Sick Of Algae....!!

[Kindredspirit]

Okay guys ~

I am sick of algae! What do I get? Any Pleco?? What shld I know? How many for a 35 and a 55gal?

And of course qt ...... ********! I hate that part!


Marie ~

[traco]

I just phoned you, missy.

Yes, a BN pleco would help and number per tank, I'm not too sure. I have 2 in my 90 gallon but they are 1 year old. Two big males who each stake out their own side. They do a great job keeping everything clean. I see them cleaning the airline tubing and they even go down the tubing of the sponge filters!

I know Amber was just saying that her one in her tank is helping get rid of the algae in her tank. A long finned albino BN pleco would look cool!

[brewmaster15]

Marie,
Paper Towels are key here and put your lights on a timer....even plecos can't beat that......though they do help alot.

-al

[Jarrod]

Marie I'm not trying to hijack your thread or anything...my questions is will plecos take care of the reddish brown slime that keeps showing up in my tanks? This stuff is ugly and shows up in my tanks DAILY even after I do a wc and wipe down the insides,,I wipe it all out and BAM it's back the next day...again Marie sorry not tryin to hijack your thread
Jarrod

[candyl70]

Is the algae in your bare bottom or sandy bottom?

[Jarrod]

Candy..if you are refering to my question all my tanks are bb
Jarrod

[candyl70]

LOL Jarrod... I was reffering to Marie.. but it works for you too. Did you disinfect that tank?

[Kindredspirit]

Marie,
Paper Towels are key here and put your lights on a timer....even plecos can't beat that......though they do help alot.

-al

I use so many paper towels Al!! I am home so I turn off my lights after 12 hours.... shld it be less? And when I am not then my daughter does...

I just phoned you, missy.

I saw that! It said i had one message so I listened and there was a long message of nothing! lol!!



umm.... sure Jarrod!! Where have you been?? We have missed you!


Marie ~

[kdazzel]

I had a lot of algae, then I got a pleco and he cleaned the tank spotless

[AmberC]

Okay guys ~

I am sick of algae! What do I get? Any Pleco?? What shld I know? How many for a 35 and a 55gal?

And of course qt ...... ********! I hate that part!

Marie ~

Marie.. In my 55 gallon.. I have the yoyo loaches, 6 amano shrimp and 2 bamboo shrimp and they do a GREAT job.

In the 125 I have 1 longfin albino bristlenose pleco and she cleaned HALF my tank in one night! So I think one more plec will do fab in the 125.

Thats what I'm doing for my algae and you saw how bad my 55 was with that carpet algae because its right next to my backdoor so it gets a lot of natural light from outside.

Amber

[Kindredspirit]

Okay... thanks Amber ~ So.....shrimp eat algae too? ********...I am outta the loop on that one ~

I guess I better get something ~ I do not have much at all ~ but since I put in all the plants I see it on the leaves and rocks and it is just not okay!


M ~

[Alight]

Otos and/or BN plecos will take care of your algae problem. I use them in my 55 grow out tank that has a bunch of potted plants in it, and they keep it spotless, except for some hard green spot algae that forms on the bottom.

This needs to be scraped off about once a month.


I have 7 very small otos, and two very young BN plecos in that tank, and have to feed them spinach and zucchini cause there's no algae left for them to eat.

12 hours of lighting should not be a problem, and will not actually grow enough algae for these guys to eat.

Jarrod, Otos and/or plecos will eat the diatoms (brown slime) even faster than all the rest of the algae.

You still will need to wipe down the tank sides very week or so, because there still is some "slime" that collects (sort of makes the glass look a bit foggy) with all of the water changes. I think it sticks to the glass when you lower the water level, and it's stuff the fish won't eat.

[Tom Plantagent]

Do you have live plants? Even with bare bottom, I recommend some potted plants to help keep algae under control. Plants will compete with the algae for nitrate and other nutrients, especially if you provide good light (3 - 4 watts flourescent per gallon).

Algae almost drove me out of this hobby, which is why I switched to planted tanks.

[Kindredspirit]

12 hours of lighting should not be a problem, and will not actually grow enough algae for these guys to eat.

Hey Al ~

Thanks! I dont have too much algae really~in the corners and on the sides perhaps~cuz itz bb~which I am getting tired of too But in my other 55gal I have silk plants and deco ~ So it is more prominent! Bugs me at times too!


Thankz again Al ~ I will have to get one of those lil suckers soon~

Marie ~

[Kindredspirit]

Do you have live plants? Even with bare bottom, I recommend some potted plants to help keep algae under control. Plants will compete with the algae for nitrate and other nutrients, especially if you provide good light (3 - 4 watts flourescent per gallon).

Algae almost drove me out of this hobby, which is why I switched to planted tanks.

Hey Tom ~


Thanks for the reply! I was talking to Frank cuz I never knew that plants help keep the algae under control ~ I have seen some tanks with oodles of algae all over the plants tho?? Those tank's plants were not keep anything under control! lol...I have only silk plants ~ I am considering ......'what am I considering Frank??" lol! I can not remember!


Tell me more ~


Marie ~