Way Too Much Algae Help Quick Please

[fishaddict]

WAY TO MUCH ALGAE HELP QUICK PLEASE

I have a 55 gallon tank that some may say is overstocked. I think it may agree but it looks great in my opinion.

I have a
aquaclear 4000 powerhead w/quickfilter attachment
eheim 2026
2 32 watt lights about 1.5 inches above tank
1 ebo jager 200 watt set at 79 degrees

i think thats all the equipment now for the fish

zebras 4
giant danios 5
gouramis gold/blue 4
black neon tetra? 1
irridescent shark 1 (about a foot i think)
convict cichlid (needs a brand new home) maybe ill try and get him to behave. Maybe some alone time with tiger barbs who also need a new home.
swordtail male 1 i had more but unforutunately they all passed on to gods fish tank in the sky
silver dollars 2
rosy barbs 2 ( a pair from what ive heard)
and finally a brand new baby pleco (common) i know it was overstocked before but my friend needed to get rid of him and the lfs that it was from wouldnt take it back so i decided to adopt it . Besides i figured it might help with the algae.

Onto what might help but i really need your opinion guys. Ive read that i need to black out the whole tank. No light or food for the fish for 4 days. I really dont like this. My fish are real big fans of food and i dont think they can go four whole days. Ive also seen that i need to reduce gravel to about 1/4 inch down from my 2.5 or so. My problem with this is wont i be losing all those beneficial bacteria in the gravel when i take it out. I think i need it to prevent to much ammonia and nitritewhat with my fish load and all. I only have the canister filter and gravel where they can stay. Also can live plants grow in 1/4 inch or should i dump those since the leaves are brown with algae anyway. Fake plants could look good. I just started using flourish for them but the algae problems been persisting for like 3 weeks now. Coincidentally or not the lights have been in for about that time.

Now for the colors of this stuff in case that might help. Its green first but only for about a day if that much and then it turns real brown and nasty looking. I have to rocks in there. Ones like a piece of fake coral. Green and reddish. The other ones like light tannish brown and red. Id guess like a limestone sandstone deal. They are all pretty much brown and green now. Also one giant hygro plant that has brown algae on it. Also my gravel is turning htis real light brown color. Like rust i guess. Or you could say like the rocks.

Anomaly: it seems in the last few hours the brownish color seems to have lightened and on some points disappeared. Could this be Mr. Pleco? Anyway it looks better. I might take everything outside leave it for a day and then bring it back in that solves the algae problem id just rather solve my MAIN PROBLEM( i probably have more than one main problem huh?) Maybe its scared, ive been threatening to tell you guys about it all day? It got the message. No, well it sure sounds nice.

Please help, im totally confuse why it just turned dark brown and light brown and all the shades in between so quick. my aquarium is starting to look like crap. Literally and figuratively. I really hate it. But once its solved with your help another one of the endless list of problems is solved. Id really rather not use a chemical as it seems not to work anyway. I tried this a year back and my algae resisted. It just went away. Different story now though.

Thanks for all your help. *celebrate

Also in case your not to busy. Should i try and get a bio wheel. Ive heard alot about them

 

[sinasster]

Give the pleco some time, he just needs some time to catch up, give it a week and if you see a positive difference, than just leave it be.

Is your tank in fron of a window. perhaps too much light, or perhaps not enough.!

If your LFS wont take your fish i suggest you find a new one to shop at.

And i wont comment on your fish cause it seems you already know.

 

[Torpedo]

A foot lomg ID shark in a 55g tank...wow...that sounds like wall to wall fish. I have a 5 incher in a 37g and I think he's too big.

Anyway, as for the algae, the pleco will do an ok job on it (what size is he). Assuming you can swap out some of your critters, I would suggest either an otto, or SAE. These guys are pure algae eaters.

 

[fishaddict]

That pleco works well. Already im beginning to see my rock. I didnt do anything different so it must be the pleco right? Still im on the search for the cause of the outburst of algae. Something caused it and i will find it and solve it. That stuff makes the tank look awful and it takes to long to solve.

 

[Avalon]

I'm sure the pleco is helping, but he won't be able to keep the entire tank clean. I suggest you increase your lighting if you wish to do away with the majority of your brown algae. Get a 4 foot shoplight and put on top of your tank. Pleco's are relatively inefficient algae eaters in the long run. They prefer wood to glass any day.

In my experience, plecos are only for driftwood or ornamental purposes, otocinclus are for brown algae, SAE's for brush algae (BBA), and Amano shrimp for any type of green algae (with the exception of old growth). All other algae eaters are hit and miss.

 

[wayne at home]

If you think you're tanks overstocked, and you've got an algae problem......
Forget light being the root of your algae problems - you change the light, and you just change one type of algae for another. Basically you've got too much nutrient (read crap) in the water - so it's less fish, or thin out the gravel and get to it with big water changes twice a week.
All the pleco will do will shift it around till eventually you'll get bluegreen which it won't eat.

 

[fishaddict]

Thanks,If i thin out the gravel wont that screw with the bacteria population. I dont want to have to go through another cycling experience. Also can live plants grow in the thinned out gravel lets say 1/2 an inch or so.

 

[vrmmmpshhh]

my 2 SAE kept my 55G tank perfectly clean, get the small ones cos they are cheap and eat the algae all day everyday. when mine grew bigger they still cleaned all the algae but they became more aggressive towards one another and the smaller one died.

now i only have the single SAE and i havent seen any algae in the tank since i added them in. apart from the glass thats under the gravel where they cant get to.

 

[fishaddict]

thanks, im having trouble finding them here, adn have already gotten a pleco but in the summer im going to setup either a 20 or 30 gallon tank so ill keep looking for them.