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My brother's and my Betta's are in separate tanks next to each other (but the Betta's cannot see each other). My tank is a ten gallon glass tank, with just a Betta, and my brother's is in a three gallon plastic tank also with just a Betta. They both have zero/minimal sunlight exposure, except mine gets filled with obnoxious amounts of algae and my brother's doesn't. At all. My tank is very clean. I do water changes and gravel cleaning weekly and it has almost zero effect on algae. The algae just grows back (quickly I might add). I don't know how I can be getting algae and my brother is not. I could possibly get an otto... and snails would be good but they always die.

Have you both got the same decor in the tank? Maybe something is lowering the hardness of the water in your tank?

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

lso, how far away from each other do you live? Are you using the same source of water for changes?

Hi,
That's an interesting problem.
Tell us about the lighting that you have over each tank.

What kind of light, bulb, and strength (how many watts).

Who feeds the fish? Do you take turns or does each feed
his own tank?

Are you both using the same food?

Is there only one fish, a Betta, in each tank?

What kind of decorations are in the tank, any rocks?
Same in each or different?

What kind of filters are used on the tanks?

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I think you may have solved it. My tank has rocks in it and my brothers only has glass pebbles and fake plants. I believe they are only sandstone, granite, and quarts. My tank has much more light than his although I don't know the watts but my brothers is very dim. I feed both tanks and both the tanks have a single betta in them. I'm using pellets of food in my tank and flakes in my brothers.

I must have put a bad rock in there since my other fish tank with rocks, which is well established, has zero algae problems (yet). Also lighting might be an issue.

Hi,
I'm glad that we might have hit on the cause.

As far as the rocks are concerned, Granite and Quartz
are considered inert and should not affect the water
chemistry. Granite is a mixture of two types of feldspars
(MAl(Al,Si)3O8) where M can be K,Na,Ca,Ba,Rb,Sr, or Fe
and quartz is SiO2 (Silica). If your granite has sodium
(Na) or calcium (Ca) then it could be interfering with the
water chemistry. It would take a lab to know that.

One way to check a rock is to test it with a weak acid.
Scrape the surface of the rock to remove any weathering
and obtain a fresh surface. Drip a couple of drops of
vinegar on the surface and see if it bubbles (fizzes).
If so, then the rock contains a carbonate and will affect
the water chemistry. Another way is to draw a bucket of
water and allow it to sit for at least 24 hours, and then
test the pH. Add the rock, and test a week later.
(keep the pets (dogs/cats/people) out of the water during
the test.

Light can also cause the algae. It is a fine line to walk
between too much and not enough. Either can cause algae to
abound. Also the "wrong type" of light can be a problem.
Incandescent lights are the worst thing to use on an
aquarium. A Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL)
or flourescent bulb is the best. With no live plants,
I'd stick with less than one watt per gallon of water.
To figure out the watts per gallon Divide the wattage
of the light bulb by the number of gallons of water
and that will give you the watts per gallon (wpg).
While speaking of CFL's, use only bulbs labeled
DAYLIGHT or SUNLIGHT on the tank.
"Warm" or "Soft" white lights are not advised for aquariums.


Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I had done the vinegar test on the rocks before I had put them in and they all passed it without fizzing. The bulb on my tank is fluorescent while my brother's is LED. I found that a big problem in adjusting light wattage is that its hard to find a bulb of the same size as the previous one in less wattage. I don't feel like buying a new hood for the tank.

Alternate solution: put your lights on a timer for a short period during the day or only turn them on when you're viewing the tank or feeding. Unless you have live plants, you don't need the extra light all the time, plus you'll save some electricity.

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