# Algae walls in shrimp tanks



## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

Who has an algae wall in their shrimp tank? Im currently letting the back wall of my 10 gallon build up naturally with algae for the shrimps...anyone else do this? Good idea or no point? I had seen the shrimps when in my 5 gallon eating and picking away at it all the time, especially shrimplets


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

Extra nitrate eaters.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

I had this in a sulawesi tank. It's quite a perfect wall now.

It's definitely I good thing for a shrimps tank. And it can be a nice background


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## Cubeman (Sep 4, 2009)

I keep two of my walls with algae for my shrimp. I periodically scrape part of it off. As soon as I do, I find that the shrimp start to gather to snack on the loosened algae. They seem to prefer the newer growth algae to the older.


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## sunjwd (May 31, 2007)

Cubeman said:


> I keep two of my walls with algae for my shrimp. I periodically scrape part of it off. As soon as I do, I find that the shrimp start to gather to snack on the loosened algae. They seem to prefer the newer growth algae to the older.


I only added my first RCS (shrimp) (thanks Mcken) a month ago.
I had an algae infestation: it was all over my rocks, my glass, my substrate, and starting to cover my moss.
The shrimp went to town and it was awesome that within 1 week all the algae on my rocks, moss and substrate disappeared. At the moment, I do not see
new algae growth on the moss and substrate, but do see continuing growth
on the rocks - with the RCS controlling it well.

However, i don't really see the shrimp eating the algae on the glass in a big
way. There are always shrimp on the glass, but not in the numbers I saw 
on the rocks and substrate. There is enough algae on the glass that I still have to scrub my glass on a weekly basis.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

sunjwd said:


> I only added my first RCS (shrimp) (thanks Mcken) a month ago.
> I had an algae infestation: it was all over my rocks, my glass, my substrate, and starting to cover my moss.
> The shrimp went to town and it was awesome that within 1 week all the algae on my rocks, moss and substrate disappeared. At the moment, I do not see
> new algae growth on the moss and substrate, but do see continuing growth
> ...


What type of algae is it? Google for 'algae types'


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## sunjwd (May 31, 2007)

igor.kanshyn said:


> What type of algae is it? Google for 'algae types'


Really sorry but I am not expert enough to know what kind of algae
looking at the material on Google.
It is just green film that grows on my glass. If untouched for a few weeks
it starts to obscure my view. If I use a plastic 
plaster scraper I can take most of it off and the "sheets" float around.
If I use a metal pot scrubber, it comes off pretty easily although there
are some isolated spots that seem to be harder/grittier that I have to
work harder on.

Again, it is not that the shrimp don't eat it, just they don't seem to like it
on the glass as much as on the rocks and substrate. I'm thinking it feels
more exposed being on the glass?

Main question: do other hobbyists experience this glass phobia, or do your RCS clean the glass well enough that you no longer have to clean it?


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## dp12345 (Sep 12, 2010)

check this out:

step by step diy java moss wall @ you tube





dp


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

i do the same for my goby.
i also think that keeping a patch of controlled algae keeps trouble algae at bay (over moss, over plants etc.)


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

http://www.otocinclus.com/articles/algae.html

http://www.guitarfish.org/algae
Algae sites. Second posting has better pics.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

sunjwd said:


> Really sorry but I am not expert enough to know what kind of algae
> looking at the material on Google.
> It is just green film that grows on my glass. If untouched for a few weeks
> it starts to obscure my view. If I use a plastic
> ...


Green algae that grows on a tank sides is usually good. And this is a good shrimp food.
You shrimps might have something other to eat, so they are not interested in algae a lot.
Shrimps can not clean tank sides as plecos of snails, but they help.

I used to have a tank with hundreds of shrimps and it was almost no algae even with a strong light. Shrimps eat it away.


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## CrystalMethShrimp (Apr 27, 2010)

I seem to having the same problem.
Especially with co2 and my lights on 14 hours a day.

Guess using ferts is outta the question.

Just turn your light on for a shorter period of time and get a pleco.


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