HELP
- Thread starter Kathryn1983
- Start date
well first, Algae will not hurt your fish, we just do not like to see it. normal way is just to scrub it off with a algae brush/pad when you do water change, I personally have a large pleco in each of my tanks to keep it trimmed. Other things are reduce light, meaning not in a window, and reduce nutrients in the water by being careful not to over feed. But you will never stop it from happening, so cleaning it off is about the only way to keep your glass, and decor free of it. or get a common pleco if your tank big enough.
55 gallons, she's maybe just a tiny 3 inches long. She is pretty aggressive and territorial. I've had her about 3 weeks now and have only got her to hand feed once from me. She only get 2-4 pellets twice a day and frozen shrimp once a week. All windows around her aquarium are curtained and closed all day. Her light is on from about 7 a.m-9 p.m. I know she's a female for sure but even after asking numerous ppl on numerous forums if they could I.d her no one has answered me. Personally IDC, I love this fishy and her name (Xena) is a perfect fit.
Put something else in the tank to soak up nitrates. I keep a pile of java moss with our flowerhorn. She's a decorator... loves to rearrange it. Or maybe she hates it... whatever, it soaks up the nitrates and gives her something to do other than try to eat the Laetacara in the next tank over.
I've had good luck with chocolate plecos and bristlenose in aquariums that size. The chocolates are a little tougher though. Similar to a common pleco but stay smaller and clean like crazy. They do leave the stringy poop in the aquarium though. So I guess you have to take the good with the bad
Your lights are on way to long during the day. Fish don't need the lights on, humans do to get a better look at the fish. I run my lights for 1-4 hours a day and my algae is in under control. I only have to clean my glass once every two weeks and the algae that I do keep on some of the big rocks in the tank is a natural filter. It is also a smooth slick surface for when my insanely aggressive male starts doing his normal aggressive displays during water changes. Algae is a healthy natural filter that I believe has a good place in aquariums. But if you only use your lights for 1-4 hours a day your algae problems will most likely be a thing of the past.