the water column. My tanks typically test at 0 ppm for nitrates (well, not the one that is currently cycling ). The idea is to take that little away from the algae. Seems to work for me.

 

[d3sc3n7]

Speaking of cleaning your substrate. I've stopped!!! YUP!!! There is never anything there...ever. No food, no poo, nothing...I siphon, siphon, siphon...nothing but water comes up. So, I stopped!

Is that bad?

 

[pwrmacG4]

I would get some algae eaters and some catfish.. that might help