algae!

[PGJE]

in the past week iv'e found this algae in the community tank that grows really quickly and covers everything. it's not bad, if you scrub it off the sides, it all comes out in a big sheet, but i cleaned my tank (including a gravel siphoning) 2 days ago and got rid of all of it and now its back and it grows like crazy! Any ideas on how to get rid of it? it's really annoying.

here are some pictures:
(note that 2 days ago i cleaned the tank so there isn't as much as there was)


as you can see, its even growing on the plants!!!

 

[deeda]

It's called cyanobacteria or commonly blue-green algae and can be difficult to get rid of easily.

I'm not positive what causes it, some say insufficient water flow, too many nutrients, too much light, etc. There should be a few good threads on the forum discussing fixing it if you do a search.

I see you do have live plants so it should be helpful to post tank details including filters used, whether you are dosing fertilizers, what kind and how often, using CO2, lighting type/duration, etc.

I've only been able to get rid of it using Erythromycin, specifically Fish Mycin by Thomas Labs in a couple of my tanks. Others used the black out method with success.

 

[Vibsee]

I get algae when I keep the lights on inside the tanks. Also the tank closest to the window gets maximum algae growth. So I keep the curtains drawn to disallow any daylight from reaching the tank.

 

[PGJE]

i'm using the aquaclear 30 filter, it came with the tank (tank is 23 gallons). i'm not using any fertilizers, the plants do fine by themselves. i'm using standard LED lighting, and i keep it on all day for the plants.

 

[PGJE]

my tank is by a window, but the window is always closed.

 

[PGJE]

my tank is by a window, but the window is always closed.

sorry i mean curtains are always down

 

[Gourami Swami]

It's a combination of the things deeda said; most likely too much light and too many nutrients. Your plants don't need the lights on all day, I would put them on a 6-8hr schedule to get the algae under control.
And, the algae is a sign that there are more nutrients in the tank than the plants can eat; the algae feeds on the excess. What is water change schedule like? Fish waste= nutrients for plants. I would up the water changes a bit.

 

[mattison187]

Try adding a powerhead to add some current. Has helped me in the past with algae issues

 

[Vibsee]

I think it's the light.. I've seen tanks go opaque with algae growth.. because there's too much light inside the tanks or with exposure to daylight..

 

[Bonytang]

lots of people do not like to use API algae fix, it will help though. anything sensitive in there may want to put into a different tank while treating it..super stressful for fish. dose 1/4 than recommended / break it up into several water changes.

also rinsing plants if they're not fully planted easy way to remove algae b/c it'll grow back.. decrease lighting schedule + small internal filter helped out tons for me.