Algae Remover?

Tristan wrote:
Its best to addrress the issue why you are getting algae than to hit
the algae with a chemical solution. Most times IME algaecides create
opther problems or issues and are only a bandaid. If I can lick algae
issues on a large body of water in a mud pond an aquarium is a walk i
the park.

It takes light and niutrients in the form of nitrogen and phosphates
to fuel algae. Remove any one of them and the algae cycle is broken.
Feed less foods, increase water changes until its under control,
decrease lights or address your lights as to bulb type or is there
sunlight also infiltrating your tank. The length of time lights are
left on also plays an important part in reducing algae. I would start
at 8 hours and see what happens.... Certain flourescent bulbs as
they become old, loose their proper Kelvin or color temp and can make
algae grow pretty quick. Perhaps adding in some live plants wll help
utilize the nutrients that algae needs as well.....

Is yur water source high in nitrate or phosphates? Yu can use RO water
or even RODI and re add in necessary buffers but eliminate phosphates
and nitrates in the process.....most times rodi is more trouble in a
FW setup than its worth as lights and feeding and nutrient buildup is
usually all that is requred to eliminate algae.

On 20 Jan 2007 16:56:20 -0800, "JB" wrote:

I just purchased Tank Buddies No More Algae, and after reading all the
warnings about it causeing harm to humans, animals,cancer, etc I was
wondering if anyone else uses this or similar algae remover, or a safer
alternative, etc...

Any advice (minus spam) is welcome...



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!


I've had my tank for 5½ months, and run the light for about 12 hours
per day.. I'm not in any direct sunlight, and I've been starting to
feed my fish and fry 1x every other day for the past 3-4 days..

My Nitrates and Nitrites are still high, and my KH is low under 40ppm,
and PH is just right at around 7.2..

I had completed a FULL water change about 12 days or so ago, and had
cleaned all the rocks, plants, glass, etc...

The algae is taking over my fry net, some of my plants, and my coral...


My swordtail just gave birth to another 40+ fry, not including the
other 14 fry from about 3 weeks ago, and two 2" adults...

Is yuur tank planted with live plants? If so try cutting back on the
duraiton of lighting. If artificial yu can cut way back and not hurt
anything. I guess yu started a bloom when yu rnitrate setc as well as
nutrients got out of hand and the light duration of 12 hours wihich is
IME quite a long light period. Try it at 8 hours and see what
happens.....it may take a while to notice much but just 4 hours or
even two can mean a big difference when it ocmes to algae growth.
Have you considered adding a critter ro two that eats algae? FW setups
can get wquite a good choice of algae eaters......I like the flying
fox which is similar to the chinese algae eater.......as well as some
snails....There is some neat species of pelcos that do a good job, but
lots of folks do not like plecos. I have never had any issues with
mine however and they do a great job on any algae my tank may get..
Don't forget, even though fry are tiny, they still contribute overall
to a bio load, and a bio load is yet more fuel for algae.....I have
always had worse algae problems in tanks I used to rear up fry in than
any other tanks I had. This is mainly due to the fact its hard to
feed fry without over feeding them and 9 out of 10 times folks are
gonna over feed.
Regards


On 21 Jan 2007 15:26:29 -0800, "JB" wrote:


Tristan wrote:
Its best to addrress the issue why you are getting algae than to hit
the algae with a chemical solution. Most times IME algaecides create
opther problems or issues and are only a bandaid. If I can lick algae
issues on a large body of water in a mud pond an aquarium is a walk i
the park.

It takes light and niutrients in the form of nitrogen and phosphates
to fuel algae. Remove any one of them and the algae cycle is broken.
Feed less foods, increase water changes until its under control,
decrease lights or address your lights as to bulb type or is there
sunlight also infiltrating your tank. The length of time lights are
left on also plays an important part in reducing algae. I would start
at 8 hours and see what happens.... Certain flourescent bulbs as
they become old, loose their proper Kelvin or color temp and can make
algae grow pretty quick. Perhaps adding in some live plants wll help
utilize the nutrients that algae needs as well.....

Is yur water source high in nitrate or phosphates? Yu can use RO water
or even RODI and re add in necessary buffers but eliminate phosphates
and nitrates in the process.....most times rodi is more trouble in a
FW setup than its worth as lights and feeding and nutrient buildup is
usually all that is requred to eliminate algae.

On 20 Jan 2007 16:56:20 -0800, "JB" wrote:

I just purchased Tank Buddies No More Algae, and after reading all the
warnings about it causeing harm to humans, animals,cancer, etc I was
wondering if anyone else uses this or similar algae remover, or a safer
alternative, etc...

Any advice (minus spam) is welcome...



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!


I've had my tank for 5½ months, and run the light for about 12 hours
per day.. I'm not in any direct sunlight, and I've been starting to
feed my fish and fry 1x every other day for the past 3-4 days..

My Nitrates and Nitrites are still high, and my KH is low under 40ppm,
and PH is just right at around 7.2..

I had completed a FULL water change about 12 days or so ago, and had
cleaned all the rocks, plants, glass, etc...

The algae is taking over my fry net, some of my plants, and my coral...


My swordtail just gave birth to another 40+ fry, not including the
other 14 fry from about 3 weeks ago, and two 2" adults...



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

JB wrote:



I've had my tank for 5½ months, and run the light for about 12 hours
per day.. I'm not in any direct sunlight, and I've been starting to
feed my fish and fry 1x every other day for the past 3-4 days..
My Nitrates and Nitrites are still high, and my KH is low under 40ppm,
and PH is just right at around 7.2..

You could try cutting the light down but IMO this is not your
problem....if the tank is 5.5 months old and fully cycled you should not
have any nitrites at all.....nitrates yes...because these are the
bi-product of a cycled tank - that being said in my heavily planted fw
tanks I need to add nitrates for the plants and these are not lightly
stocked fish wise....so you need to look elsewhere....feeding and gravel
vacs or indeed the parameters of the water that you are adding....try
testing your tap water and then do it again 24 hours after letting the
sample sit...this could give you a clue....

I had completed a FULL water change about 12 days or so ago, and had
cleaned all the rocks, plants, glass, etc...

Your beneficial bacteria will cling to your rocks, plants and
gravel....if you do too big a clean you will have reduced this and maybe
set off the cycle again....

The algae is taking over my fry net, some of my plants, and my coral...

Hmmm, coral....what type of coral are you even considering having in a
freshwater tank? if anything other than fake the thing is dead and
polluting your water....



My swordtail just gave birth to another 40+ fry, not including the
other 14 fry from about 3 weeks ago, and two 2" adults...

These fish will breed whatever.....add livebearer to water =
fry.....what you need to be sure of is that they are not overloading
your system.....add another filter if your nitrites are only a result of
overcrowding....

Gill

"JB"
nitrites?
no good mate
you need to only clean your filters sponges in water drawn from the
aquarium.

free ammonia or nitrite = algae
you need to grow more bacteria.