How to remove algae! Easy way?

[Kindredspirit]

Hey guys~

I need some tips on how to remove alage...mine is green, special huh? I can get it off the walls but how to remove off of aquarium decor? Like Plants, coral, rocks are easy enuff, but my fake driftwood , umm....PIA!!


I bought this blue algae scraper once and it all fell apart in the tank! There has to be an easier way please! Esp on every leaf of the silk plants? Very time consuming....Help!!

( I finally got a camera and I am cleaning my tanks....now arentcha all just thrilled?)



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[White Worm]

Fake Plants - Bleach / Water soak, rinse very good and let dry completely. Make sure no residual bleach smell.

Decor - Hot water / old tooth brush / bleach, rinse very good...........

[Alight]

Easiest way is to let a BN pleco do the work for you on real driftwood, at least.

[Stillwater Aquatics]

I use Algea Destroyer, no scraping needed :D

[Timbo]

i would also try to address the reason(s) you are getting algae in the first place

-too much light
-too many nitrates
-overfeeding
-not enough w/c
etc.

address the root problem, not just symptoms or you will struggle with it continously

[Kindredspirit]

hmm.....well ~ Why don't we just do that then ~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_24.gif


I do not have much of it at all, and it is only in my 55gal that I had put a new stronger light on it a while back ~ If I leave that on too long and with the sun coming thru the window in my office ~ well ~ I noticed yesterday, in between jobs, that the sun actually was hitting that tank...and on my new lavendar coral IT WAS THERE TIMBO! I hate that green shyt~and on my new silk plants too~

And not enough wc will do it too, you are right ~ as always ~ Well I do not think that is the case ~ perhaps in the last four days....but....I am pretty good re that ~

You are right I do not want to continuously struggle with it ~ or anything for that matter~

[CAGE-RATTLER]

A pleco in each tank will definately help keep the tank clean.

Works for me anyway ....... lol.

And mine are just common plecos and dont bother the discus at all.

The grey waxy build up i posted about before hasnt shown up again since i added the pleco. He also keeps the bottom clean of any leftover tiny food particles.

When i went to hans shop ............. he had a pleco in every tank excerpt a few ........... and they were the only ones that showed any algae. The ones without plecos .... he said originally had them in there but they disapeared ..... lol. He said they probably went thru the overflows and are probably in the filters. His filters are five 55 gallon containers for each row of racks ...... lol. He's liable to find some monster plecos in there some day ...... lol.

[CAGE-RATTLER]

One thing to add ........... I do still see algae in my 55 juvie tank but only on the silicone and on the bottom side of the glass hood.

I have yet to have any algae on my 100 at all which surprises me since it gets some direct sunlight.

I dont have to clean the glass very often and actually feel guilty if i do. Thats just taking food from the plecos IMO .... lol.

I love seeing the monster in my 100 gallon community tank sucking everything off the front glass during the day.

The wife gives them some algae wafers and he's so use to it .... when she feeds the fish ......... the pleco even comes running to greet her ..... lol.

[Kindredspirit]

Cage... post a pic?





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[hexed]

Marie,
Get a brisle nose placo and your aglae will be gone

[CAGE-RATTLER]

Cage... post a pic?





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What do you want a pic of?

[traco]

bristlenose pleco. I've got them in all my tanks and have no problems. They also keep the driftwood clean too. They don't grow huge like other plecos, 5" - 6" tops, I think they grow out to.

Plants and coral, I'd take out and scrub well with a toothbrush then let air dry for 24 hours. Should help with that.

[AmberC]

I get otocinclus cats. They are awesome on algae no joke. I love these little guys. I knew someone once whose tank was so algae'ed over you couldn't see into it. He threw in a couple otos and within a couple days they had that tank CLEAN. NO JOKE!
Amber

[Alight]

Yep, otos are great, too. They really help with the diatoms (brown algae).

Actually, algae in a grow out tank is pretty much a given. I scrape mine down at every water change (every day!). The heavy feeding, and heavy stocking that Discus like means fast nitrate accumulation, which is what algae likes. Even frequent water changes won't control this.

Algae growth is part of the reason to go bare bottom for grow out tanks, though--to make it easy to clean it out.

Once the fry are big enough, BN plecos, and otos and keep the algae scraping down to a minimum. Many breeders sell both BN and Discus, because the BN breed easily in the same conditions as Discus, and they keep BN all their tanks, anyway, so why not!

[pcsb23]

I get otocinclus cats. They are awesome on algae no joke. I love these little guys. I knew someone once whose tank was so algae'ed over you couldn't see into it. He threw in a couple otos and within a couple days they had that tank CLEAN. NO JOKE!
Amber
And no doubt 2 very fat and sleepy otos!

I wouldn't use any of the chemical based algae removers, just my paranoia over water quality. Otos, BN's all work to some degree, understanding the causes and managing those works better in my view.

Paul.

[Timbo]

Actually, algae in a grow out tank is pretty much a given.
has not been my experience, guess i am lucky. i feed 7-8 times a day; 11 2.5"-3" juvies in my growout 55, change 30% daily --zero algae/diatoms


understanding the causes and managing those works better in my view

there's the key

[Kindredspirit]

Marie,
Get a brisle nose placo and your aglae will be gone



I do not have much alage at all but just a little bugs me! I see more of in on the leafs of my silk plants and on the driftwood ~


I guess I shall get one ~


Thanks everyone !!!

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[Spices]

Hi Marie,

Even if you have a barebottom tank, one can experience green/brown algae (waters). It is as said above, not enough water changes and the combination of overfeeding (food sitting in water) and lights on too long.

Water is a natural conductor of bacteria. So up those water changes, dollie, :) otherwise you'll have a daily combat with green/brown clouds in your fish tanks.

*Angie*

[DiscusBob]

Don't Ottos and plecos eat live plants? I have a heavily planted tank and have a flying fox which I had heard don't eat plants.

While he doesn't eat the plants and does eat some algae, I would need a lot of them to keep it under control.

Which of these algae eaters do well in 84 degree water? All of them? Will live plants be safe?

[PRESTON4479]

I haven't had any problems with my plecos eating plants. But I do give them a wafer every night. I use Algae Destroyer if I get a bloom, it works great!

Preston

[wheeler]

rubber lip plecos such as thomsoni or clowns don't eat plants. i notices my common pleco chomping on some plants and he was outa there that day. i don't have otto's yet, but i have observed them eating the algae right off of leave in a planted tank without damaging the leaves at all! HTH