"algea crew"(pics)

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
MHcblues119

MHcblues119

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Mar 28, 2007
1,425
414
122
Essex, New Jersey
MY 20g planted tank has been taking a beating from algae i just cant get rid of it. Tried putting lights on for shorter amount of time, ETC. So i was thinking of just getting some fish that can completely wipe my problem away

Stock list will be:
1 bushy nose plec
6 ghost shrimp
6 cherry shrimp
6 Amano shrimp
12-20 neon tetras
6 false julli cories
a pair of blue or Bolivian rams

I need to know wat i can add to the tank to get rid of the algae. Otos? anything just need help.

Will post pics of the algae tomorrow right after school.
 
The bushynose pleco could use some more company. The Otos are delicate and small in my opinion. Algae on glass is best removed completely with a scraper. Depending on fish to clean all the algae in a well lit healthy well stocked aquarium without your physical help has never worked for me in 40 years of fish keeping. More fast growing plants in the aquarium can reduce the growth of algae by reducing the amount of food available for the algae to grow.
 
A group of oto cats will work great as long as they the survive initially.
 
what are you using for co2? that could be the problem...
 
Im just using 2 of the little Co2 things from petsmart....Hagen plant grow natrual system.

It is not planted very much so thats probually one of the causes.
 
Don't put in the pleco.

Get a group of otto's. they will stay at about 1.5-2 inches full grown, eat only algae, and won't eat plants like pleco's can.

Don't get the Ghost shrimp, they'll eat the cherries/amanos. I think the amano's aren't really worth the price they fetch, the cherries will do the job the same.

Supplement Co2 in a tank is always healthier for the plants.

What are you dosing?

Make sure there's nothing dead in your tank causing an ammonia spike.

Clean/trim dead plants, clean the plants of algae, don't overfeed, don't keep your lights on too long. that's about it.
 
Um i have heard that bushynose do not eat plants from many of the best(wyld)

And here are pics as promised.....going to do a cleaning tonight so youll see before and after
 
the plants were just thrown in to get them starting to grow until i got all my proper plants....tell me if you have any suggestions
 
if you are dosing with liquid fertilizer I would leave it out and go with the tabs. Otos mainly just eat diatoms and soft green algae and they wont take that film off the glass, like jim said you just have to scrape that stuff, I dont know of fish or invert that will keep that stuff in check. I also agree that the ghost shrimp will pose a threat to the other shrimp unless you keep them well fed, which of course would defeat the algae-eating purpose and probably wind up adding more nutrients to the water with the extra food, plus the cherries and amanos would eat it instead of algae too.

Odds are that if you have a bad algae problem and get rid of one type of algae with a fish or invert another type that they dont eat will set in. That being said, just from the pictures I'd say your algae isnt too bad. Marimo balls seem to help a lot even though they dont grow very fast. I have put about a dozen marimo balls in a mesh bag that oranges came in and hung it in a tank and seen a noticable difference in algae in a short time. A big orange sack hanging in your tank doesnt look too hot lol but maybe you could just add more or something. Light and nutrients in the water are the root of the problem, and if you dont get to the root and just have something eat the algae, usually another type of algae will just set in. That isnt to say that algae eating inhabitants are a bad idea, but I wouldnt use them as a crutch to deal with algae, same with algae chemicals.

I think your tank looks very nice, I particularly like the way you have the gravel and larger rocks arranged, very natural looking
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom