# Algae problems



## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

Hello all,

I've been having some troubles in my tank. I'll provide as much details as possible. you can see some (not really great) pics here (http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42535).

I've got some black beard algae growing on a few of my plants (java fern, ludwigia repens, ozelot sword, an hygrophelia).

Also, every time I do a water change or do anything in the tank, I get a lot of floating particles. Little brown specks. It tends to settle on the plants. I don't know if it is maybe some sort of algae, of just dirt, or what. But I think it is algae. It also seems to be infesting the floating trails of my hygoriza (a floating plant with bushey tendrils). I tried rinsing the hygoriza in a bucket with aquarium water, to no avail.

Any thoughts on what this may be?

I did a test recently, and my nitrates were a bit high (30 ppm, which is an increase from before when they were closer to 12-20ppm). I also had some traces of ammonia (the tank is fully cycled and I had zero amonia at last test a week or two ago).

Here is the tank info:
35 gallons (36x12x18 LWH), aquaclear 300 filter (rated to 70 gallons) with sponge, carbon, and the little white rocks in a bag that increase bio filter, from bottom to top). I use tap water. I set the tank up in December, and used filter media and plants from my other tank to kick start the cycle.

Lots of plants, pretty heavily stocked with livestock (opaline gourami, 5 boesemani rainbows, 9 lambchop rasboras, and 8-10 cory cats, to much ground cover to count them), as well as some MTS and ghost shrimp.

I was previously dosing iron and phosphate. I stopped when the BBA appeared.

I used to have a single T8 36 inch light, and a T8 21 inch light, which probably counts as pretty low light. I upgraded to a 3x39W T5 setup (after the BBA took hold). To late to go back now! But even with the low light, most of the plants were growing well.

Since I notice the BBA, I have done several 5 gallon water changes (3 or 4 in 5 days). I also redid my DIY CO2 brew (it had probably died out a week before I changed it, which may have contributed to the BBA). I've been trying to scrape the BBA off by hand, with little luck. But it seems since I changed the CO2 (about 4 days ago) the BBA is reducing a bit.

I feel like conditions are deteriorating a bit and want to put a strop to it before it gets to far. My fish seem healthy, and I want to keep it that way. I'd appreciate any advice, both on the BBA and the brown particulates (which I think is some sort of algae).

Thanks


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## Bantario (Apr 10, 2011)

I had BBA in my tank and I don't run Co2 was just dosing with excel once a week  
I do two water changes a week of 30%-35%,increased my dosing to twice a week and bought a few silver flying fox, NOT siamese flying fox

BBA is all gone 

I love my jungle and so do my fish and shrimp


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## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

I actually meant to mention, I was thinking of dosing excel, but I have some plants (vals) which are known to melt under excel. 

Very nice looking tank!


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## balutpenoy2oy (Feb 17, 2011)

Bantario said:


> I had BBA in my tank and I don't run Co2 was just dosing with excel once a week
> I do two water changes a week of 30%-35%,increased my dosing to twice a week and bought a few silver flying fox, NOT siamese flying fox
> 
> BBA is all gone
> ...


where did you got the silver flyin fox? have you seen it eating BBA? thanks

GREAT TANK


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## Bantario (Apr 10, 2011)

AI had some, yes I have seen them eat it buts its all gone, they don't go agro like the SAE...


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## balutpenoy2oy (Feb 17, 2011)

Bantario said:


> AI had some, yes I have seen them eat it buts its all gone, they don't go agro like the SAE...


AI stands for?. Aqua Inspiration?? And how much they are selling it ? I already used ONE TWO punch algae treatment X2 and it done too little to my tank. And dosing EXCEL, my excel is almost gone and BBA still lingers.


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## Bantario (Apr 10, 2011)

Yes, Aqua Inspirations, think they were like 3-4$, really can't remember!


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Ive never had a problem with vals and excel


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

vals and excel can be an issue when you over dose for hair algae control. I have hurt mine really bad before with excel


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## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

pyrrolin said:


> vals and excel can be an issue when you over dose for hair algae control. I have hurt mine really bad before with excel


Yeah, I am a bit worried about my vals and excel. For some reason, almost everything in my tank grows a lot, ecept the vals!  I had really hoped they would curtain the back of the tank. But I don't want to melt them away.

I think the BBA is not as bad as it was. I have heard adding any CO2 at all can help to stop BBA. I guess we'll see.


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

my vals seem to be okay with excel. what i do is not to dose the 4 doses from the initial use of excel from the instructions. I only add 3/4 of the recommended dose daily. and of course premix the excel with tank water. If i do water changes i do add 1/2 a cap to my aged water.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

with that type of dosing, you should be safe


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## Jordin (Sep 14, 2011)

Bantario said:


> AI had some, yes I have seen them eat it buts its all gone, they don't go agro like the SAE...


SAE don't "go aggro". They are typically a peaceful community fish. Maybe you're confusing SAE with CAE.


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## Bantario (Apr 10, 2011)

Jordin said:


> SAE don't "go aggro". They are typically a peaceful community fish. Maybe you're confusing SAE with CAE.


You're right, what do I know...


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## Jordin (Sep 14, 2011)

Bantario said:


> You're right, what do I know...


Chasing some fish around is not necessarily aggression, it's just being a little territorial. Many fishes exhibit this behavior. If the fish is in an appropriate sized tank, this is not a problem.

There are plenty of reputable sources of information which state the peaceful nature of a true SAE in an appropriate tank.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/algae-control/siamese.php
True Siamese algae eaters are peaceful and can be kept in community tanks with most other friendly fish.

Pretty much every reputable fish care and reference source you can find will say the same thing. This is also my own personal experience and that of my friends who have kept fish for decades.

btw, I wish my plants looked like yours in the "jungle" tank. Looks gorgeous.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Bantario said:


> You're right, what do I know...


LOL

Both are PITA fish and not only chase but they'll suck off the slime coat of other fish if they get a taste for it.


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## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

My BBA appears to be in very serious regression. All i did was stop the ferts, a few biggish water changes, reduce light to 4 hours, and up the CO2 a bit. 

I've still got the brown stuff though. it sort of looks like dust, like when you see dust in the air through sunlight. But it isn't just sand or whatnot, and it seems to be on the leaves of several of my plants. Any thoughts on what it could be? I was thinking maybe free floating diatoms, but I don't know if that is reasonable. it is a light or mid shade of brown, and there is a fair amount of it. Vacuming it up has had minimal impact.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I have the same thing on some older leaves and you can't just wipe it off.


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

sounds like diatoms to me.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

If it is diatoms, Nerite snails really, really love the stuff. Maybe try one to see if it eats it ?


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## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

Upon additional research, I think it is probably diatoms. Hopefully it will clear up before to long. 

No more snails though, I already have a pile of MTS and a growing population of ramshorn snails.


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## balutpenoy2oy (Feb 17, 2011)

Have you tried suctioning/vacuuming it during your WC, this will greatly help. This was I have done if ever I got pissed with it....


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## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

balutpenoy2oy said:


> Have you tried suctioning/vacuuming it during your WC, this will greatly help. This was I have done if ever I got pissed with it....


I've sucked out a lot, and whipped it off my walls. It seems to have minimal impact. Even aggressive vaccing of gravel and plants.

I am in a bit of a strange situation now, in that my efforts to reduce the BBA I had involves less light (down to 4 hours/day), which promotes diatom growth. So once the BBA is gone, I can increase the light, which should then help reduce the diatoms.

It is not to bad, it just doesn't look nice. And I wanted to put some plants up for sale, but obviously can't do so until I am happy that my tank is healthy.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Fwiw, Nerite snails can't reproduce in fresh water. They will lay eggs, singly, on wood or rock, but not on plants. Plants they will clean up like new. 

But eggs will not hatch. So in that way, they are no problem. I get that brown stuff in the uplift tubes and such. I drop the tubes in the tank for the Nerites and they clean it better than I ever could using all the brushes and whatnot I've got for the purpose, then I put the tube back on. Saves me work, they enjoy the brown junk.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

Bantario said:


> You're right, what do I know...


I think you can avoid that by having a single female SAE. My SAE is leaving the other inhabitants alone. In fact, when i had it in my 10 gallon tank, it would be my otto's that would chase it off sometimes when it was eating their food ... In my 75g tank, it gets along with my corrydoras and other fish. Just note that SAE do get big, ie 5 - 6 inch, so you should not get an SAE for only eating alga, as some may even not do it so much.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

Fishfur said:


> Fwiw, Nerite snails can't reproduce in fresh water. They will lay eggs, singly, on wood or rock, but not on plants. Plants they will clean up like new.
> 
> But eggs will not hatch. So in that way, they are no problem. I get that brown stuff in the uplift tubes and such. I drop the tubes in the tank for the Nerites and they clean it better than I ever could using all the brushes and whatnot I've got for the purpose, then I put the tube back on. Saves me work, they enjoy the brown junk.


Nerite Snails will not over populate your tank, as fishfur mentioned. They are a nice Snail to have, that eat some algas and are very peacefull and beautifull, but note the following: They Lay Eggs on Stones, Driftwood, and sometimes the back of the wall. These eggs will never hatch, but, you will see the little white dots, and for some, that is anoying, as they are not the easiest thing to remove.


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

sorry to hijack I am actually looking for a nerite snail for my tank for green dust algae. would anyone know where they can be purchased? are then safe with assassin snails and cherry shrimp?


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