|
|
Post by tpindell on Apr 23, 2012 20:33:32 GMT -6
Ok.. so everything I have read says this is just something that you go through with an aquarium, and it should clear up with regular mainenance, but it looks like crap and does not seem to be going away. I do at least a 30% water change every week, the fish are always greeting me for food (although it is quite possible I am over feeding), and I have been running lights 8 hours a day.
Is there anything I can do other than let it do its thing?
|
|
fuzzylogic
FORUM PARTICIPANT
tankoutlaws.com
Posts: 789
|
Post by fuzzylogic on Apr 23, 2012 20:40:02 GMT -6
Some would say your fish do not require lights. If your tank isn't planted Id leave them off for a few days. Some people also cover there tanks for 3 days so absolutely no light can get it. Black garbage bags come to mind
|
|
|
|
Post by bnoel210 on Apr 23, 2012 21:23:58 GMT -6
I had it in one of my 50g really bad and I threw in 2 bristlenose plecos and 2.5 days later it was all gone
|
|
|
|
Post by plecoman on Apr 23, 2012 22:05:40 GMT -6
Ditto on the pleco's. I use to get brown algae on the rocks in my Malawi tank pretty bad. I would take the rocks out, put them in a tank with my pleco's, and in a few hours they were algae free.
|
|
fuzzylogic
FORUM PARTICIPANT
tankoutlaws.com
Posts: 789
|
Post by fuzzylogic on Apr 24, 2012 6:36:56 GMT -6
+1 on the BristleNose suggestion as well. I will never have a tank with Holey Rock without having a couple in it as well
|
|
|
|
Post by tpindell on Apr 24, 2012 21:17:42 GMT -6
Thanks everyone. I will see what I can pick up as soon as I deal with the next issue.... Ich.
|
|
|
|
Post by ree123 on May 12, 2012 0:27:30 GMT -6
BamaPlants tells me that a snail called a nerite eats brown and black algae, actually all algae, very well, and he tells me he is trying to acquire a bunch of them to bring and sell to us @ the swap/meet.
All might want to keep this in mind, unless you have loaches or assassin snails that would eat them, or very large Cichlids that would do the same.
I have this same problem sometimes too.
My BN do a fantastic job, but often need assistance.
|
|
|
|
Post by mruble on May 12, 2012 5:59:52 GMT -6
Nerite snails are a saltwater tidal pool snail that can live in freshwater. Because they are a tidal pool snail, they roam. If your tank is not buttoned up tight, eventually they will no longer be an inhabitant of the tank.
|
|
|
|
Post by ree123 on May 12, 2012 6:46:16 GMT -6
Interesting fact Mark. Thank you for the advice.
Yet more stuff about this aquatic world that I didn't know.
Many of my tanks are totally open, so very helpful info. for me.
We never stop learning.
|
|
|
|
Post by tlyons01 on May 12, 2012 7:52:50 GMT -6
I agree about not knowing this information about the Nerite snail too. All of my tanks are open, and I was going to get some of them. I suppose now I will need to reconsider this.
Otocinclus thrive on brown algae. Mot of the time I can always find them at Petsmart. They will always be small especially compared to a pleco. If you look them up, you will find they do better in groups of around 6 as they will follow each other around the tank looking for food. Quite fun to watch
|
|
|
|
Post by mruble on May 12, 2012 8:04:17 GMT -6
I read an article where this guy threw a handful of Nerites in a tank. Next morning they were on the walls. Don't know if he ever got them all back. Everything I have read indicates that they are an awesome algae eating machine - if you can keep them in the tank! I am hoping to acquire a few for a "trial run". Got a couple of tanks that a fish fart couldn't get out of!
|
|
|
|
Post by ree123 on May 12, 2012 10:09:50 GMT -6
I may just have to incorporate a cover or two. If they eat the algae, especially the brown algae as I have read and heard, I may have to give a few of them a trial as well. May end up being a wall decoration, but will be an interesting conversation piece, huh ?
I do need all the help I can get, whether it is with Nerites or with BN or with Otocinclus, The first and last of which I have never kept.
|
|
|
|
Post by bnoel210 on May 12, 2012 11:01:45 GMT -6
What I have been testing out in one of my tanks are MTS snails. They are more of a substrate cleaner but recently they have been climbing on the rocks to get to the algea. They do not climb on my glass tho. I will be bringing a few bags of baby MTS to the swap if anyone is interested.
|
|
|
|
Post by tpindell on May 12, 2012 13:11:06 GMT -6
We picked up some snails the other day. I but two in the Cichlid tank and one in the puffer tank, I think they lasted about an hour in the Cichlid tank before they killed them.
I would like to get some bristle nose for the two fresh water tanks, so if anyone has any at the swap I would pick them up.
It took me an hour to convince the wife the snails we got would not crawl out of the tank. If I put something in there that may decide to escape, I would be in big trouble LOL.
|
|
|
|
Post by plecoman on May 12, 2012 15:40:46 GMT -6
I will be bringing some small regular bn's to the swap. They are 1" to 1 1/4" long. Also I can bring some albino bn's that are only 1/2", maybe a little larger by now.
I just looked and the albino are around 3/4" long now.
|
|
