Algea.........What to do?

[Frozenspokes]

My 10 gallon tank has finished cycling, and now I have algea growing on everything in the tank. It is even on the Java fern that I added a few weeks ago!

I have seen a product that claims to control the algea, but don't feel comfortable with the idea of adding a pesticide to the water. Am I being too cautious?

Are there any algea eating fish that I could put in and have live peacefully with a betta?

Would a snail or other invertibrate be a good choice?

Am I even spelling algea right?

 

[Breene]

I wouldnt reccomend the algae controll stuff. Buy a siamese algae eater if you can find one or maby a pleco (avoid a common pleco because they grow very large). You may need more plants to outcompete the algae.

 

[Lotus]

Definitely don't add an algaecide to the tank, even if it doesn't kill your plants right away, it will harm them in the long-run.

What kind of algae is it? Is it green, brown? Is it slimey or fuzzy or long strands? What are your nitrates at?

A snail would probably be fine with a betta. Bettas tend to eat shrimp.

 

[echoofformless]

It does depend on the type of algae you have. But if you can find Siamese Algae Eaters, get one. Also get the oto cat as well. If you find a good snail, that will also help. These creatures will eat most common algae, though if you have blue-green or beard algae you will find they aren't very interested.

See if you can increase your overall plant mass, especially with fast growing plants like hornwort, anacharis, water sprite, etc. You might also try very slightly overdosing your tank with Flourish Excel, as this stuff seems to kill off algae when used that way. Only be cautious with it as many have found it melts certain sensitive plants like vals and anacharis.

Make sure you're giving the tank adequate lighting, and you're not leaving it on for too long each day. Sometimes when i see algae starting to form I might leave the lights off for a few days. The plants will survive it but the algae often has trouble staying alive for very long without the light.

Keep up with water changes. And let us know or post a pic of what kind of algae you're dealing with.

 

[Frozenspokes]

The algea mostly looks brown. There are some bits of green "fluffy" looking algea on the gravel. My nitrates are at less than 20 PPM. I can't give an exact number as the scale doesn't start until 20 PPM. The pad is barely turning color.

I have been leaving the light on for about 14 hrs a day. I have one Java fern but
I have not been adding anything in the way of fertilizers or CO2.

I will cut down on the light for now, but please keep the advice coming.

 

[Mahamotorworks]

I wuold cut back the light to about 10 hrs. Is the tank near a window? My 29G tank is close to a window I have an algea problem.
MAHA

 

[Frozenspokes]

I talked with one of the guys at the LFS about all of the suggestions. Based on the advice here, and what he had in stock I decided to get a couple of white mistery snails. That in addition to the two harliquin rasboras that I was planning on getting as well.

He had suggested a pleco if the problem became more than the snails could handle. The bonus being that I could move the pleco to the 55 gallon tank after things were under control in the 10 gallon. I would still have to eventually move the pleco out of the 55 gallon tank as it got bigger and even then, it would eventually out grow that. The store I have purchased all of my fish at so far has a "pond" in the center with about 6 mature plecos, a small pike, and some other largish fish that I am sure simply out grew their owners aquariums.

 

[echoofformless]

You could try otocinclus. They won't outgrow the tank and are quite effective at keeping brown and some green algae at bay. The betta will mostly ignore them, and even if he goes after them, they can swim circles around him as far as speed goes.

 

[Angelfish]

Definately Ottos ... siamese algae eaters can get kind of big and are sometimes agressive.

Otos are just so cute and adorable, and will fit perfectly in a 10 gal.