Fish Tanks

[Smigo]

Hi all. I have a small 52 litre tank and keep coldwater fish in it. Few Barbs, couple of White Clouds and a Thai catfish. A while ago when I got two new plants for it within a few weeks I noticed tiny hair algae growing on a couple of its leaves. I cut them off but now have found it growing on bits of the gravel! Its not huge, just 5 mm the longest maybe but it is slowly spreading. How do you get rid of this stuff does anyone know and done so? The net has things like "dont worry they all get it eventually" others "better get it out of it will choke the system" you know how it goes. The tanks looked after, has a good bio system of sponge and ceramic noodles, gets filter material changed every two weeks. A partial water change the same time as the filter material is done. Just would like to know if there is a way to control this new pest please?
Here it is on the gravel.

 

[JuicyLucy]

Hi all. I have a small 52 litre tank and keep coldwater fish in it. Few Barbs, couple of White Clouds and a Thai catfish. A while ago when I got two new plants for it within a few weeks I noticed tiny hair algae growing on a couple of its leaves. I cut them off but now have found it growing on bits of the gravel! Its not huge, just 5 mm the longest maybe but it is slowly spreading. How do you get rid of this stuff does anyone know and done so? The net has things like "dont worry they all get it eventually" others "better get it out of it will choke the system" you know how it goes. The tanks looked after, has a good bio system of sponge and ceramic noodles, gets filter material changed every two weeks. A partial water change the same time as the filter material is done. Just would like to know if there is a way to control this new pest please?
Here it is on the gravel.
View attachment 163381

Algae is caused by an imbalance of nutrients, usually light

If it is near a window with sun, you might want to add a sunblock. If you have a light over the aquarium, cut down on the number of hours it is on

If you are using any type of fertilizer, it may be unneeded or try using much less and less often

Is that at apogon? It doesn't need much in the way of nutrients outside of what your fish provide it

Also, stop changing the the filter so often, it is where the good bacteria lives - when it gets really gacky looking is when it is at it's highest efficiency

Rinse the filter media periodically with non-chlorinated water, but filter media should not be changed unless it is literally falling apart or so clogged it no longer filters

I used to breed tropicals in Alaska - over 2000 US gallons worth - and specialized in biotopes and planted tanks

 

[MannyScoot]

Clean the tank more often and use softer de-ionized water.

If you didn't have algae problems beforehand it's possibly you added some nutrients to the water to help the live plants and unbalanced the quality.

Plants are nice but with plants and nutrients you need more water changes to minimize algae.

It can also be excessive light like lucy said turn the light on early am and shut off as soon as it gets night.

Treat plants as in a daylight environment and don't over the light period.

You can also add more plants to help balance the nutrients.

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[Smigo]

Algae is caused by an imbalance of nutrients, usually light

If it is near a window with sun, you might want to add a sunblock. If you have a light over the aquarium, cut down on the number of hours it is on

If you are using any type of fertilizer, it may be unneeded or try using much less and less often

Is that at apogon? It doesn't need much in the way of nutrients outside of what your fish provide it

Also, stop changing the the filter so often, it is where the good bacteria lives - when it gets really gacky looking is when it is at it's highest efficiency

Rinse the filter media periodically with non-chlorinated water, but filter media should not be changed unless it is literally falling apart or so clogged it no longer filters

I used to breed tropicals in Alaska - over 2000 US gallons worth - and specialized in biotopes and planted tanks

Hi Lucy. I dont have it near the window and only have the lights on 7 hrs a day.
Cant recall the name of the plant there.
With the filter, no I leave the sponge and bio noodles alone bar an easy does it swish in some of the tanks water every couple of months, never wash them. When I do that, just to loosely remove any crap blocking the noodle pores I then that night add a good bacteria culture booster. Even then when I do that I only do half the noodles one time and the other half the next. They never get washed, and only rinsed really lightly in the water from the tank only. The material change is the twin layer cotton fibre sheets below the water head which are due for a change now.
Here is the tank.

 

[Smigo]

Clean the tank more often and use softer de-ionized water.

If you didn't have algae problems beforehand it's possibly you added some nutrients to the water to help the live plants and unbalanced the quality.

Plants are nice but with plants and nutrients you need more water changes to minimize algae.

It can also be excessive light like lucy said turn the light on early am and shut off as soon as it gets night.

Treat plants as in a daylight environment and don't over the light period.

You can also add more plants to help balance the nutrients.

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Thanks. I use rainwater from our tank for changes. That hair stuff started right after I got those new plants vassilli...something grass looking type thing. The only nutrients are via root tabs but there again was no issue till I got those plants and that stuff got introduced to the tank.

 

[MannyScoot]

Thanks. I use rainwater from our tank for changes. That hair stuff started right after I got those new plants vassilli...something grass looking type thing. The only nutrients are via root tabs but there again was no issue till I got those plants and that stuff got introduced to the tank.

Rainwater has a lot of nutrients and it's also high on alkaline.

Remember that rain for example in the amazon gets filtered by tree roots, and decaying leaves before it enters a river like in the amazon all those steps make the water acidic.

Test your water.....

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[MannyScoot]

Thanks. I use rainwater from our tank for changes. That hair stuff started right after I got those new plants vassilli...something grass looking type thing. The only nutrients are via root tabs but there again was no issue till I got those plants and that stuff got introduced to the tank.

Nutrients come also from fish fecal deposits and decomposing vegetation. Once you add plants you need 10% weekly water changes, and CO2 to keep a tank well balanced.

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[JuicyLucy]

Nutrients come also from fish fecal deposits and decomposing vegetation. Once you add plants you need 10% weekly water changes, and CO2 to keep a tank well balanced.

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Those are low light plants, they don't need Co2 at all - it would be vast overkill and unneeded expense for it's current needs

I've always been a proponent of 50% water change weekly regardless of what is in the tank, it is much healthier for the fish that way

Some types of hair algae just rub off and you can remove it manually when you water change

You can also periodically wipe algae off of those types of lowlight plants with a paper towel

 

[Smigo]

Thanks @MannyScoot & @JuicyLucy
I have one of these. The bag is useless and is too loose filtering wise retaining very little. It just redistributes everything really.

I dont use the bag but unstead cut two layers of tight cotton filtration pads to fit and use a cable tie to keep it on. Does an amazing job that way and traps about 90% of what it sucks up. Blocks quickly as a result so I do three changes of the pads per clean. I might increase the water change regime to once a week and go from the 30% I usually do to 50%. Due for root tabs but thinking now will skip them now and see how the plants go without it.

 

[Bigrick]

I once purchased some live plants for my aquarium at our local reputable pet shop. They were pretty and as I work hard to keep my tanks looking natural they were a nice addition. Thing is two weeks later I was over run with snails. Baby snails everywhere, even up in my filter system. I had to ditch all contents and clean with bleach to get rid of them all. I have found some nice artificials I use now.

 

[Smigo]

I once purchased some live plants for my aquarium at our local reputable pet shop. They were pretty and as I work hard to keep my tanks looking natural they were a nice addition. Thing is two weeks later I was over run with snails. Baby snails everywhere, even up in my filter system. I had to ditch all contents and clean with bleach to get rid of them all. I have found some nice artificials I use now.

Hi, yes I got the snail import issue I think when I got the Sword plant. They are very small and I only ever see them now and then on the filter pads though, obviously sucked up through the intake. Couple of time saw a barb going crazy on couple but no matter how much I look, even at night I have never seen them anywhere else! Mystery snails these ones. Though I read that barbs can keep them in check so maybe thats why they seem to be in low numbers in mine. I love watching fish in tanks, takes my mind off things.

 

[Anibird]

I know nothing about fish tanks except how to kill the fish so I'm no help. I just wanted to wish you good luck at figuring it out!

 

[Smigo]

I know nothing about fish tanks except how to kill the fish so I'm no help. I just wanted to wish you good luck at figuring it out!

Thanks. It seems clean, starve and deprive it of what it needs. Am going to get some zeeolite to add with my filtration as it apparently absorbs nitrates.
Saw another of the mini snails, got sucked up through the pump. Tough little things shell wise. This is the only place they show up. Maybe they are thrill seeker snails and like riding the tube of death!
The green stuffs just plant debris from the barbs which love ripping into them now and then. The little round brown things a thrill seeker snail.