[lurkermom]

I've been dealing with a big algae problem lately.

I'm not really experienced with live plants so I'm still learning and everything so every advice will help.

Setup : 32 (ish) gallon fresh water with guppies (around 10 + frys)
Plants : Not sure about everything but : Rotala, Myriophyllum, Amazon Sword, I will add more later once I can find a decent place online. (the selection in LSF sucks) and I still haven't decided what kind.

Temperature : 84
Lights : Aqua-glo and a Flora glo on for about 11-12h a day. I tried for 8-10h but the plants became a bit paler.

I'm careful not to overfeed (they eat everything in 1 minutes)

The green algae is mostly on the glass, the plants seems to be ok (same for the driftwood, but I haven't taken it out of the water to check)

I scrub it once a while, but it's a pain in the butt and even though I know -some- algae is alright, I'm wondering if that quantity is normal... (I have two other tanks, smaller, which don't have the same problem)

I'll try to get an ancistrus soon to help, but I doubt it's going to be enough.

What can I do?

 

[Aqguy]

You have a long light schedule perfect for growing algae , I leave my lights on for 12hrs to grow algae on rocks for my cichlids, you will need to reduce to about 6 to 7hrs a day in lighting.
Try some flourish excel to brighten up your plants, also water changes and proper water primators are vital to a healthy tank.

 

[lurkermom]

I do frequent water changes and the parameters (I assume that's what you mean) are ok all within the norm (though the KH/GH is hard, I can't get it lower without spending a fortune, and I was told it didn't really matter as long as the PH was ok)

As I said, I tried 8h and the plants immediately turned white.
Wont using flourish just make the algae problem worse?

 

[Steve002]

Excel will provide carbon to your plants and it also works against algae though its better against black beard than green.
If you increase your light period you cause the plants to try and keep growing. To do that properly they need a source of nutrients and carbon. How much of each is part of the art of keeping a planted tank. Get an imbalance in these and you can promote even more algae. You may even be picking up excess light from the bright window seen in the background, especially if the sun light hits this tank.
On the other hand it appears to be a happy tank and you don't seem to have very much algae, why not just clean it off the glass regularly. No tank can be algae free as it is a natural thing in water.

 

[lurkermom]

Yea, theres a window, its the one that has the less light in general (and since I do have other plants I wont put curtains¸) but I could find a way to hide the tank from it though.

I'll try to get 9h of light and see what it can do, can we split the times, I like to see the fish when I get home from work, would that help?

 

[AnthonyW8822]

Why not just toss in a few otos? That'd take care of it and not bother your other fish

 

[lurkermom]

I'm planning to use that tank as a sorority tank in the future, I don't know if otos are good tankmates for bettas, I was told with guppies and endlers its fine (as long as I don't mind losing a couple of frys, which in my opinion isn't a prob! easy cull!)

are otos and bettas are ok?

 

[doug14]

i hope you mean that oto's are fine with guppy's and endlers and not that guppy's and endlers will be ok with a betta?

the betta and guppy's will fight because a male guppy looks to a betta what another male betta does.

i have my betta with galaxy rasbora, ancistrus, oto's and cory's and he is very happy and is never bothered.

And i have the same size tank as you!

 

[blinkin11]

Yea, theres a window, its the one that has the less light in general (and since I do have other plants I wont put curtains¸) but I could find a way to hide the tank from it though.

I'll try to get 9h of light and see what it can do, can we split the times, I like to see the fish when I get home from work, would that help?

I started getting an algae problem and did just this. I split my time. Lights on at 830am and off at 1230 then back on again at 330 and off at 830.

I do not mind them being off when i am leaving for work in the morning, I do not have time to look at the tank then anyway. Th earliest I am home during the week is 330, so the tank is usually on when I get home. That is my summer schedule anyway. In the winter I have the lights on a little earlier in the morning and off a little earlier at night. Try to follow the sunset, for my own purposes, not the tanks.

It has been working great so far. I still have good growth and little algae.

<Knocks on wood>

 

[lurkermom]

I'm pretty sure the betas (female sorority) will be too busy to care about the fast guppies. If not, by then I'll get another tank for the girls.

Thanks for the advice though, I'll check it more.