# I want to grow algae!



## joker1535 (May 23, 2010)

Believe it or not but i want to grow more algae in my tank. I like to have most of my holey rocks covered. My tropheus love it . I leave the lights 12 hours a day on and added powerheads for aeration. Its going very slowly and i get more brown than green algae on my rocks. Any advice?


----------



## Brisch (May 13, 2010)

cant help you there Ive been trying for months now


----------



## clintgv (May 6, 2010)

:O I'm the opposite haha. I hate the algae on my limestone rocks. I leave the lights on from 10am to maybe 11pm when I get back from work haha.


----------



## joker1535 (May 23, 2010)

Brisch said:


> cant help you there Ive been trying for months now


Thanks for the encouraging words Brish :bigsmile:


----------



## saltwaterfish (Mar 7, 2011)

I have never grow algae before, but I would like to learn how to grow. learn from you how to grow


----------



## Brisch (May 13, 2010)

joker1535 said:


> Thanks for the encouraging words Brish :bigsmile:


anytime:lol: my fish need algae but it wont grow!


----------



## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

I find lava grows algea great and it's green algea to boot, I have a big lava rock I just pulled out of my 55 thats covered in green algea that I'll sell for $10.


----------



## katienaha (May 9, 2010)

bump up the nutrients and fertilizers, lights on for a long time, bright..... maybe a sunny window.


----------



## Chronick (Apr 27, 2010)

leave lights on as long as possible, do water changes as infrequently as possible (this will allow nutrients to build up in your tank, when a nutrient is in excess algae will grow like crazy) just make sure that you're cleaning your filter so that your water quality is good


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

would dosing iron work? its not rly harmful to fish and i remember reading an article about them dumping iron oxide in the sea to create an algae bloom to sequester CO2, if u figure something out that works make sure u post it so the other african/tropheus people can do it too


----------



## joker1535 (May 23, 2010)

katienaha said:


> bump up the nutrients and fertilizers, lights on for a long time, bright..... maybe a sunny window.


How should i bump up nutritions and fertilizers?


----------



## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

if green hair algae is of interest to you, I've got a continuous supply.

I'm very happy to share


----------



## neven (May 15, 2010)

i would say just bump up the light period for now. I found by extending my photo period on one tank by just an hour i was able to grow decent amount of spot algae on cobbles on the substrate which my otocs and BN love. When i notice the rocks almost cleaned i throw in an algae wafer to keep them well fed


----------



## roadrunner (Apr 25, 2010)

I guess check the thread on how to get rid of algae and do exactly oposite!


----------



## Death's Sting (Apr 21, 2010)

Excessive amounts of nitrate along with 6500-10,000k light 24/7 = algae factory. I learned this from experience.


----------



## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

Leave uneaten food or fish poop sitting on top of the rock. That will guarantee algae if the light is strong. If need be, do a gravel vac and pour the heavy sinking mulm you collect in the bucket on top of the rock. Anything organic and or rotting material will do. hikari carnivores pellet works great for algae bloom if left uneaten.


----------



## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Would that be a function of how much plant you have. 
I have a 27gallon acrylic hexagon, just the 8W light. So the plant is not doing well and the green spots are taking over. Even the BNPs cannot keep up. In the well maintained planted tank, it is hard for the algae to take hold. My healthy plants even out compete hair algae and and black beard algae.


----------



## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

As many have said, it's easy to get algae! Do water changes every 2 weeks, don't gravel clean, feed heavy and leave the lights on 24hrs in a few weeks you will have lots of algae and happy cichlids!!


----------



## jassz (Dec 24, 2010)

I have read that if you want algae to spread (like coraline algae), if you have a growth somewhere you scrape a bit off, turn off the filters/sumps, but leave on a powerhead to keep the water moving. Where it lands, it starts a new growth. After awhile you turn your filters back on.

Personally I'd be a little reluctant to up the nutrients too much (except the light), in case you end up with green water or sick fish. Maybe a bit of overfeeding would be okay.

Doesn't the grass always seem greener on the other side of the fence? Those that have algae don't want it, and those that want it, can't grow it.


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

in my case (and i think joker's too) there are tropheus in the tank - very sensitive to nitrates, need extremely clean water, and must not be overfed so that rules out leaving extra food or not changing their water enough, are there any other maco nutrients that in excess will cause algae on the rocks/glass that wont adversely affect the fish (could cause bloat etc.)


----------



## joker1535 (May 23, 2010)

Yes tropheus are extremely sensitive to sudden water changes. A few months ago i rearranged a bunch of rocks and stirred up the sand pretty good. It must have released something in the tank because i lost 12 baby tropheus in 3 days


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

joker1535 said:


> Yes tropheus are extremely sensitive to sudden water changes. A few months ago i rearranged a bunch of rocks and stirred up the sand pretty good. It must have released something in the tank because i lost 12 baby tropheus in 3 days


aw man that sucks sorry to hear that
stories like that worry me.. about to try tropheus for the first time


----------



## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

Since tropheus are sensitive to bad water quality and such why not leave a bucket outside with rocks in it, that will grow algae...or perhaps try to feed seaweed tied to a rock. Saltwater fish love seaweed, once the seaweed is left in water for awhile it gets soft and fuzzy and is easier for the fish to digest. Another tip would be to blend the seaweed in a coffee grinder so it becomes fine and presoak it in warm water so it sinks then your baby fish get to eat it aswell. If you are unsure that your cichlids will eat it try a piece from a member first to make sure!


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

not a bad idea, i was told they would eat romaine lettuce clipped to the glass as well


----------



## joker1535 (May 23, 2010)

I really like the seaweed idea. They would love it. But where would i get seaweed?


----------



## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

Most stores sell seaweed, ipu and a few local Chinese markets have it aswell, if you decide to buy it from a local market make sure that it is unflavored regular seaweed with no preservatives... They are usually abit cheaper in a market than a store!


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

so.. if you put it in the coffee grinder and ground it up fine and then spread it on a rock and allowed it to dry, would it just make a mess when you put the rock in the tank or would they be able to scrap the seaweed off?


----------



## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

Mferko said:


> so.. if you put it in the coffee grinder and ground it up fine and then spread it on a rock and allowed it to dry, would it just make a mess when you put the rock in the tank or would they be able to scrap the seaweed off?


that would be a good method, if it works. like seaweed jerky.


----------



## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

Mferko said:


> so.. if you put it in the coffee grinder and ground it up fine and then spread it on a rock and allowed it to dry, would it just make a mess when you put the rock in the tank or would they be able to scrap the seaweed off?


I meant grind it up in a coffee grinder then presoak it in water so it sinks then feed it directly to the tank, the reason for presoaking it is so that it sinks...I am not sure those cichlids surface for food as they seem to like grazing rocks...

The other method is to tie a piece of it to a rock or piece of PVC...seaweed or nori as we salty guys call it is quite dry so if you add it into the tank it will float, hence tying it to a rock or something that sinks!


----------



## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

how long can you leave it in before worrying about it breaking down? thats what id be worried about if i just dumped a bunch of the ground up paste in - that only half would be eaten and i'd be left with a huge mess. 
tying it to a rock sounds like the cleanest option


----------



## tang daddy (Apr 21, 2010)

Mferko said:


> how long can you leave it in before worrying about it breaking down? thats what id be worried about if i just dumped a bunch of the ground up paste in - that only half would be eaten and i'd be left with a huge mess.
> tying it to a rock sounds like the cleanest option


that's why you preasoak only a pinch.....I wouldnt put in alot....but that is for baby fishes and it depends on how much they can eat, the Nori can last 1 day in a fridge so if you grind up a bunch you feed only how much they can eat...treat it as flakes!


----------



## jakesebastin (Jun 18, 2012)

Nice information here regarding the grow of algae. The information here is quite practical enough and can be applied to the plants. it is very good for the beginners like us so keep going on.


----------

