Ick! Major algal bloom in my tank...

kyryah · #1 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 12:55 PM

I have a little ten gallon that is heavily planted that I have guppies in (I posted this here, because this is the most water-related section, lol.)

The problem is I have algae out of CONTROL. I have pond snails, mystery snails, ramshorns, and trumpet snails, along with an Otto in there too. The snails and Otto are working over time ( I probably pull 20 pond snails a day) and it is still bad!

The tank hood has two lights, one was supposed to be a special "plant" light and the other is a compact flourescent. On the left side of the tank it is open, unplanted, because that is where the filter is. The right side is where the plants are. I had the "plant" bulb over the plants and the compact over the open side, and noticed all my plants were leaning to the left, lol. So much for the "plant" bulb, so I switched them. Ever since, the algae started taking over the right side of the tank. There isn't ANY under the d*** "plant" bulb!

ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Kristina

Chu'Wuti · #2 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 02:32 PM

Kristina, what are your phosphorus, nitrite, and nitrate levels? Very often, the issue isn't lighting--algal bloom is often caused by excesses of one or more of phosphorus & nitrogen compounds.

You may need to clean the aquarium substrate thoroughly--take out the fish with about half the water and save them in another container (that has been rinsed thoroughly/repeatedly to ensure no detergent or other toxins are in it).

Stir the substrate in the aquarium up really good (meaning you're going to mess up all your lovely plantings! Sorry!) and get out as much muck as you can, then siphon it all out--take out all the dirty water you can. Then add clean (outgassed) water (or outgas it in the aquarium for 24-48 hours before putting the fish in). Then add the fish with the other aquarium water--add as much old aquarium water as you can without leaving the fish in too little water, then put them in towards the end. You're replacing about 50% of the water to slow build-up of the same nutrients (the nitrogen compounds & phosphorus come from fish wastes) in the tank, and the fish should be able to adjust to that change, but an alternative is to add 25% fresh water to the aquarium water you saved them in and let them be in it for a couple of days while the other 25% you put in the aquarium itself, then add the 50% saved aquarium water + the 25% new water + fish back into the aquarium that already has 25% new water. Hope that all makes sense--you're still making a 50% water change but subjecting the fish to the change in smaller increments.

One of the challenges with 10-gallon aquaria is that they are far more vulnerable to such problems--it's extremely difficult to get a good ecosystem going in smaller aquaria. Your cleaner animals just can't keep up, so the algae has a wonderful source of food.

Good luck!

Chu'Wuti · #3 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 02:33 PM

Quote:

I is not afeared of the Admin!!!!

Yeah! Go, Kristina!!

Raspberries for the Admin!

kyryah · #4 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 02:54 PM

I will give it a shot. I haven't tested this aquarium, but it literally JUST got done cycling... It has only been set up a couple of weeks. There isn't any gunk in the substrate at all that I can see.

How many mystery snails do you think I can safely add, lol?

Kristina

kyryah · #5 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chu'Wuti

Yeah! Go, Kristina!!

Raspberries for the Admin!

Shhh, she will see, she will see! (Smeagol-voice)

Kristina

Chu'Wuti · #6 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Shhh, she will see, she will see! (Smeagol-voice)

Really? Ya think?

Should I edit it out?

Nah . . . that would be boring . . . I'll just leave it. If she chooses pistols at 20 paces at dawn, she should be warned--I'm a pretty good shot! LOL!

Chu'Wuti · #7 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 03:15 PM

OK, back to your original topic. Brand-new set-up, huh. Hmmm. Two possible causes: Overfeeding of your fish is a common cause of green algal bloom in newly set-up tanks, and lighting can be a factor in relation to the overfeeding.

Before doing the water change route, try this: Don't feed the fish for a couple of days & reduce the lighting by a few hours for several days. Even not turning on the lights for a couple of days is OK & will not harm the plants. See if the algae disappears. If it does, turn the lights back on & don't feed quite so much & see what happens.

If not, you may need to get a water clarifier.

If the algae is not green algae, then the causes are different. I should have asked you how long the tank had been set up and what color the algae is. Let me know whether you need more info.

Other

kyryah · #8 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 03:21 PM

LOL, Leave it, this I gotta see...

Kristina

Chu'Wuti · #9 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 03:37 PM

Kristina, come back & see the other new post re your aquarium! I don't want you to miss it . . . & go to a whole lot of unnecessary work on that aquarium!

kyryah · #10 (**permalink**) 03-14-2009, 03:46 PM

Lol, I saw it, my internet is a bit slow today so it took me a minute to find it.

Thanks, I will try that. I honestly don't think I am overfeeding, I only feed every other day and I also have ghost shrimp in the bottom (should have mentioned that.) I really think it is the light because I have NEVER had this happen before!

Kristina