# Algae all around?



## brapbrapboom (Sep 2, 2009)

Ive noticed now, my tank has been wrapped in ALGAE D:

Should I just manual scrub it? or are there any other way?

Also, Ive noticed that some of my fishes are more active and exploring the tank when the lights are off, and when the lights are on they just stay on one side of the tank.

Thanks in advance for the comments and suggestions!

p.s.

If this should be on Beginners Cycle please do move it mods.


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

you're doing all the weekly water change ?
taking out uneaten food?
tank is not in direct sunlight?
light isn't on for more than 8 hours a day?


you can either scrub it or get some algae eating bottomfeeders.. but from the sounds of it.. u will probably need to scrub it since it might be the hard algae not the soft one


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## brapbrapboom (Sep 2, 2009)

Water changes = check

taking out uneaten food = check

Indirect sunlight = some sunlight passes through the window when its morning time around 7ish-8ish

as for the light, sometimes its left on for about 10hrs a day D: i need to check on that or maybe get an automatic timer, is there any time of the day which is the best to turn the lights on?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

brapbrapboom said:


> as for the light, sometimes its left on for about 10hrs a day D: i need to check on that or maybe get an automatic timer, is there any time of the day which is the best to turn the lights on?


Try cutting your photoperiod down to 8 hours instead of 10. There really isn't any particular time of the day which is best to turn the lights on. I like to have my lights on when I will be at home, so the lights are on from 5 pm - 1 am or so.


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> Try cutting your photoperiod down to 8 hours instead of 10. There really isn't any particular time of the day which is best to turn the lights on. I like to have my lights on when I will be at home, so the lights are on from 5 pm - 1 am or so.


wow you stay up late!


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Fish_Man said:


> wow you stay up late!


That's the life of a graduate student. Working in the lab from 9-6 (or later) and then going home to read papers until you're exhausted


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> That's the life of a graduate student. Working in the lab from 9-6 (or later) and then going home to read papers until you're exhausted


haha nice nice.. at least you get to stay up late.. either I'm on call or in the OR early in the morning at the hospital


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

brapbrapboom said:


> Ive noticed now, my tank has been wrapped in ALGAE D:
> 
> Should I just manual scrub it? or are there any other way?
> 
> Also, Ive noticed that some of my fishes are more active and exploring the tank when the lights are off, and when the lights are on they just stay on one side of the tank.


If you have algae on sides on a tank, wipe if with a sponge. It's the easiest type of algae to get rid of 
If you have algae on plants, reduce your light or a lighting period. Algae eating fishes and amano shrimps will help. Some people grow algae to feed these creatures, but I don't think that this is your case 

Some of your fishes can be inactive during a day, because of lack of hiding places, or they might need a company to float with (schooling fishes), or they might be chased by other fishes and now are trying to hide ... It really depends on fishes and your environment. Some fishes (some plecos) should be active at night.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

brapbrapboom said:


> Water changes = check
> 
> taking out uneaten food = check
> 
> ...


 Unless you can guarantee that you're there at X and Y to turn them on and off and never forget the changes in on/off time from day to day will affect your plants a little bit. on at 9 today, 8:30 tommorow, 9:30 the next day, it's not natural, know what I mean? Timers are only like $5-12 at any hardware or general store (ie, zellers)

I'm pretty sure that it does not matter particularly when you have the lights on. If you run the lights eight hours from 9am to 5pm or from 1pm to 9pm I don't think it really makes any difference to the way your plants and fish are going to grow or behave. If you did something like having them on from midnight to 8am and off all day, that'd probably screw them up a bit... The room would never be dark enough during the day to simulate a night cycle.

You should look at amano shrimp, bushynose pleco, and nerite snails (nerite snails lay ugly white eggs. Just FYI). A combo of the 'zerbra' and reddish ones with dark dots eats a lot of different algae types. They're fun to watch too. As for the amano shrimp they live for yeeears and they're tough as nails and hilarious. Just make sure you haven't got fish that will harass or try to eat them. Mbuna, a lot of west african riverine cichlids, for example.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> Timers are only like $5-12 at any hardware or general store (ie, zellers)


Dollarama in Duffering Mall charges $2 for a timer  This might be the least expensive piece of aquarium equipment I have


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

igor.kanshyn said:


> If you have algae on sides on a tank, wipe if with a sponge. It's the easiest type of algae to get rid of


Be very cautious about using kitchen sponges, since some have mold inhibitors in them which can kill your fish.

Btw, you can make an algae scraper by cutting the plastic lid iof a food container in half. Cottage cheese or round deli container lids are a convenient size.


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