# New tank algae



## triballurker (Aug 5, 2010)

Well it seems i am developing a bit of a algae problem awfully quick.

I set my tank up probably 6 weeks ago and have been running it no problems at all. I did see a couple spots of algae on the aragonite sand a few days before I added my fish and tufa rock.

Now within a couple days i seem to be getting a green film on the tank sides and on the sand. Its happening so quick! It also seems to be worse on the side without a filter and water flow.

What can I do?

I currently have a 48" 2 bulb glo t5 light and usually turn it on in the morning and shut it off at night...so maybe 15hrs its on. 

But in the end...what can I do to stop this?


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

15 hours? That is a lot. Algae will grow more where there is less flow as it can adhere there easier. Is there corals in the aquarium? If not why have the lights on so long? Particularly if it is a newly cycling aquarium our lights should be on bare minimum. Tuffa rock is also not easy to keep clean as it has many sharp edges which snails and fish wont clean very efficiently, also very white so tends to be an algae magnet.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Are your sure it is not cyano bacteria? As Grant has suggested, more flow would certainly help n the short run and in the long run.


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## triballurker (Aug 5, 2010)

No its fresh water....I just havent got a timer for the light so I turn it on when I get up for work. I will be leaving it off till I get home from now on.

It just seems odd that in 6 weeks I get nothing and as soon as I add rock and fish within a few days algae everywhere.

For filtration I have a ac110 and I think ill be picking up another filter this weekend.

Would a uv sterilizer help this?


















I looked up the cyano bacteria and I dont think thats what I have from the pics ive seen.


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Takes a while after set-up, for tank conditions to develop to produce a lot of algae, but of course 6 weeks of that lighting for 15 hrs/day surely did the job.
As you are now going to do, cut that lighting down to 6-8 hours day, do some frequent large wcs, keep brushing off/wiping down that algae, and dose some Excel.
Sounds like "film" algae if it's bright green, and if so, the cure is said to be to just leave it alone for 3 weeks, and it should dissipate/disappear - if that's what it is.
I've been able to get rid of it by brushing it off with each wc, so that it free-floats in the water column, and then sucking it up with a UV sterilizer.
Best of luck.


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## triballurker (Aug 5, 2010)

emile said:


> Takes a while after set-up, for tank conditions to develop to produce a lot of algae, but of course 6 weeks of that lighting for 15 hrs/day surely did the job.
> As you are now going to do, cut that lighting down to 6-8 hours day, do some frequent large wcs, keep brushing off/wiping down that algae, and dose some Excel.
> Sounds like "film" algae if it's bright green, and if so, the cure is said to be to just leave it alone for 3 weeks, and it should dissipate/disappear - if that's what it is.
> I've been able to get rid of it by brushing it off with each wc, so that it free-floats in the water column, and then sucking it up with a UV sterilizer.
> Best of luck.


Thank you...I will continue to do this. I do find it odd though that the algae didnt appear till I added my tufa and fish. I added the rock saturday and fish sunday and by monday had this appear.

I hope it just disappears lol..if not ill buy a uv steralizer, along with my new filter.


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## mcrocker (May 29, 2010)

I can second the notion that algae does not like fast moving water. Even beyond the idea that it has a hard time attaching to surfaces while water is flowing fast, I've had some green algae clear up after being moved into a higher flow portion of the tank. Maybe consider adding a power head for the slow-moving areas of the tank if the additional AC110 doesn't help.

Also consider adding a light timer to reduce the hours your light is on for. I have a tank with a timer that I have set so it's on when I wake up in the morning and when I come home from work until midnight, but off for alot of the day. The fish don't really need the light unless your room is pitch black, it's more for us fish keepers to be able to see them.

You also save electricity, and possibly bulb life. (not sure if cycling them off/on an extra time per day impacts life)


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## monkE (Aug 4, 2010)

I've battled this algae for years, I keep planted tanks and they require a certain amount of light to thrive. I've used a timer and given my plants a "siesta" durring the day when i'm at work. Lights stay on for 4 hours in the morning, then off for 4 hours, then on for 5 hours at night. This helps the problem but does not cure it. You could also try to raise your light fixture higher above the surface of your tank. This will result in a less intense and strong light beam in the water and thus, less light for the algae to feed off of. 

The only sure fire way i've heard of combating algae is injected CO2 which i have not ventured into yet. 

Good luck


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## triballurker (Aug 5, 2010)

Ive cut my light time down to:

5am-6am-off-4pm-9pm-off

that has basically stopped the algae in its tracks. A little is forming on the rocks but I dont mind but the water is staying clean and the glass, and sand is clean as well.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

When you first introduced the fish, there may also have been a cycle. Did you do a fishless cycle before. Ammonia presence combined with excessive light would have caused an algal bloom.


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## triballurker (Aug 5, 2010)

I had stable parameters prior to adding fish.

ph>8.2
ammonia>0ppm
nitrites>0ppm
nitrates> cant recall but very low

The tank had been running for atleast 6 weeks


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Sorry, maybe I didn't make it clear. Was it running with a bioload? Was the tank fully cycled. With no source of ammonia, all your readings should/would have been zero prior to adding the fish.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. Yes a uv sterilizer will work great, it will give you crystal clear water aswell. There are many different watts that boast different ability's. green algae always forms over time, for me anyway. so bn pleco helps alot. i have a 9 watt uv and 2 albino bn and 1 bitbull pleco and my tank is agile free. hope that helps Cheers


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