Ive had an algae bloom in my tank for quite sometime now and its getting quite troublesome, iv been scooping out the waste and everything! I even bought a little bottom feeder! Im afraid to scrub the sides of the tank cause i want Otto to have something to eat! (Otto is my bottom feeder) Any advise please?
This can be quite a tough problem! Don't be afraid to clean the sides because there will be plenty of algae left for Otto on the decorations, gravel, and plants.
A common contributor to algae problems is too much nutrients in the water (could be caused by overstocking the tank leading to too much fish waste, overfeeding, leading to too much uneaten food, or even nutrients in your tap water). Check your water specifically for nitrates. If you don't have a kit handy, your local pet store should be happy to help you with water tests and how you can improve the quality of your water.
Other common contributors:
*Allowing your tank to be exposed to daylight
*Keeping your tank lights on too long each day (8-10 hours a day is enough)
*Not doing regular water changes or changing too little water at a time.
If you don't have live plants there are several chemical algae controllers available that some people like. Personally I suggest you avoid those and target the root cause - your fishes will be happier and healthier for it!
A common contributor to algae problems is too much nutrients in the water (could be caused by overstocking the tank leading to too much fish waste, overfeeding, leading to too much uneaten food, or even nutrients in your tap water). Check your water specifically for nitrates. If you don't have a kit handy, your local pet store should be happy to help you with water tests and how you can improve the quality of your water.
Other common contributors:
*Allowing your tank to be exposed to daylight
*Keeping your tank lights on too long each day (8-10 hours a day is enough)
*Not doing regular water changes or changing too little water at a time.
If you don't have live plants there are several chemical algae controllers available that some people like. Personally I suggest you avoid those and target the root cause - your fishes will be happier and healthier for it!
Personal experience
Make sure your aquarium isn't in direct sunlight. this contributes to algae growth. Get a couple of Siamese Algae Eaters (flying fox), or a plecostomus, if your tank is large enough. Algae can be controlled by frequent water changes, frequent gravel vacuuming, and low ammonia/nitrite levels. Don't be afraid to scrub the sides.
There are many types of bottom feeders; not all of them eat algae. In fact, 'bottom feeders' are simply fish that swim in the bottom level of the aquarium! Most don't even eat algae (example: corydoras Catfish) Scrub the algae, perform 20-30% water changes every couple days, remove from direct sunlight, and get an algae eater, not just a 'bottom feeder;.Also, an excellent way to control algae is with live plants, which compete with algae for food, nutrients, and light.
Good Luck!
There are many types of bottom feeders; not all of them eat algae. In fact, 'bottom feeders' are simply fish that swim in the bottom level of the aquarium! Most don't even eat algae (example: corydoras Catfish) Scrub the algae, perform 20-30% water changes every couple days, remove from direct sunlight, and get an algae eater, not just a 'bottom feeder;.Also, an excellent way to control algae is with live plants, which compete with algae for food, nutrients, and light.
Good Luck!
Experienced Aquarium Hobbyist
First and foremost- What colour algae is it? Algae comes in several different colours. I have occasional outbreaks of green spot algae, which is green and looks like patches of paint, growing on the front of my tank- It's from being a tank exposed to natural daylight. This algae is more an aesthetic problem than anything else. Also, it pretty much needs to be scraped off of glass with a razor blade.
Some algae isn't a good thing, though, and I've linked to two great sites for help, and a third which is great for general fish tank maintenance.
Some algae isn't a good thing, though, and I've linked to two great sites for help, and a third which is great for general fish tank maintenance.
http://www.otocinclus.com/articles/algae...
http://www.aquariumpros.com/faqpro/algae...
http://www.guppies.com/forums/
http://www.aquariumpros.com/faqpro/algae...
http://www.guppies.com/forums/
Firefly had some great tips for dealing with algae. There are only a couple of side notes I'd like to point out.
First, algae is harmless to fish. It won't harm them if you have a bit in your tank.
Second, Ottos don't eat algae exactly, they eat micro algae. Usually they stick the the green stuff, and sometimes eat a bit of the brown.. but they won't touch much of anything else. And they will adapt to eat things other than algae, such as flakes that fall to the bottom, or shrimp pellets. If you're really worried about them getting enough food you could try to feed them some veggies. Zucchini for example.. though some ottos may not touch that. Mine don't.
First, algae is harmless to fish. It won't harm them if you have a bit in your tank.
Second, Ottos don't eat algae exactly, they eat micro algae. Usually they stick the the green stuff, and sometimes eat a bit of the brown.. but they won't touch much of anything else. And they will adapt to eat things other than algae, such as flakes that fall to the bottom, or shrimp pellets. If you're really worried about them getting enough food you could try to feed them some veggies. Zucchini for example.. though some ottos may not touch that. Mine don't.
good answers from the previous 2 answers. only thing I can add is cut back to 1 feeding per day, i change 50% water every week, and do scrub the sides of tank but not back, snails, fish, etc. will not do the job for you. most likely your filtering system is too small or is not being maintained properly
Update the first 2 posts are what i refer to
Update the first 2 posts are what i refer to
500+ gallons
To control algae, you have to control light and nutrients.
Start by scrubbing all the algae off the sides of the tank and then vacuuming and doing a 20% water change. You little otto will find lots of algae on the gravel and you can also drop a sinking algae tablet in for him once a week.
Check your Nitrate level, it should be below 20. If it isn't, start doing more frequent water changes, about 10% every 3 days until the nitrate level drops. Also check your replacement water for nitrates. If the replacement water has a high nitrate level, then you need to find another source of water.
Phosphates are another nutrient that a lot of aquarists forget to check. Algae LOVE high phosphates. Fortunately, water changes can control the phosphate level too, as long as the new water doesn't have a high phosphate level.
Next, keep the tank light off for most of the day and night and keep natural sunlight from hitting your tank. You should see improvement within a few days.
Once you've gotten the algae under control - add some plants. Plants compete for the nitrates and phosphates and will starve the algae.
Don't bother with any of the chemical algacides. All they do is kill the present algae, and cause a spike in nitrates from the decaying algae, which in turn, causes an algae bloom. You want to find the balance between having just a little bit of algae and being overrun!
Start by scrubbing all the algae off the sides of the tank and then vacuuming and doing a 20% water change. You little otto will find lots of algae on the gravel and you can also drop a sinking algae tablet in for him once a week.
Check your Nitrate level, it should be below 20. If it isn't, start doing more frequent water changes, about 10% every 3 days until the nitrate level drops. Also check your replacement water for nitrates. If the replacement water has a high nitrate level, then you need to find another source of water.
Phosphates are another nutrient that a lot of aquarists forget to check. Algae LOVE high phosphates. Fortunately, water changes can control the phosphate level too, as long as the new water doesn't have a high phosphate level.
Next, keep the tank light off for most of the day and night and keep natural sunlight from hitting your tank. You should see improvement within a few days.
Once you've gotten the algae under control - add some plants. Plants compete for the nitrates and phosphates and will starve the algae.
Don't bother with any of the chemical algacides. All they do is kill the present algae, and cause a spike in nitrates from the decaying algae, which in turn, causes an algae bloom. You want to find the balance between having just a little bit of algae and being overrun!
depending on how large your tank is, you may want to get more than one bottom feeder. otto wont be able to eat all the stuff by himself. he will get full after awhile and itll still be growing. think about getting 2 or 3 bottom feeders.