View Full Version : How to grow algae...?
toehead11183
10-14-2007, 1:01 PM
is there an easy way to grow algae? I've brought carpet alage, brown algae, java moss and hair algae how trying to get it to grow. clown plecos, apple snails and african cichlids that eat off the rocks. i hate feeding so many algae waffers. is there a better type of algae or plant that will grow quickly enough to stay ahead of the algae eaters?
rob0521
10-14-2007, 1:06 PM
i wish i knew how to not grow algae.
plenty of light should grow it
toehead11183
10-14-2007, 4:05 PM
tank faces a window which gets plenty of afternoon sun, ive opened the blinds. my onion plant has gotten huge but still very little algae
Get some extra rocks and put them in jars of old tank water on the window sill. With the bright light and nothing to eat it the algae will grow fast. Then just exchange the rocks for the ones in the tank. Clean ones from the tank go on the windowsill to grow again.
In summer you can use a shallow tub of water outside.
With enough rocks in the cycle you can grow usefull amounts of algae for your fish and just give them a new rock each day ;)
Cheers
Ian
Jkoziatek
10-15-2007, 8:30 PM
ian thats actually a really great idea... i'm really gunna try that!
Freeze_Dried_Bloodworm
10-16-2007, 10:19 AM
Wanna trade tanks? :D
toehead11183
10-16-2007, 2:36 PM
Wanna trade tanks? :D
lol, i've always had algae free tank, dont know why, when i was breading apple snails, i'd bring home bags of green slime algae from work and try to grow it in my other tanks, always with failure. i had 1 2" clown pleco in my 150 and one in my 55 and they were spotless, i took the one out of the 55 and still no algae. i guess im doing something right but i dont know what. all 7 tanks from the last 3 years have never had algae
duke33
10-16-2007, 2:40 PM
I have a 55 that gets direct sun for about 15 minutes in the eve., I can't keep that one clean enough.
duke33
10-16-2007, 2:41 PM
I like the rock thing. Maybe try aiming a mirror at it?
Yakuza-Irezumi
10-16-2007, 2:44 PM
Want to grow algae you say?Ok,leave the lights on for 18 hours(timer would help) and cut back on WC's a hair OR over-feed ONCE.But keep those lights on.Ever see algae that grew in the dark?GREEN algae? An abundance of light and nutrients are the culprits.I have trails of it as long as the ten gallon its in.
toehead11183
10-16-2007, 4:41 PM
Want to grow algae you say?Ok,leave the lights on for 18 hours(timer would help) and cut back on WC's a hair OR over-feed ONCE.But keep those lights on.Ever see algae that grew in the dark?GREEN algae? An abundance of light and nutrients are the culprits.I have trails of it as long as the ten gallon its in.
lights are on 15 hr/day, only thing about low WCs and overfeeding is they are tanganykin cichlids and they are very sensitive to water contitions. ive given up on the algae and started dropping cucumbers in
Jkoziatek
10-17-2007, 3:48 PM
cucumbers r a good way to go... best way to do is is attach it to a fork on a string... cast in the fork... then pull it out when u wanna put some more on!
hamato_yoshii
10-17-2007, 4:02 PM
this is funny, i cant grow algae either. i even put a second light on my tank to help the growth, i still got nothin.