need something to eat algae

[zeebo]

hi, dont have it bad, but there is a small amount showing . Any suggestions as my L128's are not interested and the farlowella only takes care of front glass and the wood. The slate and rocks algae-- no takers.

just a note, when i was in my lfs , i asked the dude ,just out of curiosity , he suggested snails, i said i did not want snails as they reproduce , and he said not all of them and pointed to a yellow one, looked like your average snail, and i wasnt biting. 1 snail would be fine , but i dont have any in my tanks now (took long time to remove them from my 30g) dont wanna go through that again. So, was this dude a meatball , or are there really yellow snails that dont multiply?

Anybody got any other ideas ?

Thanks,
Georgie

 

[bigbird]

Hi,

Dont get snails.
ut down on the light and feed a little less. Do a few more water changes and slowly you will get the balnace right. I would use razor blades for the front window of the tank and let the rest be. cheers jk :thumbup:

 

[Lornek8]

What type of algae is it?
Different algaes have different causes & also different solutions. Also, some growth which looks like algae isn't and the reason nothing will eat it.

The yellow snail is probably an apple snail which I think lays eggs out of the water & thus without the right conditions wouldn't reproduce.

 

[Jo Crane]

Otto

 

[macvsog23]

3 rules 10% water change each week don't over stock don't over feed, no need for any thing apart from this. Over feed = more than once a day over stock = more than 3" of fish per 12"

 

[zeebo]

hi everyone , thanks for responding. Dont have a lot , but notice some brown around the slate areas and under the rocks. The farlowella cleans the glass and the wood, but that is his limit of cleaning.

to ans some questions:
I do 10% wc's daily
gravel vacuum every Fri.
fish stock: 2 sub-adult L128's
3 rainbow fish
9 harlequin raspbora
3 pencil fish
1 farlowella
tank: 54g trigon/corner
filters- 2 HOB's and 2 hydra-sponge
feed : 1 time a day (fish in am, phantoms at night)
so what could the brown slimy stuff be from?

thanks,
Georgie

 

[Lornek8]

Does it look like things are covered in a layer of brown dust?
Or is it a sheet of thick brown slime?

Brown dust like coverage is diatoms, most often from long hours of low intensity light & excess nutrients in the form of nitrates or phosphates. Most plecs don't eat it though I've had common bushynoses, ottos eat some or also hillstream loaches. Usually the diatoms show up faster than they are eaten.

If its brown slimy sheets, then its something else, possibly an algae but not something most plecs eat.

 

[zeebo]

Hi,

Dont get snails.
ut down on the light and feed a little less. Do a few more water changes and slowly you will get the balnace right. I would use razor blades for the front window of the tank and let the rest be. cheers jk :thumbup:

ha, razor on the glass wont work as it's a corner tank /bow front , but there is nothing on the glass , it is only brown slime , here and there , discoloring bottom of some rocks, and edging of slate pcs. Also atop one of the hydra-sponge white plastic areas,wipes off easy enough, but i think you are correct, the lighting could be a cause, so will cut down on that and see if that helps. thanks jk, and everyone .

georgie

 

[bigbird]

maybe you need a new light tube as well ? They do run out of brightness after a while. cheers jk :thumbup:

 

[zeebo]

hi JK, no, the lights are fine ,but I do dim them myself part-way through the day ( I use a pc of plastic to partially cover the lights. The tank cover is glass and the lights are not attached,) I do this because the phantoms come to the front edge of the slate covering and rest on the rocks close to the front ...i get to see them

So you think the cause is not enough light ? I will have to stop doing that if so.
Thanks,
Georgie

 

[bigbird]

Hey Georgie,

Look at this
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/algae.htm

Cheers jk :thumbup:

 

[zeebo]

thanks jk, guess i better be checking the phosphate level. Not worth getting a fish just to clear up this problem, as it is minor. Great article , thanks ,

Georgie