algae bloom

[budmiller]

hey does anyone know a good way to get rid of algae bloom.

[rottn]

What kind of algae?

Usually grazers (snails, hermits, herbivore fish, etc. - depending on age and setup of your tank), and a refugium with macroalgae would be a good start.

I've heard of people scrubbing their rock, or using an old toothbrush (depending on what type of algae) to pull it off the rock.

If you could give more details about the setup and age of your tank, and include your water parameters, we may be able to give you more specific help.

Good luck!

[budmiller]

well my ph is at 6.8 ammonia is 0 nitrite is 0 and my nitrate is almost 0. my tank doesn't get any sunlight at all. I talked to a guy at this place by my house called Fishworld, and he said something must have gone wrong with the original cycle. Its only been running for about 2 months. So he gave me this water clarrifier to try. But that didn't make any difference, so a guy at big als told me to try Green X in my cannister, do water changes and keep the lights to a bare minimun of like 2 hours. So i hope this will work, i'll just have to be patient i guess.

[rottn]

Oh my gosh - I just noticed that this is in the FW forum! :embarrase

(DOH!)

I was answering with SW in my mind.

I will leave this for one of the FW gurus to answer. My apologies.

And I was about to tell you that your PH was way too low. :rolleyes: I keep forgetting that there's a FW forum here.

Okay, I'll just go away now. ;)

[Drew]

-what kind of algae? smeary, floating, hairy... what colour?
-what bulbs are you running & how old are they?
-what livestock do you have?
-if tested, whats your phosphate & nitrate reading?
Drew

[rottn]

Hey budmiller - me again. :rolleyes:

I actually do have a 33g FW tank, that's been running for just about 2 years. I've just sort of lost interest in it over the last year or so (since I got involved in SW). Besides, it's been running problem free for the most part. BUT...

I *do* recall having an algae problem with it ages ago (more than a year ago). It was the floating kind (green water), and I just couldn't get rid of it! I fought it tooth & nail. Fed the fish MUCH less, left the light off all day, lots of water changes, etc. Just as it would seem like I had it under control, it would come back with a vengeance!

I finally got desparate, and took the advice from somebody (on another forum). I COMPLETELY wrapped the tank with black garbage bags, and left it that way for 2 weeks, or 3 weeks? :confused: Can't remember, but it was a LONG time!

During this time, the fish were not fed at all.

When the time came to unwrap the tank, I was so worried that not all my fish would have made it. Well, they all did. Although one of my clown loaches decided to give me heart failure by playing dead. I know they normally will "play dead", but this time, he didn't even move when I poked and prodded at him! I was getting the net ready to take him out, with a heavy heart, when he just swam away as if nothing had happened!

So, everybody made it, and better yet, the algae appeared to be all gone!

I left the sides only covered for a couple months, and the algae never came back. I've NEVER had a problem with that tank since (knock on wood!)

Anyhow, just sharing my experience FWIW.