is there ever a point where...

Optix · 11-13-2012, 03:18 PM

you no longer have to clean algae in the tank...
Im not talking about major outbreaks..I mean the weekly glass/equipment wiping?

Knotyoureality · 11-13-2012, 03:37 PM

In my experience? Nope. You can greatly minimize algae, but your tank is, frankly, a moving target. No matter how perfectly you get it in balance, variables creep in and throw things off again.

BBradbury · 11-13-2012, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optix

you no longer have to clean algae in the tank...
Im not talking about major outbreaks..I mean the weekly glass/equipment wiping?

Hello Op...

If you slowly reduce the amount you feed, then the algae will shrink to the point you won't see it.

Algae feeds on extra dissolved food in the tank water. If you remove it, algae can't live because there's no food to sustain it.

I feed my fish and plants a tiny bit, twice a week. My fish are constantly foraging for leftovers and the complex plants use every nutrient available. There's nothing extra for the algae. So, I have none that's visible in any of my tanks.

Pretty simple.

B

FriendsNotFood · 11-13-2012, 04:50 PM

Depends on the tank...
I only have one tank that never, ever gets algae. Nothing on the glass at all after the first couple months. It's been probably a year since the last time I saw algae on the glass. The tank has 5 or 6 nerite snails in it so I think that's why. I have 3 acrylic tanks I can't put nerites in and I have to wipe down the tank on a weekly basis. Pain in the butt. Will never get acrylic tanks again if I can help it.

i'm a ninja · 11-13-2012, 04:51 PM

On the contrary, a few of my tanks have reached the point where you no longer have to scrape algae from the glass and equipment. That said they have all been all medium-light, low tech tanks, I have no experience with pressurized CO2 injection.

In my experience what seems to work is a heavily planted tank, it doesn't seem to really matter what plants, you just need a bunch of them and some floaters like Frogbit or Salvinia. I always use ADA aquasoil or Fluval Shrimp Stratum as substrate. And then I stock a little on the heavy side, for example my 5.5 has 9 guppies and about 50 RCS right now.

I feed the fish generously 2-3 times a week and only dose excel per dosing instructions everyday that I remember to, and change 1.5 gallons of water every 10 days or so.

I tried to keep nerite and ramshorn snails but I think they slowly starved since I didn't supplement their diet. Every once in a while I see a ramshorn, but I do not think there are more than a handful left in there.

**Hoppy** · 11-14-2012, 01:41 AM

I don't believe you can ever stop wiping down the glass. If you don't get algae of some kind, you still get "biofilm", which can be bacterial or otherwise. Also, if you wipe down the glass weekly you don't get much buildup and probably won't actually see anything there to wipe off, but it will soon build up and be harder to remove.

Contrary to what BB said, algae always have plenty of food. You can't starve algae in a tank with anything living in it. Algae require very minute amounts of nutrients to thrive. But, if you use low light, as BB does, the algae grow very slowly and are easy to control with routine cleaning.

Optix · 11-14-2012, 09:39 AM

obviously not a nutrient problem otherwise EI dosing would be a complete mess
I just always look at those beautiful "competition" tanks and they are spotless

so...its safe to assume they wipe them down meticulously right before a photo shoot?

**acitydweller** · 11-14-2012, 10:06 AM

My tanks are mostly comprised of algae eaters so before them, i used to wipe the glass each weekend to maintain clarity. No so much these days. 3 Otos didnt quite make a dent so i had to upgrade to a bristlenose pleco juvie which certainly fit the bill.

**SpecGrrl** · 11-14-2012, 12:29 PM

My low/med shrimp/snail tank never gets algae on the glass. I have 2 Amanos, 18 or so PFR/RCS, a big ivory snail, numerous pond snails and 6 or so ramshorns.

I have a marimo mossball in this tank, so it competes with any unseen algae directly. No Ferts except snail and shrimp poop.

And a ton of floaters.

11-13-2012, 03:18 PM	#1
Optix Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: May 2011 Location: derrty south Posts: 671	is there ever a point where... you no longer have to clean algae in the tank... Im not talking about major outbreaks..I mean the weekly glass/equipment wiping? __________________ ΔΙΡΤ Fraternity, Inc. #33

11-14-2012, 01:41 AM	#6
Hoppy Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (54/100%) Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 17,215	I don't believe you can ever stop wiping down the glass. If you don't get algae of some kind, you still get "biofilm", which can be bacterial or otherwise. Also, if you wipe down the glass weekly you don't get much buildup and probably won't actually see anything there to wipe off, but it will soon build up and be harder to remove. Contrary to what BB said, algae always have plenty of food. You can't starve algae in a tank with anything living in it. Algae require very minute amounts of nutrients to thrive. But, if you use low light, as BB does, the algae grow very slowly and are easy to control with routine cleaning. __________________ Hoppy

11-14-2012, 09:39 AM	#7
Optix Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: May 2011 Location: derrty south Posts: 671	obviously not a nutrient problem otherwise EI dosing would be a complete mess I just always look at those beautiful "competition" tanks and they are spotless so...its safe to assume they wipe them down meticulously right before a photo shoot? __________________ ΔΙΡΤ Fraternity, Inc. #33

11-14-2012, 10:06 AM	#8
acitydweller ओं मणिपद्मे हूं (View User Tanks) PTrader: (126/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: New York, NY Posts: 6,075	My tanks are mostly comprised of algae eaters so before them, i used to wipe the glass each weekend to maintain clarity. No so much these days. 3 Otos didnt quite make a dent so i had to upgrade to a bristlenose pleco juvie which certainly fit the bill. __________________ Namaste ओं मणिपद्मे हूं My life extends far beyond the limitations of me Keeper of the LIST

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11-13-2012, 03:37 PM	#2
Knotyoureality Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 739	In my experience? Nope. You can greatly minimize algae, but your tank is, frankly, a moving target. No matter how perfectly you get it in balance, variables creep in and throw things off again.

11-13-2012, 04:50 PM	#4
FriendsNotFood Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: West Hollywood, CA Posts: 1,000	Depends on the tank... I only have one tank that never, ever gets algae. Nothing on the glass at all after the first couple months. It's been probably a year since the last time I saw algae on the glass. The tank has 5 or 6 nerite snails in it so I think that's why. I have 3 acrylic tanks I can't put nerites in and I have to wipe down the tank on a weekly basis. Pain in the butt. Will never get acrylic tanks again if I can help it.

11-13-2012, 04:51 PM	#5
i'm a ninja Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 390	On the contrary, a few of my tanks have reached the point where you no longer have to scrape algae from the glass and equipment. That said they have all been all medium-light, low tech tanks, I have no experience with pressurized CO2 injection. In my experience what seems to work is a heavily planted tank, it doesn't seem to really matter what plants, you just need a bunch of them and some floaters like Frogbit or Salvinia. I always use ADA aquasoil or Fluval Shrimp Stratum as substrate. And then I stock a little on the heavy side, for example my 5.5 has 9 guppies and about 50 RCS right now. I feed the fish generously 2-3 times a week and only dose excel per dosing instructions everyday that I remember to, and change 1.5 gallons of water every 10 days or so. I tried to keep nerite and ramshorn snails but I think they slowly starved since I didn't supplement their diet. Every once in a while I see a ramshorn, but I do not think there are more than a handful left in there.

11-14-2012, 12:29 PM	#9
SpecGrrl Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (12/100%) Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 1,571	My low/med shrimp/snail tank never gets algae on the glass. I have 2 Amanos, 18 or so PFR/RCS, a big ivory snail, numerous pond snails and 6 or so ramshorns. I have a marimo mossball in this tank, so it competes with any unseen algae directly. No Ferts except snail and shrimp poop. And a ton of floaters.