green slime
- Thread starter rockfish
- Start date
Well, how many plants do you have in your tank?? Usually it is better to have more plants than less, as the plants then out compete the algea for nutrients. What are your nitrates at? High nitrates can sometimes contribute to algea as well. Usually though, algea is caused by excess nutrients in the water. You can combat this by planting more plants, and feeding your fish sparingly.
There are several ways to fight the algea you already have. Do a few frequent small water changes. Cut the lights off for a few days, wrapping the tank in paper to keep all light out. But I think most important is to plant your tank very heavily with fast growing plants that take their nutrients from the water so that they remove any nutrients the algea might use to grow. I have pennywort in my tank, they have roots at every leaf that hangs out in the water and sucks up excess nitrates, etc. Do a search for algea control, I am sure you will find more plants than this, I just can't think of anymore right now.
I think though, the recommendation is that if you are going to plant your tank, to plant about 75% of the bottom, to outcompete alge, with fast growing plants right from the start. Then, once your algea disappears you can replace the fast growing plants with plants you like better.
Hope that helps, and if anyone else knows of something different, please post. This is all I can think of right now, as I haven't had my coffee yet.
Jan
There are several ways to fight the algea you already have. Do a few frequent small water changes. Cut the lights off for a few days, wrapping the tank in paper to keep all light out. But I think most important is to plant your tank very heavily with fast growing plants that take their nutrients from the water so that they remove any nutrients the algea might use to grow. I have pennywort in my tank, they have roots at every leaf that hangs out in the water and sucks up excess nitrates, etc. Do a search for algea control, I am sure you will find more plants than this, I just can't think of anymore right now.
I think though, the recommendation is that if you are going to plant your tank, to plant about 75% of the bottom, to outcompete alge, with fast growing plants right from the start. Then, once your algea disappears you can replace the fast growing plants with plants you like better.
Hope that helps, and if anyone else knows of something different, please post. This is all I can think of right now, as I haven't had my coffee yet.
Jan
that green slime is a type of bacteria that also photosynthesizes... (cynobacteria).
some have recommended using medicine (i think it was maracyn) to treat it, but I'm hesitant to go that route in a planted tank.
Have you tested your tank and tap water for phosphates? high phosphates (>1ppm) can trigger the blue-green algae growth. If you have very low phosphates in your tap water, I suggest frequent water changes... say 25% twice every week until it clears up (including manual removal of the algae). If your tap water is high in phosphates, you can add a phosphate resin to your filter (like phosguard)... this will reduce the amount of phosphates in your tank...
Other than that, I can't give any other advice cuz i haven't used phosphate resins before.
good luck.
some have recommended using medicine (i think it was maracyn) to treat it, but I'm hesitant to go that route in a planted tank.
Have you tested your tank and tap water for phosphates? high phosphates (>1ppm) can trigger the blue-green algae growth. If you have very low phosphates in your tap water, I suggest frequent water changes... say 25% twice every week until it clears up (including manual removal of the algae). If your tap water is high in phosphates, you can add a phosphate resin to your filter (like phosguard)... this will reduce the amount of phosphates in your tank...
Other than that, I can't give any other advice cuz i haven't used phosphate resins before.
good luck.
Roughly I have 2 giant amazon swords, 9 anubias and 6 clumps of vallisneria gigantea that have sprouted from one in a 70/30 flourite/gravel substrate. Fishwise I have 15 neons, 6 adult and 8 juvenile Columbian tetras, 3 silver tip tetras, 1 beta, 1 pleco, 3 dwarf algae eaters, 2 clown loaches, 1 cory, 1 large black marble angel and 2 small gold angels. In the past 3 weeks I have lost 1 large black marble angel, a few neons and tonight 1 gold angel. The black one hurt, he was about 5 inches tip to tip, showcase quality. None have looked sick until they looked dead. The slime is not blue green, but light green. I prefer the plants to compliment the fish so I would like to keep a fair amount of clear space. Thanks for the idea of adding more plants to overcome the algae, I think I'll increase he ground cover to fill most of the bottom.
If I treat the slime as a bacteria (with maracyn) how do I keep it from coming back? Is it a one shot deal that came from the fish store or do I have a water quality problem. I haven't tested for phosphates yet but will this weekend.
Thanks for the ideas, I'll keep ya'll posted.
Splishsplash-ever had vanilla mac nut coffee?
If I treat the slime as a bacteria (with maracyn) how do I keep it from coming back? Is it a one shot deal that came from the fish store or do I have a water quality problem. I haven't tested for phosphates yet but will this weekend.
Thanks for the ideas, I'll keep ya'll posted.
Splishsplash-ever had vanilla mac nut coffee?
How often are you doing water changes, rockfish? The fact that you have lost several fish in the last 3 weeks leads me to believe there is something going on with your water quality in there, accept you would expect to see some symptoms besides them just being dead. Did they have any marks on them that would indicate one of the otherfish got to them? What exactly is your pH, etc?
I have never used maracyn to treat algea, so I don't know if it is a one time thing or not. It should say on the bottle how to use it. I think once you get rid of it though, you should be done with it for a while. I think blue green algea grows on things though, not on the water.
I have never used maracyn to treat algea, so I don't know if it is a one time thing or not. It should say on the bottle how to use it. I think once you get rid of it though, you should be done with it for a while. I think blue green algea grows on things though, not on the water.
I checked the normal water quality stuff, pH=7.0-7.2, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia are at the lowest level my test kits can measure, essentially 0. I'm stumped, the only symptoms were that the affected fishes swam funny (upside down or side wise) for about an hour and then were dead. I examined one and he looked like he should still be swimming. At least nothing's died in several days (knock on wood). Water changes are about 15% every two weeks.
Thanks for the reply. I haven't been here in a couple of days. Working for a living sucks don't cha know.
Thanks for the reply. I haven't been here in a couple of days. Working for a living sucks don't cha know.