algea problem in sword tank

[pro_gro21]

I have a 20 gallon tank planted with various sword species, having a major problem with blue-green slime algea :swear: . Tried daily water chnges and srubbing tank. Any recomondations.

[bluedempsey]

I have a 20 gallon tank planted with various sword species, having a major problem with blue-green slime algea :swear: . Tried daily water chnges and srubbing tank. Any recomondations.
u can try a small uv sterilizer?

[PUFFERMAN]

:iagree:

[pro_gro21]

any brand in particular?

[sohfatfish]

Jebao from china.. they are very cheap and u can throw it away if it doesnt work for your tank. A Uv filter will only kill the algae spores in your tank, it would not eradicate the algae, it would just stop them from spreading. I think u should tell us your water parameters first and also the photoperiod, then we can help more. Get siamese algae eaters... they eat nearly all kinds of algae. Ottos might help also but they are abit difficult to rear. Lower your photoperiod to about 6 hours a day and then keep doing water changes and removing the algae by hand.

[Stradic]

i agreed

[rweedon]

not sure what you mean by slime algae but you can use chinese algae eaters or otocinclus neither one of them eat plants...

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

These are actually no algae but bacteria, which makes it hard to treat. Antibiotics only harm your system. There are two ways, and you will have to be very persistent. It took weeks and weeks when I had blue algae in my 80 gal. 1) Water changes. Get all the slime out when you change the water. Change water as soon as it starts to build back up and remove it again. 2) There are some specific drugs against them. Look at your local fishstore.

Good luck, I feel with you, it sucks and is ugly!
HarleyK

[tom h]

the problem is too much light or fertilzer( either the liquid kind or the fish produced kind) try to get a handle on these while you're doing the clean up and water changes