A bit of a green slimy algae problem in my Malawi cichlid tank

[vegas2k]

I am wondering if I take some of my anacharis and put it in there if it'll thrive and outcompete the algae? I also wonder if my peacocks will just eat it up lol...

[Lady Hobbs]

Depends on what kind of algae it is. You can have algae from not cleaning the tank enough, algae from leaving tank lights on too long, algae from having phosphates too high or algae from a tank sitting near a window.

If you have the green slimy algae, then you have cyano. Read Dave66 algae primer in the algae thread. It's a stickie at the top of the page.

[vegas2k]

Depends on what kind of algae it is. You can have algae from not cleaning the tank enough, algae from leaving tank lights on too long, algae from having phosphates too high or algae from a tank sitting near a window.

I basically do about a 30% WC weekly(thought that this would help me keep the phosphates down), lights are on about 8 hours a day on a timer, and no window. The thing about this tank is, my habits haven't changed since day 1 of what I do to keep it up. One thing I wonder though is, the substrate, that it's sand. I did choose the type of sand they told me to get that does not cause algae bloom.

The algae is green/dark green and is beginning to cover up the glass. the fake plants and decorative rocks seem to have a very dark spotting on them that I can't just rub off.

I guess even if the anacharis doesn't do the job, I'd like them in there anyways to soak up plant nutrients, as long as the peacocks don't kill it.

[Lady Hobbs]

If this is cyano algae and it sounds as it is, it's a bacterial algae. Some just keep cleaning the tank, changing the water and vacuuming the gravel to get rid of it. It's said to come from overstocking tanks, not doing regular water changes (or not large enough) or not having enough filtration.

You don't want your fish to eat it. It could kill them since it's a bacteria and not an algae.

[vegas2k]

If this is cyano algae and it sounds as it is, it's a bacterial algae. Some just keep cleaning the tank, changing the water and vacuuming the gravel to get rid of it. It's said to come from overstocking tanks, not doing regular water changes (or not large enough) or not having enough filtration.

You don't want your fish to eat it. It could kill them since it's a bacteria and not an algae.

ok well the tank is over filtered, I do regular WC. The only thing left is to increase the WC amount from the 30% I do already. If it is cyano, would the plant in the tank help at all?

oh and which algae you say is the cyano? the green slimy stuff on the glass or the black stuff that i cant scrub off the deco?

[Lady Hobbs]

The green slimy stuff is cyano. If you have algae on the decorations, as well, take them out of the tank, soak them in some mild bleach water and rinse them off in dechlorinatored water or allow them to air dry.

Do you have a gravel vac? Try to suck up that cyano.