constant algae

I have an 8 gallon tank with some Gold X-Ray Tetras and Red Minor Serpae
Tetras. I have a 125 Biowheel for filtration. The lights are on only 6
hours a day. I do water changes every 2-3 weeks. It gets constant algae.
Brighter green algae that covers the glass and (fake) plants (comes off
fairly easy). Also if I go to the 3 week mark of doing a water change, it
will start to get a different algae on the plants only, this algae is sort
of a very dark red. I have a water test kit and nitrites, nitrates,
ammonia, etc. are all at good levels according to the kit. Why such a bad
algae problem and what can I do about it?

"Tara Legale" wrote in message
...
I have an 8 gallon tank with some Gold X-Ray Tetras and Red Minor Serpae
Tetras. I have a 125 Biowheel for filtration. The lights are on only 6
hours a day. I do water changes every 2-3 weeks. It gets constant algae.
Brighter green algae that covers the glass and (fake) plants (comes off
fairly easy). Also if I go to the 3 week mark of doing a water change, it
will start to get a different algae on the plants only, this algae is sort
of a very dark red. I have a water test kit and nitrites, nitrates,
ammonia, etc. are all at good levels according to the kit. Why such a bad
algae problem and what can I do about it?
=======================
More and larger partial water changes and a few small algae eaters called
otos. Does your gravel need a good vacuuming? Maybe try vacuuming the
gravel more often also.
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

Every time I do a water change it is done by doing a vacuum. This tank has
been around for 5 years. The only thing I changed about a year ago was not
having live plants any longer. They don't sell them locally, and I wasn't
having much luck keeping the ones I bought online, alive for more than a few
months. I even added one of those devices for plants... slips my mind what
they are called. Live plants certainly helped. And you know, when I vacuum
the gravel (actually crushed glass) there isn't much to be vaccumed. I
really come away with mostly tinted water.

"Tara Legale" wrote in message
...
Every time I do a water change it is done by doing a vacuum. This tank
has been around for 5 years. The only thing I changed about a year ago
was not having live plants any longer. They don't sell them locally, and
I wasn't having much luck keeping the ones I bought online, alive for more
than a few months. I even added one of those devices for plants... slips
my mind what they are called. Live plants certainly helped. And you
know, when I vacuum the gravel (actually crushed glass) there isn't much
to be vaccumed. I really come away with mostly tinted water.
==========================
Crushed glass isn't the best bottom for live plants. Java moss and hornwart
should do OK as they don't root in and will starve out algae. Leave the
lights on at least 10 hours a day. Are there no PetsMart or Superpet stores
where you live? Almost any store that sells aquarium fish sells water
plants. Make sure they're not those houseplant cuttings some unscrupulous
places sell. Know what you're buying. :-)
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
http://www.ganesha.org/ptb/hipcrime.html
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

I always thought that the more light, the more algae. I keep the tank off
all day when I'm at work, and turn it on at 5PM when I get home... off
around 11 or 11:30 when I go to bed.

I live in a small town and the closest big pet store is 100 miles. I
typically make one or two trips in the summer, never noticed any plants.
Will look when I drive there in spring.


"Zëbulon" wrote
Leave the lights on at least 10 hours a day. Are there no PetsMart or
Superpet stores where you live? Almost any store that sells aquarium fish
sells water plants. Make sure they're not those houseplant cuttings some
unscrupulous places sell. Know what you're buying. :-)

"Tara Legale" wrote in message
...
I always thought that the more light, the more algae. I keep the tank off
all day when I'm at work, and turn it on at 5PM when I get home... off
around 11 or 11:30 when I go to bed.

I'm sorry. I was not clear on that. If you have "live plants" they must get
at least 10 hours of good strong light.

I live in a small town and the closest big pet store is 100 miles. I
typically make one or two trips in the summer, never noticed any plants.
Will look when I drive there in spring.

If you do buy live plants get the low-light kind and do make sure they're
aquarium plants. Perhaps look up aquarium plants on Google, print out a few
pictures to take with you to make sure they don't get those worthless
houseplant cuttings so many places sell.

--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

Bright green algae that comes off easily? That sounds like BGA,
cyanobacteria or slime algae.... whatever you want to call it.

I've had a fight with all sorts of algae for the last several years
(6yrs?). That BGA sure makes a mess out of things. I have tried every
remedy I know of or heard of. FOR ME it has come down to two things,
actually three. You can tear the tank down and restart and hope for
the best...... use some death in a bottle available at any local
*mart, like my buddy does (and seems to work)...... or change your
lighting. I've changed mine till I was tired of fooling with it.
Different color temps, varying duration, intensity, etc.... etc.... I
finally bought a timer with multiple setpoint for purely selfish
reason. So I could see my tank lit before and after work and still
only get 10-12 hours of light. Now it runs from 7am to 11am and from
5pm to 10pm. That's nine hours of light. But, what the!? No algae.
ever. Go figure.

Take that for what it's worth.

On 5 Feb 2007 09:24:57 -0800, "spiral_72" wrote:

Bright green algae that comes off easily? That sounds like BGA,
cyanobacteria or slime algae.... whatever you want to call it.

I've had a fight with all sorts of algae for the last several years
(6yrs?). That BGA sure makes a mess out of things. I have tried every
remedy I know of or heard of. FOR ME it has come down to two things,
actually three. You can tear the tank down and restart and hope for
the best...... use some death in a bottle available at any local
*mart, like my buddy does (and seems to work)...... or change your
lighting. I've changed mine till I was tired of fooling with it.
Different color temps, varying duration, intensity, etc.... etc.... I
finally bought a timer with multiple setpoint for purely selfish
reason. So I could see my tank lit before and after work and still
only get 10-12 hours of light. Now it runs from 7am to 11am and from
5pm to 10pm. That's nine hours of light. But, what the!? No algae.
ever. Go figure.

Take that for what it's worth.

There is another alternative, accept the algae as a natural part of
the aquatic environment. One of my tanks has been slowly growing red
amoeba along the water/gravel line. I worried for the first year, but
seeing no problem caused by them, I have decided, they too, are a
natural part of the system. Snails too.

We all fight for some idealized perfection without considering
accepting what is natural.