bright green algae in 125g

Wipe it weekly. Sounds like it's under control otherwise. Healthy tanks grow healthy fish AND algae!

You could do some live plants in the tank, they'd consume the same nutrients the algae is using to flourish.

One common pleco in a 125 gal won't do the job. Common pleco get lazy and with time prefer to eat fish food to graze algae. A bunch of bristle nose plecos will do a much better job to clear algae than a couple large common pleco. Bristles are smaller and can get into tight corners and crevices to clear algae. They are more timid and will come out at night to do the job. I have a 125 gal with a dozen 2 inch bristle to keep the tank wall clean.

If you replace the common with bristlenose it may help. But just adding more fish without taking others out will increase the bio load and could possibly be more harm than good. Someone can correct me on this if I'm wrong, but I believe some spectrums of bulbs can influence algae growth. I believe high nitrates can affect it also.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

Adam Sabz said:

That's more of what I was looking for, what color spectrums affect the growth more than others. And what other ways besides regular water changes can keep my nitrates down


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Click to expand...

People with planted tanks could probably be more helpful than me on what spectrums do what. Filtration and stocking play a major role in keeping nitrates down. Also using plants such as pothos helps absorb nitrates.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

I'll add onto the common pleco deal. How big is yours, because mine doesn't have much of a choice but to clean my gravel in search for excess food. I only buy my commons at around 2-3 inches and trade them out at about 5. But I only give them algae wafers 2-3 times a month. Algae control got even better when I added in 2 SAE's and a 4.5 inch L200 green phantom pleco. Sadly, as pretty of a fish as it is, it never wants to be seen at all. Ever consider some snails to help you out as well? Mystery snails are sexed at most big box stores, and apple snails you can get singular.

I do have a large stock in my 125 (granted all community fish) and I feed daily and do 20-30% gravel vac/WC's weekly or every other week as my time permits. Your version of gravel vac'ing should be stirring the sand a little bit with your filtration off for about 20 minutes to keep bacteria pockets down and to swish up the algae. I use a magnet for my glass cleanings and it takes me all of 5 minutes minus a couple times a week where I can't go to low to pickup gravel or in your case sand. Below where I use my mag scraper I only clean maybe once every 2 months.

As far as spectrums go on the bulbs. I'm no expert but my reading has shown that the blue spectrum is probably the best when it comes to keeping algae down. The more red spectrums are a better growing of anything 6500k and under. Or using a lower powered light to not reach the bottom. On a 125 it should be roughly 23" tall. Using T8-T12's that are 36" single blulbs at 10000k spectrum would probably reduce some growth. Purple, can't speak for. Those are mostly used in reef setups. But 10k and 420/460 actinics I have barely any noticeable algae with my stock as well.

6500K bulbs are algae feeders, 10000K bulbs should greatly help algae reduction. A bit of bright green algae is a benefit to the health of the aquarium. I personally like the look of green algae on my substrate, dw, and rocks....it looks more natural. Just keep a mag float attached at all times and run it back and fourth one side per day and you should be good.......easy and effortless imo