How do you control algae?

[Drstrangelove]

No. It is not fully cycled. However, I started it, 3 weeks ago, with a fully cycled canister filter, from another tank and 1 new canister filter.

Just guessing since we don't know the media you're using, but math-wise, you've added enough nitrate (and removed enough with daily 3% WC) to sit at 109 ppm after 3 weeks, but instead you are at zero nitrates.

Filter might not have been fully cycled to begin with, or if it was idle long enough, the BB may have perished. Or the BB may have been inadvertently killed off. Or you may just not have valid nitrate readings.


Just speculating, but I would have expected high readings in a tank using a cycled filter.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Well if you don't have algae yet, I wouldn't worry too much about it until you do. Then if you do, you can play with the light cycle, maybe a phosphate absorber, plenty of variables to change.
On the water changes, do you have a drip system or doing this by hand?

 

[imabot]

I found a good guide on how to deal with the various types you'll get. To avoid it or at least minimize try to avoid having natural sunlight hit your aquarium, limit lighting, and avoid excess nutrients.

 

[TwoHedWlf]

I haven't had any issues with algae in my 120g tank in a long time, I wiped some algae off the glass a few months ago, first time in a decade. Just have a redspot, goldspot and a few bristlenoses. Run my lights 16 hours/day.

No idea what my secret is...

 

[duanes]

I do believe in changing a tanks total amount of water around twice per week.
In nature, in many areas (especially rivers) fish are getting a 100% change very minute (some like parts of the Amazon, every second), so almost 200%per week is hardly excessive.
I also try to use a large percent of the water twice. In Wisconsin I had about 1500 gallons in tanks, and so it was even more than a couple hundred gallons.
Seasonally, water change water is sent to barrels that divide it between gardens, fruit trees, or the lawn, and replenish water in the pond, old tank water is also used water house plants and to flush the toilets.

 

[Hipporhyn]

I haven't had any issues with algae in my 120g tank in a long time, I wiped some algae off the glass a few months ago, first time in a decade. Just have a redspot, goldspot and a few bristlenoses. Run my lights 16 hours/day.

No idea what my secret is...

TwoHedWlf
That is probably because you have those pleco s. I like plecs a lot too. However, my RedDevil (Bruce) does not.

 

[Hipporhyn]

duanes
That is a very cool set up. I do use tank water for my plants but all those other things you do are great ideas. I am going to think further about ways to reuse tank water. My Red Devil (Bruce) does not like large water changes. When I have done 50% he sulks for about 2 days. He does not mind the smaller water changes.

 

[skjl47]

use plants like Pothos, and Papyrus in tanks and sumps, to help use up the nutrients most algae feed on. The plant mass must outweigh the fish to be of any real control.

hello; This and let me add that to remove nitrates I try to remove old damaged or dead leaves and do not allow them to decay in the tank. I also harvest some healthy plants to remove mass which is nitrates converted into plants. When possible I take the harvested plants to an area fish shop.

Lighting 9 hours a day of full “daylight” from my 2 Current Orbit IC LED

Hello; The time does not sound excessive. Some will depend on the intensity of the light.

It is not fully cycled. However, I started it, 3 weeks ago, with a fully cycled canister filter, from another tank and 1 new canister filter.

Filter might not have been fully cycled to begin with, or if it was idle long enough, the BB may have perished. Or the BB may have been inadvertently killed off. Or you may just not have valid nitrate readings.

Hello; Yes a mature filter from an established tank should quick start the cycle. It can take a bit of time to get a balanced beneficial bacteria (bb) population but some nitrates ought to show up right away.

Just speculating, but I would have expected high readings in a tank using a cycled filter

Hello; This

 

[Hipporhyn]

hello; This and let me add that to remove nitrates I try to remove old damaged or dead leaves and do not allow them to decay in the tank. I also harvest some healthy plants to remove mass which is nitrates converted into plants. When possible I take the harvested plants to an area fish shop.


Hello; The time does not sound excessive. Some will depend on the intensity of the light.




Hello; Yes a mature filter from an established tank should quick start the cycle. It can take a bit of time to get a balanced beneficial bacteria (bb) population but some nitrates ought to show up right away.

Hello; This

 

[skjl47]

Aquarium cycling link


http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/nitrogen_cycle.html