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So, is it weird that my 55 gallon tank will not grow algae?

i currently have the tank next to a window, hoping to promote some growth, and i have also tried leaving the tank light on for days at a time, the longest period was for about 4 or 5 days, and i still got NOTHING.

i keep the tank pretty clean, i do 25% water changes every two weeks or so.

i do have a common plecostomus that is under 5 inches long, and some mollies that are notorious for picking at algae, but honestly i figured it was easier to grow, because as it sits right now, i have to feed algae tablets to the pleco, because i dont want him to starve.

i mean i know algae can be a problem in some tanks, but im just wondering why i dont even start to grow it

here are some pics of the fish, plants and substrate if that helps.
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1533931

*Chelle*
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I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

chelaine,

Interesting, I wish I had your problem .

Let me make some wild guesses of why you might not get any algae:

- First and foremost, I would assume that you don’t add any plant fertilizer to the water. Your few plants (and your bio filter) suck up the little ammonia that is produced by your few fishies. Then there is nothing left for algae to feast on. Usually I would say this is a perfect home for BGA (Blue Green Algae), but I guess your bubble wand keeps the water flow up so it cannot settle in, plus – you really don’t want that kind anyways.

- Next guess would be the light, although you say you keep the tank at the window. It is not the duration as much as it is the intensity that causes algae (having the light on for a few days isn’t all that good for your fish, so maybe you don’t want to do that again). How much direct sun light is hitting the tank for how long?

- Lastly, the few algae that might be produced is eaten by your Mollies as soon as it shows itself and as such never has a chance to take over.

Just because I am curious by nature: Why do you want to grow algae? If the reason is that you would like to have a food source for some fish then I would suggest to get a see-through container, fill it with water, place it in the window, add some fish food, and wait . That should do the trick.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

well its not necessarily that i want to grow algae, i've kind of been looking for a way to feed my pleco, but ive been told to just soak a rock in some water by a window and it will grow, so i could try that... but im just wondering why it DOESNT... like... is there something wrong with my water? i dunno, it just seems like everyone ive talked to has had algae problems at one point or another, and i NEVER had.

i keep the shades on the window open for about three hours a day, just enough for my plants to get some natural light.

im not sure, its just a concern i had. i guess i kind of knew the answer to my own question with the mollies, but i didnt know if it were a matter of plants or substrate or whatever else.

*Chelle*
_______________________________________________
I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

chelaine,

How strong is your tank light? Maybe 3 hours of intense light with little else is just not enough (besides all the other reasons listed above).

I think (but I am not sure) your pleco would eat algae wafers. This would be a much safer option as I can imagine that trying to grow algae by increasing light (lots of “real” sunlight) could have a disastrous outcome, uncontrolled algae growth.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

yeah that is currently what i feed him, but him and the mollies fight for them... i usually have to hide one behind a rock for him, just to ensure the mollies dont get to it first....

*Chelle*
_______________________________________________
I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

chelaine,

Someone here suggested to me to break the wafers into smaller pieces and spread them out throughout the tank when feeding.

This might help you as well - more spots equals more places where he could be first to find them, smaller pieces equals less chance of overfeeding.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

good call, i've never tried that! thanks...



::edit:: i guess thats why you're the fish master....

Last edited by chelaine at 28-Dec-2005 15:33

*Chelle*
_______________________________________________
I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

i guess thats why you're the fish master

No, I am a Fish Master because I post a lot. If I ever said anything intelligent is another issue and has to be evaluated by the people I tried to help

Thanks anyway

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

well... you sure helped me.. i tried it this afternoon... worked like a charm!

*Chelle*
_______________________________________________
I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...