Jump to content

Green algae


OzShrimp

Recommended Posts

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 by OzShrimp
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member

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. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by jc12
You are a mod!!! Hahaha
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HOF Member

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 ? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by jc12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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. 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 ? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 by 2OFUS
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Join Our Community!

    Register today, ask questions and share your shrimp and fish tank experiences with us!

  • Must Read SKF Articles

  • Posts

    • beanbag
      Update to say that after a few gravel vacs, front wall scrub, moss / floating plant trim, that the condition seems to have improved.  My current theory is that it is due to waste / debris management, where "stuff" like that brown mulm accumulates in the substrate and behind the HMF filters.  Maybe some tanks can somehow deal with it, but mine can't.  Also another experienced shrimper suggested that maybe those "shell bugs" don't just live on the shrimps but also in this debris.  Maybe this is the reason some tanks fail due to "old tank syndrome" where all they need is a good gravel vac? Also, I am guessing that plant trim helps too because now more of the nutrients and light go into growing algae instead of more plants? Well anyway for this tank I will try weekly water change and monthly gravel vac / plant trim.  For my next tank, I'm thinking of something like an under-gravel system where this mulm can fall down and I vac it out.
    • sdlTBfanUK
      Good to have an update and good to hear you are getting shrimplets, so hopefully your colony will continue and you may not get to the point where you have to cull some to stop over population. These type of shrimp only live 12 - 18 months so the adult deaths may be natural? If you have the time I would do weekly 25% water changes, adding the new water via a drip system and do some vacuuming clean of the substrate each week, even if only a different bit each week! See if that helps in a few months and if it does then stick with that regime? It should help reduce any build-ups that may be occuring!
    • beanbag
      Hello again, much belated update: The tank still has "cycles" of 1-2 month "good streaks" where everybody seems to be doing well, and then a bad streak where the short antenna problem shows up again, and a shrimp dies once every few days.  I am not sure what causes things to go bad, but usually over the course of a few days I will start to see more shrimp quietly standing on the HMF filter, and so I know something is wrong.  Since I am not "doing anything" besides the regular 1-2 week water changes, I just assume that something bad is building up.  Here's a list of things that I've tried that are supposed to be "can't hurt" but didn't prevent the problem either: Dose every other day with Shrimp Fit (very small dose, and the shrimp seem to like it) Sotching Oxydator Seachem Purigen to keep the nitrates lower Keeping the pH below 5.5 with peat Things that I don't do often, so could possibly "reset" the tank back to a good streak, are gravel vac and plant trim, so maybe time to try those again. One other problem I used to have was that sometimes a shrimp would suddenly stop eating with a full or partially full digestive tract that doesn't clear out, and then the shrimp will die within a few days.  I suspected it was one of the foods in my rotation - Shrimp Nature Infection, which contains a bunch of herbal plant things.  I've had this in my food rotation for a few years now and generally didn't seem to cause problems, but I removed it from the rotation anyway.  I don't have a lot of adult Golden Bees at this point so I can't really tell if it worked or not. Overall the tank is not too bad - during the good streaks occasionally a shrimp will get berried and hatch babies with a 33-50% survival rate.  So while there are fewer adults now, there are also a bunch of babies roaming around.  I guess this tank will stagger on, but I really do need to take the time to start up a new tank.  (or figure out the problem)
    • jayc
      If that is the offspring, then the parents are unlikely to be PRL. I tend to agree with you. There are very few PRLs in Australia. And any that claim to be needs to show proof. PRL genes have to start as PRL. CRS that breed true after x generations doesn't turn it into a PRL. Neither can a Taiwan bee shrimp turn into a PRL despite how ever many generations. I've never seen a PRL with that sort of red colour. I have on Red Wines and Red Shadows - Taiwan bee shrimps. So somewhere down the line one of your shrimp might have been mixed with Taiwan bees and is no longer PRL. It just tanks one shrimp to mess up the genes of a whole colony. 
    • sdlTBfanUK
      Sorry, missed this one somehow! The PRL look fantastic and the odd ones look part PRL and part Red wine/Red shadow in the colour. They are still very beautiful but ideally should be seperated to help keep the PRL clean if you can do that.  Nice clear photos!
×
×
  • Create New...