need to get rid of my algae problem

**benji's_fish** · 03-25-2009, 06:22 PM

i have been having an algae problem for a few weeks, and am constantly doing water changes, and the algae wont go away. what do i need to do????

i heard of covering the tank for a few days does this work? i dont wanna waste 3 days if it doesnt work.

i have seen this stuff at wal mart. and says it will kill algae. will this stuff work?

i hate having my water green and i love being able to see my fish. what is the quickest way to get rid of this??

**ILuvMyGoldBarb** · 03-25-2009, 06:41 PM

OK, first things first.
What size is your tank?
What kind of fish do you have?
How many fish do you have?
Any live plants?
Amount of lighting and length you leave the lights on?
How much water do you change each time?
What kind of algae do you have?

**Algenco** · 03-25-2009, 06:59 PM

and is the tank close to a window?

**benji's_fish** · 03-25-2009, 07:13 PM

55g 2 clown loaches, 2 tiger barbs, 1 redtail black shark, 1 sailfin pleco, 3 rosy barbs, 2 female bettas.

no live plants
pretty much when im awake the light is on, so i turn it on around 8 or 9 and turn it off around 1130.

i change about half the water at a time it seems like every 2-3 days.

the water is just green ive been told its algae, no long stringy long algae from the filter.

its in my basement, under a little 2'x3' window, and there is another window on the adjasent wall the same size.

**ILuvMyGoldBarb** · 03-25-2009, 07:17 PM

Green water. Well, for starters, with no live plants, you have your lights on way too much. larger water changes won't hurt either. Here's is what Dave66 had to say for a solution

Originally Posted by Dave66

Floating algae (green water) is almost always an effect of overfeeding your fish. Wrong light spectrum or exposure to sunlight can intensify the problem.

The solution is simple; frequent partial water changes, a good gravel vacuum and a reevaluation of your feeding practices. All food should be consumed by your fish, no matter the size, in less than a minute. Some grazers, like catfish and herbivores, can be exempt from the one-minute rule.
Promptly clean up ANY excess.

If sunlight is also the problem, either move the tank or put up thick, dark curtains. If it is the old light that's intensifying the floating algae problem, change the bulbs.

There's a quaint method of clearing a tank of green water using Daphnia pulex, a filter-feeding organism roughly the size of a flea. A troupe of these creatures will clear a tank of green water in days and prosper at the job, meaning you'll have many more Daphnia than you started with. A more modern method is using a flocculent product in your filter. The particles from the product bind with the algae cells, making them heavier than water, causing them to sink to the bottom of the tank. But live Daphnia aren't easy to find in shops and the product to clear the water costs money. It's far simpler, not to mention basically free, to do the water changes, vacuum the substrate and not feed so much to cure the problem.

As an aside, never, ever use algae destroying tablets. The dead algae will decay, and you'll have more problems than you started with if you do. It's also unnatural for a tank not to have some algae.

**PostalPenguin** · 03-25-2009, 07:29 PM

Get a timer for your lights. I used to keep the lights on for longer than I should and the timer kept me from forgetting to turn them off. Perhaps get some live plants as well?

**benji's_fish** · 03-25-2009, 07:38 PM

so how long should i have the lights on?

how frequent is frequent?? and how much at a time?? more than half?

**btate617** · 03-25-2009, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by benji's_fish

so how long should i have the lights on?

how frequent is frequent?? and how much at a time?? more than half?

Unless you have plants the lights are for your benefit not the fish. The light from the room is enough, although you probably enjoy the lights so you can see your fish better. If you keep them on for 14 hours try 8 hours see if it helps.

Brian