ALGAE *bangs head on wall*

[SmoothSavage]

I need something to help with my algae problem in Double's 10 gallon tank. It is driving me batty! I just can't figure out the problem. Ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels all good. Tank's been running a couple months now. Fluorite substrate, good amount of plants. The only occupant is Double, who gobbles every pellet put in the tank, so there's no leftover food.

But I'm having MASSIVE green algae problems! There's a little bit of diatom growth on the back, which I can handle, but the green is covering the tank walls, the substrate, plants, everything. I scrub it all off before weekly siphoning, but it grows right back. Everything's covered again within a couple days, and I can't figure out why.

I'm really thinking about getting something to put in with him to eat the algae, but I'm not sure what would be appropriate for a 10 gallon.

Halp?  

[Moth Feathers]

How many watts per gallon? Are you using any fertilizers- if so, what is it and how often?

Also, you could get a small school of Otos to help your algae problem. They're really small, an inch and a half at most, and they're algae eaters.  

[Vanilla eXee]

Have you tested your tap water? Sometimes tap water can have high enough levels of the big three to cause algae problems.

Oh yeah and getting live plants can help if you don't already have them.  

[ladycrotalus]

Could be excess phosphates in your water source. Hagen makes a phosphate test kit. Or perhaps high amounts of iron. Hagen also makes an iron test kit too. What kind of water source are you using? Are you within a mile or 2 from a farm if you are using tap water? Perhaps try switching to bottled spring water if ya are.  

[Akari_32]

Could very well be phosphates or iron, as ladycrotalus said. I have Black Beard Algea in my 30 gallon that ONLY grows with high phosphates, and can grow any where. Light, dark, under stuff. It doesnt care. And only one fish eats it... Ugh... My snails seem to be keeping it at bay though, since I bleached the tank and killed most of it.

Diatoms is caused by a lighting issue (either too much, or not enough, dont remember). Ottos LOVE Diatoms, but they usually go away on their own, or with a bit of scrubbing, and since Ottos are hard to get on anything but algae, they should be the last choice. Nerite Snails are awesome little things. They attack algae like its going out of style. And they are cheap. Got mine at Pet Supermarket for about $2 each, listed as "Zebra Snails."  

[SmoothSavage]

I haven't tested my tap water for ammonia/n/n, I assume since the tank water tests out fine it wouldn't make a difference. I also haven't tested for phosphates, I'll have to pick up a test kit when I'm at the store. What could I do if it were phosphates? And no, we do not have a farm near, lol.

The tank is planted. I cannot for the LIFE of me remember how many watts the bulb is- it came with the tank. I was fertilizing with SeaChem flourish, which I use on the planted 14 gallon, but stopped a few weeks back hoping to not feed the algae.

The diatoms I'm really not worried about, they're not a big issue. Its the masses of green algae that are killing me. Honestly I thought about otos, since there's such rapid and crazy growth there'd be no food shortage. MY only worry with them would potentially be Double being a jerk, but if so a small school could go in the 20 with Helios and the Mikes.  

[ladycrotalus]

Savage Destiny

I haven't tested my tap water for ammonia/n/n, I assume since the tank water tests out fine it wouldn't make a difference. I also haven't tested for phosphates, I'll have to pick up a test kit when I'm at the store. What could I do if it were phosphates? And no, we do not have a farm near, lol.

The tank is planted. I cannot for the LIFE of me remember how many watts the bulb is- it came with the tank. I was fertilizing with SeaChem flourish, which I use on the planted 14 gallon, but stopped a few weeks back hoping to not feed the algae.

The diatoms I'm really not worried about, they're not a big issue. Its the masses of green algae that are killing me. Honestly I thought about otos, since there's such rapid and crazy growth there'd be no food shortage. MY only worry with them would potentially be Double being a jerk, but if so a small school could go in the 20 with Helios and the Mikes.

If there is excess phosphates you can get this pouch of stuff you stick in your filter called Phos-zorb to remove them. I also have this pad that you cut to size called the PURA Filtration Pad and it removes solids, organics, ammonia, phosphate, medications, lead, copper, and silicates. Its pretty neat and only cost me 15 bucks  

[Shanna66]

a couple snails may help. since getitng my pond snails i hardly ever see algae on my tank walls anymore and i had a huge bloom a while ago.

i got a bunch of duckweed and java moss, stopped feeding my pleco, and let the pond snail reproduce as much as it wanted  

[Vanilla eXee]

Akari_32

Could very well be phosphates or iron, as ladycrotalus said. I have Black Beard Algea in my 30 gallon that ONLY grows with high phosphates, and can grow any where. Light, dark, under stuff. It doesnt care. And only one fish eats it... Ugh... My snails seem to be keeping it at bay though, since I bleached the tank and killed most of it.

Diatoms is caused by a lighting issue (either too much, or not enough, dont remember). Ottos LOVE Diatoms, but they usually go away on their own, or with a bit of scrubbing, and since Ottos are hard to get on anything but algae, they should be the last choice. Nerite Snails are awesome little things. They attack algae like its going out of style. And they are cheap. Got mine at Pet Supermarket for about $2 each, listed as "Zebra Snails."

Otos will eat vegetables and algae wafers. Zucchini is a favorite as always, but I got mine to eat lettuce.  

[Akari_32]

Vanilla eXee

Otos will eat vegetables and algae wafers. Zucchini is a favorite as always, but I got mine to eat lettuce.

Yeah, but its a hard thing to do if they arent already on them. Most would rather starve themselves then eat prepared foods or veggies (atleast in my experience). I got lucky and bought them at my LFS where they already were eating spiralina and algae wafers lol  

[Vanilla eXee]

Akari_32

Vanilla eXee

Otos will eat vegetables and algae wafers. Zucchini is a favorite as always, but I got mine to eat lettuce.

Yeah, but its a hard thing to do if they arent already on them. Most would rather starve themselves then eat prepared foods or veggies (atleast in my experience). I got lucky and bought them at my LFS where they already were eating spiralina and algae wafers lol

That could also just be because most are WC and they have a low survival rate in captivity for whatever reason. I always tell people to get a few more than they want/think they need. Luckily more people are having success with captive breeding so this might be an issue of the past.  

[CrissAngelLover12345]

Algae gets into the tank via spores... As far as what conditions are necessary for the algae to thrive, I'm not sure... I have a bristlenose pleco for my 10 gal tank. She (now that it's big enough to have bristles, I can tell the gender. They are only along the ridge of the mouth and are small, so I now know it's a female) keeps the algae mostly at bay. The only areas I have algae problems are on the spot of the lid that is directly under the light, and on the bubble wall thing (lol don't really know what the stick thing is called).  

[LittleMissMich]

Most plant fertalizers for freshwater tanks get rid of algae. I have a full grown male BN and he eats all of it off the glass. You could get a flying fox if your tank is big enough. Snails will eat it too, but they will also breed like crazy if you don't have a snail eating fish in there. My walls were covered in snails(no algae, but lots of them) and I got a Botia who ate all of them in only a week. My guppies will also eat it off the plants, but I don't know if that's normal. My BN will eat my java moss if there isn't enough algae in the tank. If you don't have room for an algae eating fish and I advise against snails because they turn into just as much of a problem, then try algeaway or a plant food(if you have live plants) that kills algae. Your local petstore person should be able to tell you, probably not petco/smart people though...