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my side walls in my tank are still brown with an algea I assume and so is any kind of decoration or plant. It's not in direct sun light, the tank has been set up for about two years and this has just started in the past month. It's a 44 gal tank, I don't believe it's over crowed, I have a good filter, I can't remember the name without having to get up and look (it's something like flues)and I feed only once daily. Could it have something to do with the heater(probably a dumb question )Please help. Thanks

get some ottos, or a bn they will clear up that algae real quick

algae eatters will solve most of the problem. or you can do it the old fashion way, and clean everything by hand.

The type of algea you are talking about are called diatoms and are found in water with a lot of phosphates, with at least a moderate amount of nitrates, and low light.

Increasing the amount of light will give you green algea instead if you prefer that brand, but the best way to get rid of it is to reduce phosphates and nitrates through more frequent water changes (usually reduced feedings also helps, but you have already done that).

Mag float algea scrapers work great to manually remove the diatoms from the glass, but the decorations you will have to clean by hand if the phosphates remain high.

If you can't tell, I've had this problem too...The best solution for me was a heavily planted tank with CO2 injection, as the plants use the available phosphate and nitrate before algea can take hold....but not everybody wants to get into that.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

bailey

If it has just happened something you have done has also changed, it also could be a build up of??

Tell us more about your tank all water details, lighting and hrs on, also the type and numbers of fish you have.

In the mean time just clean it off, there are many products on the market you can use.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Additionally, don't bother cleaning algae off the sides and back of the tank; just do the front. Algae is present in pretty much all aquatic ecosystems, and it doesn't really do anything other than absorb nitrates (which is good).

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Good job only feeding once a day, overfeeding is the most common source of the algal nutrients ammonia and phosphate. lighting should be on a timer 10-14 hours a day for planted aquariums, and 6-10 for ornamental setups. more frequent water changes help, test the tap water sometime is can have high amounts of phosphate, keep you filters clean if they get to dirty, they will aid algae growth, if you have plants the more plant the more competition for light and nutrients. some algae is ok but you have to control it, No one wins the battle against algae success is finding a natural balance in your closed ecosystem.
(found in drsfostersmith mag.)

www.responsiblethrashers.com

Guys thank you so much!!!:%), I will give you the information on my tank tomorrow. It is late and have a nasty headache, going on four days. I did do something different and I will tell you all tomorrow. As well as asking what some of the stuff you mentioned means. Thank you, Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning! I just tested the water. The ph is at 6.0, I have never been able to raise it, the nitrate is at 0. Those are the only tests that I have. Although I have a tank, I still know very little so forgive my ignorance and if I ask what may seem to be a silly question to you. My daughter walked out and asked what anm I doing? and I said trying to figure out what happened to my tank, her reply was It all started when your pleco?????as died. So okay things did go wierd after that. But just prior all of my decorations were starting to turn really black(DARK green), also one them even looked fuzzy(gross) so I took them out and started to scrub them, and them days later they started to turn brown and so did my walls. Within 10 days my whole tank was brown (walls and stuff) So I did a 40-50% water change thinking I might be able get most of that stuff out in the water. I didn't do anything to the filter because of the big water change, I didn't want to cause other problems. I also throw away some of the decorations, which I will be throwing away the other today after cleaning, seeings how I can't get it clean. The filter is a 304 fluval. My lighting use to stay on about 8-10 hours a day. But since this started I minimized to almost nothing because it looks so ugly, but them someone suggested last week that I turn the light on anyway, there were some days that I had it on for 24 hours. As far as what I have... I have a real nice bright orange with black tiny spots and black tipped fins..discus..good size. He would sell for about $80. at this particular size. I have one bala shark(the other died shortly before or after my pleco, about three inches. I have three neons, one cory cat fish, two of the clown loches, two (I had 4) of the red eye tetras(I think that, that's what they are called). They are small, silver body and black tails with red eyes. I have two sm-med sized angle fish. Oh and one plant. Okay what are ottos and BN? I do want to get more fish but not til the problem is solved and I want color but I don't want something that is going to pick on my discus. I had to get rid of my huge ,huge angle fish because he was making life miserable for him. So suggestions needed there also. Thank you so much and sorry for the book.
:%)

Last edited by bailey at 12-Jun-2005 12:09

You don't need to worry about changing the filter with a large water change. There is very little bacteria in the water. I just wouldn't do a gravel vac and change all the filter media at the same time because your bacteria is mostly in your gravel and filter. Throwing out the decorations won't really help unless they are discolored and look bad but the algae will just grow on something else. Soaking decorations in vinegar and rinsing well will kill any algae without introducing dangerous chemicals to the tank. Your ph is just fine especially for the softwater fish you have. Trying to raise the ph can make it unstable which can stress out and kill your fish. I don't think you mentioned the size of the tank? With zero nitrates you either tested wrong/broken test kit, have live plants, or are doing something to remove nitrates such as filter media. What filter media are you using? Did you get the pleco removed right away or did he start to rot? A large fish such as that dying and rotting can really mess up a tank but I would think with the large water changes that would have been fixed. Do you vacuum the gravel?

It's a 44 gal, fluval filter system and no I did not find the the pleco... right away. He was already starting to shed the skin (white) but I don't think It was more then a couple of days. I do have just one plant. Oh and I only vaccuum a section of the rocks.

Last edited by bailey at 12-Jun-2005 13:19

If the problems started right before your pleco died, maybe he was sick and a little slack on doing his job.

Carol B