# Is this algae??



## 69183 (Apr 25, 2011)

Was working on my canopy tonight and went to test the sizing on the aquarium and I noticed all this brown (there's a little green mixed in too, but you can't see it in the pictures) stuff on the limestone in my the aquarium.


















Stats:
75 Gallon
Fluval FX5 filter
300 watt Fluval heater
Temp = 78.5 F
Cycled for about a month
Ammonia < .25ppm
Nitrites < .25ppm
Nitrates < 20ppm
PH ~8.0

I'm guessing it's algae, but I don't know. It's pretty much growing on the right side of all the rocks. Well when I put the aquarium where it is, I didn't think about the little (basement size) window up near the ceiling, about 5 ft above the aquarium to the right of the aquarium. I'm going to go get a blind for that window tomorrow. But just want confirm this is algae and not something that is going to harm the fish (sorry, I'm new to the aquarium world).

I also have LED lights that I've been running on a timer. The white lights (day lights) come on at 7:30am and turn off at 9:30pm. The blue lights (moon lights) come on at 9:30pm and turn off at 7:30am. I was reading that 9 - 10 hours of the day lights is sufficient, when they're off can I leave the blue lights on (timer I have turns the blue lights on whenever the daylights are off, I would have to buy a separate timer to turn the lights off completely). Will the blue lights stimulate the algae growth?


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Likely diatom algae, not harmful.


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## 69183 (Apr 25, 2011)

How do I get rid of it? I know I need to cut the light from the window? What's a good algae eater that I can put in with the cichilds (Yellow Labs, Demasani, Yellow Tailed Acei, Socolofi)? I have a Syndontis Multiplicantus (spelling??), I know he's not an algae eater more of a waster picker upper.


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## aprildawn (Sep 8, 2010)

Nerite snails work great & they won't reproduce.


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## 69183 (Apr 25, 2011)

aprildawn said:


> Nerite snails work great & they won't reproduce.


How many would be good for a 75 Gallon?


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## aprildawn (Sep 8, 2010)

I have 7 & they do a great job. You could probably do more. There are a number of different species out there. Just pick the one that strikes your fancy. I got mine on craig's list.


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## aprildawn (Sep 8, 2010)

I forgot to mention one downfall. They do lay eggs (that won't hatch) but you do end up with white eggs on your rocks, etc. I don't mind them but some people do. It seems that they disappear after awhile.


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## aprildawn (Sep 8, 2010)

I just reread your first post and noticed that you use blue lights. I have 1 actinic light & 1 basic light. the actinic really seems to encourage green algae growth. I do like the look of the green algae & it is food for my synos. I leave the actinic lights off when i have too much growth.


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## 69183 (Apr 25, 2011)

aprildawn said:


> I just reread your first post and noticed that you use blue lights. I have 1 actinic light & 1 basic light. the actinic really seems to encourage green algae growth. I do like the look of the green algae & it is food for my synos. I leave the actinic lights off when i have too much growth.


Yeah, they're all LED. I have 6 strips of LEDs. 4 of them are white (alternating 2 white LEDs and 1 blue LED) and 2 of them are straight blue LEDs. I'm trying to figure out a way to shut the lights of completely with this timer, as when it turns of the "day light" outlets it automatically turns on the "night light" outlets. There's no timer settings for the "night light" outlets. Wish I knew that before I bought the timer.


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## aprildawn (Sep 8, 2010)

I don't know if the blue LED's will cause algae growth. I do know that my blue lights do. I usually run both white & blue all day & switch to just blue for a few hrs at night & turn all off at bedtime. if my algae growth gets too bad, i run just white during the day & still use just blue for a few hrs at night. it seems to slow down the algae growth until the snails & fish get it under control.


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