Hey guys. I'm finally cycled (been for a while actually), but I seem to have another issue. Too much algae. I've removed one of the plants that I had because I was told I can have too many plants which create more algae. I've done a 50% water change and cleaned the sides of the tank in hopes to clear some of the algae from the water. The only problem is the water is still cloudy. I have some activated carbon but I wasn't sure if that would help the problem. i was also considering buying some chinese algae eaters. What do you guys think?
cloudy water due to algae
- Thread starter pauldhass
- Start date
trying to clean away all the algae is a loosing battle. it will just grow back because it is impossible to get all of it. what kind of algae is it? is it green water or or growing on the glass but the water itself is clear? also how big is the tank? IMO adding or removing the plant won't have a significant effect on the algae. others may dissagree with me on this but i'm pretty sure thats correct. my favorite algae cleaning fish are otos. throw a couple in an algae filled tank and they'l get right to work. i've never had any personal experience with chinese algae eaters but they're supposed to be a good option too. snails are also a good option but they can be slow and not very exciting to watch. also theres also a chance that they'l breed and then you'l have an infestation but thats unlikely. carbon won't do anything. in fact it only stays activated for a few days. from what i understand activated carbon is used to remove medicine or other chemicals from the water.
if the you have the cloudy water green algae problem then all you need to do is completely block out all light for a few days. wrap the tank in a blanket our towels, whatever will completely kill all light. after 3 or 4 days the water should be clear.
here's my thread from when i had that problem: http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/fre...mation-questions/60593-green-algae-bloom.html
if the you have the cloudy water green algae problem then all you need to do is completely block out all light for a few days. wrap the tank in a blanket our towels, whatever will completely kill all light. after 3 or 4 days the water should be clear.
here's my thread from when i had that problem: http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/fre...mation-questions/60593-green-algae-bloom.html
Yep, your plants can tolerate a day or two with no light. The algae can't. Try turning off the light. I've heard Chinese Algae Eaters only eat algae when they are juveniles. Then they get older and develop a taste for blood. Start attacking other fish in the middle of the night and eating their slime coats. Little vampires! I like otos too. Also malaysian trumpet snails. They hide under the substrate during the day, so they aerate it as they come and go. Like earthworms. The water changes should help some too. 
Wow, never heard that about chinese algae eaters. I'll definitely be reconsidering. As far as the green water, I definitely don't have anything compared to what you had. My water is cloudy but not GREEN. The algae is mainly on the sides of the tank and on the plants. My cichlid will eat some of the algae but not all, and my crab nibbles at bit. Snails are out of the question because I was told that my african cichlid will suck them right out of their shells. Shrimp for the same reason except it would take a bit of work for the cichlid to finish it off. I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place with trying to get something that will take care of the algae. I'm going to find out if my LFS is currently selling otos. Hopefully they do, and I'll be able to grab some of those.
I would not recommend otos for a tank with African cichlids. What type do you have?
Cloudy water is usually a bacteria bloom. You state the tank is now cycled. What are your current readings of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
Healthy plants can outcompete algae. More plants does not CAUSE algae. You have algae due to having an imbalance in light/carbon/other nutrients.
Cloudy water is usually a bacteria bloom. You state the tank is now cycled. What are your current readings of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
Healthy plants can outcompete algae. More plants does not CAUSE algae. You have algae due to having an imbalance in light/carbon/other nutrients.
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+1 to everything OC said. The swing in levels of ammonia during cycling can cause algae to gain an edge over the plants.
Nerite snails can't reproduce in freshwater and are excellent algae eaters. Malaysian trumpet snails can reproduce quickly, but do not eat plants and aren't a pest species. They enjoy a bit of algae as well
Nerite snails can't reproduce in freshwater and are excellent algae eaters. Malaysian trumpet snails can reproduce quickly, but do not eat plants and aren't a pest species. They enjoy a bit of algae as well
I have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and around 20ppm nitrates. I have 2 t5 HO ultrasun lamps. I usually have them on from 8am-9pm...too much? Should I turn of one lamp or both? After searching furiously on the actual genus of my cichlid (Petco website sucks), I've determined that my fish is a Metriaclima Estherae. I'll try to post pictures soon.
that might be a little too much light. it might be way to much light. i'm not familiar with that particular brand but the website says that those are the lights you get when you need the most light humanly possible. i just have the regular "whatever came with the hood" lights and still the algae grows rampant. maybe try either turning off one of the lights or try cutting the time the lights are on...or both.
take a peak now. its probably cleared up. if it is uncover it and resume normal fish keeping. haha. from what i have researched African Cichlids are most agressive towards members of their own species and are mildly agressive in general. otos mostly keep to themselves but OC has much more experience with these things than i do
Hmmm... are we sure it's actually algae that's the problem? I re-read your earlier posts. Maybe it's something bacterial?
Do you do DIY CO2? Yeast will multiply rapidly in a nice warm fish tank if some manages to escape from your CO2 bottle into the tank.
Have you added anything to the tank lately in terms of chemicals?
How much do you feed?
DOC (dissolved organic carbon) from decomposing plant leaves and organic materials in the substrate could look white and cloudy. (That's what the nasty white foam you see sometimes at river rapids.) But I'd be amazed if you could get a noticeable amount in a tank without something else going on.
Any chance you could post a picture of the tank to give us a better idea of what we're looking at?
Do you do DIY CO2? Yeast will multiply rapidly in a nice warm fish tank if some manages to escape from your CO2 bottle into the tank.
Have you added anything to the tank lately in terms of chemicals?
How much do you feed?
DOC (dissolved organic carbon) from decomposing plant leaves and organic materials in the substrate could look white and cloudy. (That's what the nasty white foam you see sometimes at river rapids.) But I'd be amazed if you could get a noticeable amount in a tank without something else going on.
Any chance you could post a picture of the tank to give us a better idea of what we're looking at?
If it is some excess DOC, your plants will happily eat it right up when you put on the light for them and they start photosynthesizing again. It's a carbon source, like carbon dioxide. There would still be the question of why it was there, though... why they didn't eat it to start with, so that enough built up that you noticed. Weird.
It's almost definitely a bacterial bloom from your cycle. It will go away once the tank stabilizes.
Cloudy Water - Cloudy Water Causes and Cures
Cloudy Water - Cloudy Water Causes and Cures