I have set up some tanks for cherry shrimp and triops in the lab where I work to breed for a class. I put some plants in and cycled the tank with ammonia, the tank was cycled in about a month but now I have a huge algae bloom from the lighting for the plants. I want to get rid of the algae without using any chemicals because the algae killer usually contains copper which would kill any crustacean I put in there. If all else fails I will just black out the tanks and starve the algae to death and just let the plants die. I was thinking of using daphnia to eat the algae but I'm not sure they eat algae as we feed them bakers yeast. Any help would be appreciated thanks.
Getting rid of free floating algae
- Thread starter Corey236
- Start date
If you've got a spare heater just put your plants in a barrel and go dark, should take about 24-36 to kill it all off.
If that is successful, you will then need to concentrate on prevention, does the tank have direct sunlight(one of the biggest problems with algae)? If not can you reduce the lighting cycle or add C02 to compensate for the reduced light?
If that is successful, you will then need to concentrate on prevention, does the tank have direct sunlight(one of the biggest problems with algae)? If not can you reduce the lighting cycle or add C02 to compensate for the reduced light?
No direct sunlight and yeah I can reduce the photoperiod. The photoperiod is the problem, I cut the lights on when I get there and my boss is supposed to cut the lights off before she leaves but apparently she forgets a lot, cant even see the bottom of the 10 gallon tank because of all the algae.
Done. I put 10 or 15 daphnia in the tank and couldnt even see the bottom because of all the algae on Friday. Today is Tuesday and there is a billion daphnia and absolutely no algae! How awesome is that! I'm gunna scoop them out eventually but that worked phenomenally well. As long as you dont have a fish that will eat them then daphnia is the fastest and easiest way to get rid of free floating algae!!
Wouldnt the UV sterilizer kill them on the surface of the glass too? Any way the problems solved now, the daphnia died down now, not nearly as many in there. Theres a crap load of nematodes on the glass though, I guess their eating the algae on there.