# Algea Attack



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

I have a 46 gallon tank 200watt heater, and emperor 400 filter. I have 1 96watt light running for 6 hours a day for the 3 swords and 8 crypt plants growing in it. My question is what is causing the algea to grow so crazily? There are 9 cherry barbs pair of kribs with babies in the tank.

Water Parameters:
Nitrate- 5ppm
Nitrite- 0ppm
Ph- 7.0
GH- 25
KH- 120

There are no algea eaters due to the fact that I am affraid the kribs will kill them when added to the tank. No cory cats to eat left over food, okay tho because I feed very carfully.


----------



## fishman13 (Jul 27, 2009)

Sometimes this happens when you are doing all the right things. Brushmouth plecos will work in any freshwater tank, even with cichlids from around the world and they are great algae eaters. As for the algae i don't know what's wrong. Srry i can't do more. :dancing:


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

Thanks, I was thinking of adding some true SAE's. I am just needing to be careful as the two kribs are quite territorial. The cherry barbs aren't allowed below my filter intake lol


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What does the algae look like? Blue-green and slimy?


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

There is some brown algea on the glass right on the substrate line as well as on the filter intake and heater. Some very bright green algea on the heater and filter intake with the brown stuff. There is some bluish green algae on the glass behind a pot which I can not reach. Both pots are starting to get brownish colored algae as well.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Is your tank new? Diatoms or brown algae is common during the first year. It will go away without treatment and in the meantime it wipes right off.

Blue-green algae is cyanobacteria and can be treated with erythromycin. It happens in my planted tanks when my nitrates go below 10ppm. Fertilize the plants to make them more healthy and the blue-green will go away.


----------



## smilepak (Aug 9, 2004)

I bought 10 of these

http://www.aquariumslife.com/freshwater ... s_catfish/

from Pet's Mart when they were on sale for $1.00 each...they work awesome...

Might get some more...


----------



## Elijah (Mar 30, 2011)

Rammer said:


> Thanks, I was thinking of adding some true SAE's.


I have a CAE and after surviving almost 3 spawns in my convict tank, I moved him in another one where he fears no fish. The tank is located in my bathroom and there was a **** of alot of algae covering the glass! I had black gravel as a substrate, and nearly all of it was brown. A few days after I put the CAE in there, he cleaned it all up! It looks brand-spanking new now.


----------



## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

Do realize that different critters mentioned here eat different types of algae. Your oto and BN pleco, for example, won't do anything for black beard algae.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

smilepak said:


> I bought 10 of these
> 
> http://www.aquariumslife.com/freshwater ... s_catfish/
> 
> ...


I love your choice! I have acouple of them with my tetra's and apistogramma's.

They even eat hydra!!!


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

I have not had very much luck with them in my heated tanks. Had 12 die out of 15 when I bought them for all of my tanks and the only ones that lived were 3 in a unheated 5.5 gallon fry tank. I am not sure if the kribs would allow them to be added... So to help I was thinking of getting SAE's.


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

Okay I finally got picture of all of this algea. Maybe identification would be helpful.

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x45 ... gea012.jpg

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x45 ... gea011.jpg

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x45 ... gea010.jpg

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x45 ... gea009.jpg

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x45 ... gea008.jpg

Sorry for picture quality as they were taken with my iPhone 3GS. What type of plant fertilizer would you guys recommend to help the plants preform better?


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

I see Black Beared Algae (BBA) and Green Hair Algae (GHA)

GHA mean's that there is to much light and fertilizer's combined.

1. When you dose liquid fert's only put 1/2 the amount that it tell's you to put in.
2. Keep your light on for *ONLY* 6-8 hours.

When you do your next PWC change 50% or more.


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

I havent even fertilized my plants yet. All that is feeding the plants in some clay underneath 3 inches of gravel and a layer of paper towel so the swords can get nutrients. The lights are on from 2pm-8pm so that is 6 hours. I only run 1 96watt PC light on the fixture as I don't like how bright it is with both lights running. I started doing this about 3 monthes ago, with an algea bloom from the tank being new. The setup is only 7 monthes old, but this bloom is too much, even came back after using a viniger/water solution on the filter. And taking fish and plants out for a week to use Tetra No More Algae, and it died then came back to what is at now.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Feed less and keep nitrates between 10ppm and 15ppm. Any fish food leftovers and even just fish waste will increase your nitrates and that acts as fertilizer.

Maybe your nitrates were higher at an earlier water change?

Or maybe you have a phosphate problem? I forget about that because mine are zero...I have to add phosphates.


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

So I need to get more nitrates? My nitrates are at 5ppm and that is midway between my once weekly 20% waterchanges, and today was the day and I did 20% as I have to buy r/o water to mix with tap to keep a pH in the neutral for my kribs. I feed twice a day to make sure babies get their nutrition and they only eat the stuff that lands on the bottom. Otherwise all the cherry barbs eat the flakes floating before they sink. and the parents eat some food before it gets to the bottom for the babies. I don't have a phosphate test. Will pick one up tomorrow, as I was thinking that might be it. So I was going to get some phosphate reducing filtration media. I was going to go get 2 Crossocheilus siamensis to help eat what I am assuming the BBA on my plants because they are the only fish that eat it. Maybe pick up 6 otos as well to. Anyone know if the kribs would kill the otos? My only concern on adding fish.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Krib's + oto's = PERFECT

IMO


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

Pheww that is good then, so I am thinking of getting 2 SAE's and 7 oto's for the 46 gallon. Does that work or will there be too much competition for algae? Just wanting to make sure as I know oto's can eat quite a bit of algae themselves! My female krib just decided to kick the male out  I took the male out so he won't get killed by her, now he is in a 12 gallon tank with a bunch of 1/2 inch guppies which I put in a breeding trap just to be safe, but I think that they are big enough for my lfs to buy them from me


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

IMHO don't get the SAE'S. The oto's may die and IMO you don't need that many algae eater's because once it's gone what will all of them eat?


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

I have wafers and zuchini that I blanch, plus I always loose 3+ oto's from acclimation  and the SAE's are the only algae eater to eat the black beard algae. So maybe 2 SAE's and 4 otos in the end


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Ok that sound's AWESOME! My oto's love squash. This is what i do to prepare it.

1. Cut it up
2. Put in bowl
3. Put water in bowl
4. Put bowl with vegetable and water in microwave
5. Set for 2 minutes
6. Empty hot water and put cold water in bowl with vegetable
7. Wait for vegetable to cool down and feed


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Your blue-green algae can be due to low nitrates. This algae can feed on plants that are beginning to die from lack of nutrients (nitrates). So maybe that is more recent?

On the other hand, your black brush algae and green beard algae is due to high nutrients...so maybe at an earlier time in your tank's history the nitrates were higher than 5ppm? Or you have/had too much phosphate in your tank?


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

I don't really know, I am going to get the algae eaters I stated above to help control all the kinds of algae I have growing. I will also get a phosphate test kit, maybe get some fertilizer and not change water that often if I don't have enough nitrate?


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

Once you decide what fert's you are getting please tell me what they are so I can direct according to the product.


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

I was thinking of SeaChem Flourish or there is one that I have the under gravel clay from. It is called dirt gold or gold dirt... can't remember :? I will probably do SeaChem Flourish in combo with SeaChem Flourish Exel and SeaChem Flourish Nitrogen. Getting those three will help with my plant growth I think, as I don't use Co2 injection and don't have an ample supply of nitrate for my plants. Plus the all around one wouldn't hurt would it?


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

IMHO that is way to much fert's.


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

What would you recommend? Just the all around fert?


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

I recommend you get API "Leaf Zone", Seachem flourish, and Root tab's. When/if you do dose the Leaf Zone only put half the amount it tells you and dose it every other PWC. IMO do the same with the Seachem flourish but dose it the week after you dose the Leaf Zone.


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

Okay so for example:
PWC1: API "Leaf Zone" dose
PWC2: Sechem flourish dose
PWC3: API "Leaf Zone" dose

How often on the root tabs?


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

That is good but remember only do 1/2 the dose. As for the root tab's put 1 next to your heavy rooters and if you want put 1 in with your stem plants. Reaplace the root tab every month and don't put it where you put it last time.


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

Okay, thanks I am going to have to wait until next week on the ferts as my lfs didn't have enough to order for this week


----------



## BelieveInBlue (Jul 17, 2011)

I've never had brush algae, but I have had cyano, as well as spot algae, and i find that nerite snails are very good algae eaters. They also don't produce a ton of waste, do not take up a ton of space, and are ok with just about any species at any temperature/pH. also for the BBA, I believe japonica shrimp will take care of them, although I'm not sure how your kribs will respond to them, especially when spawning.


----------



## Rammer (Jun 6, 2011)

thanks for the info on those inverts, but my lfs doesn't get those inverts... the wholesaler they buy from doesn't have a consistant list. like true SAE's show up every once in awhile, but they weren't available this past week. Now all of my baby kribs died  not sure why, but mom was aggressive towards the male so I had to give him his own tank to rest, but he wasn't eating so now he is back as there are no babies. Tomorrow will be a day to rearrange because I am gonna buy some drift wood, so this will hopefully allow blocking line of sight for my future algae eaters.


----------

