Customers always ask...

[SamAnthrax]

As some people know I'm the lead of the pet care department at a petsmart now and customers always ask the same thing.

How can I get rid of my algae.

I usually say the same thing:

Algae is a natural plant, if your tank can sustain it it means your tank it healthy.

I usually suggest they just scrub it by hand, or tell them that I let algae grow in my tank but only scrub the front because its a nice background.

I usually tell them not to use algae killers because it just seems weird to me that this chemical stuff kills a natural plant in a tank...

Sometimes I offer a pleco except if they have a 29 gallon or smaller. I usually offer the Rubberlip plecos also.

I was wondering if anyone had any other suggestions.

I have recently read about schools of oto's which I'm going to start recommending now.

[Drumachine09]

Keeping your nitrates low with waterchanges. Not overstocking/overfeeding which could lead to high nitrates, and not leaving your aquarium lights on too long. It should only be on ~8-10 hours a day.

[cocoa_pleco]

algae shouldnt occur in healthy tanks. if its planted with more than 2wpg suggest a CO2 system, if its less ask how much lighting there is since little lighting can cause brown algae. if theres lots of green algae suggest more water changes, less feeding, and only 7-11 hours of light a day

[SamAnthrax]

what does 2wpg mean

[cocoa_pleco]

what does 2wpg mean

2 watts per gallon of water of lighting

[jbeining75]

Tell them that algae is caused by increased nutrients in the water and that weekly water changes should help eliminate it. Also tell them to keep the tank from direct sunlight and cut back on the tank lighting (unless it is brown. If it is brown then increase lighting). Oto cats are the smallest and best algae eaters....... Good luck

[SamAnthrax]

Thanks guys!!!

[SamAnthrax]

Wait so that means theres too much bacteria or something in the tanks at work too? Because we always have algae growing.

[jbeining75]

The tanks at petco are almost always going to have algae as you guys probably use central filtration....... water changes are needed to deplete nutrient levels.... You guys probably have one huge filter in the back with intakes and outtakes to each tank... Plus the tanks are getting sunlight I'd imagine because of the big glass windows in the front of the store....

[Tooch]

Wait so that means theres too much bacteria or something in the tanks at work too? Because we always have algae growing.


Places like petsmart or petco aren't known for their water quality... Also, the lights are typically on for extended periods of time, so it's safe to assume you'll have some.

Oto's are great alge eaters, as well as rubber pleco's. I have a Garra Panda in my tank, and he's excellent, though I doubt you'll have those at petsmart.

[SamAnthrax]

Yeah at petsmart we have the fishlights on from around 830 am to 9pm.

we do have one central filter system in the back, then one separate for the feeders.

we test the water quality from samples of water in the main filter system in the back.

I bet there's something I can do to fix it...

I'll try to figure that out later.

[jbeining75]

I wouldn't mess with an establish central filtration system.... You get something wrong and it is gonna effect all the tanks not just one....

[plow]

In my opinion the best way to sort out your algae problem in the shop is to do the following:

1) Make sure you are not overfeeding, algae comes from nutrients, nutrients come from fish food and dead/decaying plants.

2) regular water changes, removing nutrients that the algae thrive on. Cant bang on about water changes enough.. I do 50% water changes weekly on my 30 gal, it makes such an enormous difference to the vitality of the fish and how fresh the aquarium looks.

3) Get plecos/oto cats/siamese algae eaters and spread them out through your tanks, so you have a few in each. They will thrive in tanks where they have their own bit of algae to munch on. I have seen some shops with 20 oto cats in one tank and 30 little plecos in another.. its just so dumb. They all compete for the one little morsel of algae, while the other tanks are full of the stuff. Spread them out, its so logical.

This is what my LFS does and they have excellent looking aquariums and the fish look healthy.

[plow]

Yeah at petsmart we have the fishlights on from around 830 am to 9pm.


Sounds normal to me, 12 hours of lighting, its like the sun coming up and going down in the tropics.. as it should be for tropical fish.

[plow]

algae shouldnt occur in healthy tanks.

I dont quite get this.. whats unhealthy about algae?

It sucks up excess nutrients and provides food for algae eating creatures.

I do get that excess algae indicates far too many nutrients but surely a little algae is quite ok?

[Dave66]

I dont quite get this.. whats unhealthy about algae?

It sucks up excess nutrients and provides food for algae eating creatures.

I do get that excess algae indicates far too many nutrients but surely a little algae is quite ok?

You're right, plow, algae is actually a benefit to a tank. The whole world is filtered by algae, water treatment plants use it to purify the waste water; there are a million benefits to algae. You're also right that it proliferates in tanks either poorly-sited or over fed, or both.
I don't get any in my planted aquariums because the plants themselves take up the free radicals and purify the water, so for my algae-eating fish, I have to culture the algae myself to help feed them.

Dave

[NickFish]

Algae is a benefit, but it usually occurs in unhealthy tanks, not healthy ones.
It is often, but not always sign of too much nitrates in the water, and poor water quality.

Algae is good for a tank, but if the algae is there it is often a sign that the water itself is not the best.

I add a little bit more liquid ferts, and slightly stronger lighting than I need to to keep the algae up for my otos. The plants would eat up all the nutrients needed for the algae to grow.