Green algae

[OzShrimp]

Just wondering what people do to deal with their green algae? Scraped the front of my tank clean yesterday and one side.  I attempted to scrape it off the back but it was so freakin hard i ended up giving up lol

I am attributing it to running 2lights instead of 1 so cut back to 1 (unconfirmed).

Slowly need to start cleaning it up though as my tank will be packed up in 4 1/2 months.

 

Anyone know of any shrimp safe stuff to use other then bit of elbow grease!

Edited August 19, 2015 by OzShrimp

[ineke]

I just use a safety blade and scrape - it comes off fairly easily. I run 3 lights 8 hours a day. It did help when I had a break with lights off after 4 hours but I don't bother anymore. 

[OzShrimp]

yeah i got the aquaone scraper but i dont think its sharp its just a blunt blade cause i have to really scrape it on the hard green on the back of my tank but other parts is like butter.

 

When you say safety blade what do you mean?

[jc12]

I bought this recently and it is freaking awesome!!! I could easily scraped both thin and thick layers of algae off the glass. Comes in either 46cm or 65cm.

I bought the 65cm one which works great for my 4x2x2. Full stainless steel and very well built. I even received 3 razor blades in the box with it.

Not sure if ebay link is allowed so if this is removed by any mod, please feel free to shoot me a PM.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/46cm-65cm-Aquarium-Glass-S-Steel-Algae-Scraper-Blade-Cleaner-Razor-Coralline-P8-/281731924605?var=&hash=item419888027d

Oops... just realised you're a mod. Haha. So yea, please remove the ebay link if not allowed and shoot me a PM. Haha. Sorry.

Edited August 19, 2015 by jc12
You are a mod!!! Hahaha

[ineke]

I bought some blades from Bunnings similar to a Stanley knife blade but they have an edge turned over so you can safely use them by hand. They were about $10 for 50 I think. They last quite a while as long as you dry them after each use

[OzShrimp]

I bought this recently and it is freaking awesome!!! I could easily scraped both thin and thick layers of algae off the glass. Comes in either 46cm or 65cm.

I bought the 65cm one which works great for my 4x2x2. Full stainless steel and very well built. I even received 3 razor blades in the box with it.

Not sure if ebay link is allowed so if this is removed by any mod, please feel free to shoot me a PM.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/46cm-65cm-Aquarium-Glass-S-Steel-Algae-Scraper-Blade-Cleaner-Razor-Coralline-P8-/281731924605?var=&hash=item419888027d

Oops... just realised you're a mod. Haha. So yea, please remove the ebay link if not allowed and shoot me a PM. Haha. Sorry.

ebay links are fine thanks for that :) 

This is what i am currently using and is alright for fresh algae but anything not recent i find i am having to use the corner of the blade. 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Aqua-One-A1-94405-Scraper-MultiClean-Tool-Extendable-32-80cm-for-Aquarium-/181442858989

Might look at getting one of those scrapers you got @jc12 . How long have you been using them and would the blade be replaceable with say a different razor blade like @ineke uses if it was cut to size ? 

[jc12]

The algae in one of my tanks (sump) was probably 6-8 months old and I couldn't even see through the glass at some areas. Some of them are those hard stubborn green spot algae and I didn't need much effort removing them.

I forgot to ask you if you have an acrylic or glass tank. Do not use this on acrylic tanks. It will scratch.

I am not sure what type of blades ineke meant but the blades that came with the scraper are like these ones.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10pcs-Stainless-Steel-Blades-For-Algae-Scraper-Cleaner-Razor-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-/271746082866?hash=item3f45542832

The blade is sandwiched between a metal plate and the handle, and held on by two thumb screws. I always unscrew and disassemble them and leave them out to dry completely before putting them away in case water trapped between the plates would cause the blade to rust.

Hope this makes sense else I could take some photos for you when I get home later.

Edited August 19, 2015 by jc12

[perplex]

The algae in one of my tanks (sump) was probably 6-8 months old and I couldn't even see through the glass at some areas. Some of them are those hard stubborn green spot algae and I didn't need much effort removing them.

I forgot to ask you if you have an acrylic or glass tank. Do not use this on acrylic tanks. It will scratch.

I am not sure what type of blades ineke meant but the blades that came with the scraper are like these ones.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10pcs-Stainless-Steel-Blades-For-Algae-Scraper-Cleaner-Razor-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-/271746082866?hash=item3f45542832

The blade is sandwiched between a metal plate and the handle, and held on by two thumb screws. I always unscrew and disassemble them and leave them out to dry completely before putting them away in case water trapped between the plates would cause the blade to rust.

Hope this makes sense else I could take some photos for you when I get home later.

oh sweet you answered my question, i was wondering what type of blades they came with.

 

thats a normal safety razor blade!!! what i got loads off, sweet, buying one of these

[northboy]

Cut back the amount of light is the trick and a couple of Bristlenose will help big time.

 

I also bought some plastic razor blades, safety type and they are BRILLIANT, safety as in one sided and they are red colour, work a treat

 

Bob

[kizshrimp]

Yeah what Bob said! You can buy red nylon safety blades on ebay, won't cut you and even better won"t scratch your glass. If you use steel blades better make sure they're brand spankin new. They rust quick in a fish room and any little imperfection on the blade scratches glass. 

The "Flipper" cleaners are the best if you want a magnetic one. They're not cheap but worth the money if you like magnet cleaners and use them regularly. 

FWIW I made a decent scraper from a piece of clear acrylic, cut the blade on a bench grinder and cleaned it up with some wet dry sand paper. Works great and I got it the same day i needed it, no wait time. 

 Oz you could try reducing the light cycle rather than intensity, some shrimpers seem to like a couple of hours off in the middle of the day. Or you could try "AlgaeFix" (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) - research it yourself. You'll find reports of everything from "100% shrimp safe" to "killed everything". Tom Barr says it kills about 30% of shrimp in some tanks and I trust him to have got the dose rate correct. 

Sometimes blackwater additives reduce algae growth - that would include IAL etc. The tannins are the inhibitor. Barley straw releases something that stops algae growth so you could try a liquid barley extract (try pond suppliers inc. Bunnings) or barley pellets/fermented straw. These options are shrimp safe but possibly less effective. If you have 4 months you should be right. 

 

[JacksonL]

If it's green spot algae you are getting, dose a little bit of phosphates (either liquid ferts or K2PO4 powder) and it will halt the growth of it. It's generally a sign of low phosphates in a tank with plants.

[northboy]

The best way by far is Native Nerite snails, they are better than Bristlenose by a mile and don't eat plant, one draw back, some dig in the substrate, so far there has not been a issue for me and I use laterite under my substrate

 

Bob

[fishmosy]

Another possible draw back with nerites is that their egg capsules can look a bit ugly and can be difficult to remove (particularly from rocks and other rough surfaces, less so from glass). However I've found this is depends on the species of nerite kept and may vary between individuals. Neritina pulligera and the tiny limpets dont seem to lay eggs anywhere but my other ( unknown) species does. 

[OzShrimp]

good info provided thanks :D

Cut back the amount of light is the trick and a couple of Bristlenose will help big time.

 

I also bought some plastic razor blades, safety type and they are BRILLIANT, safety as in one sided and they are red colour, work a treat

 

Bob

been looking for these plastic ones to compare where do you get them ? 

[2OFUS]

I had green algae not to long ago ! 

It was pretty bad 

I went to my mums place and grabbed out 6 juvi (2/3cm) and threw them in !!!!! 

Less then a week later and there's not 1 spot of green algae anywhere :) 

let me know if you want Afew when you are in Sydney next oz 

i have 1000's lol 

Edited August 27, 2015 by 2OFUS

[OzShrimp]

thanks for the offer but probably not cause then i would be stuck with them lol. I will just continue to scrape it off. I have done the front anad the side but the back is like cement so just gotta get one of those scrapers off ebay cause the aqua one scraper is shiet

[Callan]

If you were going to try the barley pellets or straw then they must be placed where they have water flow running over them continually. This is what causes the out shell to break down and causes the chemicals to be released that assist with algae issues.

The extract is easier to use or API do an algea inhibitor that is safe and in liquid form. I have had a discussion with one of the head guys from the company that manufactures this and he has assured me that it will not kill shrimp or fish. I can get you the details if you want them. One of the guys I work with uses and swears by it.

As far as barley straw goes and bi-products from speaking to numerous customers and researching it myself you could ask 100 people and 50 would say it is the best thing since sliced bread and 50 will tell you it dosent work and is a waste of money.

I am still sitting on the fence about it but the other thing you could try and is 100% safe is Aquatek pond clarifier. It takes about 8-10 weeks to start working effectively and is added in powder form to the tank every two weeks.

[kizshrimp]

The API one is "AlgaeFix" which I referred to above. Check Tom Barr's testing because it can, and does kill shrimp sometimes. 

[al4n]

This green algae, what exactly is the algae? The ones that look like hair? Or clumps of green spots

[zn30]

I would recommend bristlenose catfish as others have already in this thread however I would place them in the sump to clean the algae off free of charge, also providing clean filtered water free of algae spores. I find the smaller ones are better at cleaning than the large ones which are only interested in breeding.

[albash]

i think darwin algae shrimps do help tackle this algae issue