Habitat - Indoor :: Algae Control

Turtle tank setups and other indoor configurations.

Post Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 4:14 pm   Re: Algae Control

Should be fine as long as you preserve the bio media. You normally don't need vinegar when cleaning. Are you using a brush to clean his basking area?
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Post Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:06 pm   Re: Algae Control

Quick question:
When I first set up my tank I noticed I had some algae growing on this rock (which happens to be under the heat lamp). Recently though it seems like the algae is just getting to be more and more. Should I like wipe that stuff off or something?
I have a baby pleco in there too, is he supposed to eat that stuff? If so he probably doesnt because that corner is blocked off).
That rock really seems to be the only place in the tank that's growing the stuff
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Post Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 9:55 pm   Re: Algae Control

Yes, the pleco should eat some of it if it can reach it. I usually just wipe some of it down before there is too much. I have it on some cork bark and it looks pretty nice.
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Post Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 11:28 am   Re: Algae Control

Ok, I have a huge brown algea outbreak. I have been trying to deal with it for 2 months now, but it keeps coming back. I am thinking about using gfo, but I know nothing about this. Do I run it in my filter, how much?
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Post Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:56 pm   Re: Algae Control

I don't know about GFO but they say it should go away by itself. Have you tested the water? What about a UV filter?
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Post Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 3:43 pm   Re: Algae Control

Ok, don't panic, and always carry a towel. Apparently there is a cure for this. My likely issue is high phosphates or silicates. My nitrates are low to non exisistant. I have checked the nitrates, and nitrite levels but had no way to check phosphates. Apparently the brown algae love it. So tonight I am going to check the phosphate level, I assume that it is high. Either way I am changing from carbon to Purigen. If the phophate level is high I will also be adding phoguard. this will help remove the phosphates. Hopefully that helps, if not then we will be looking into Uv sterilizers and whatever else anyone can think of. I wont have brown sand.
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:27 pm   Re: Algae Control

I'm glad to learn that green algae is not harmful to my turtle! Initially I wanted to get rid of it 100%, but my husband thought it looked natural, and as long as it wasn't harming the turtle we shouldn't get too crazy about removing it. I've got a 55 gallon tank with a Fluval 406 that works like a charm - crystal clear water, but now the green algae is creeping in on the rocks & some other stuff (no live plants in the tank) . So I guess it's OK to remove it - here and there - as long as it doesn't take over - and we'll be OK? I read it's best to do partial cleanings versus a full cleaning, which may disrupt the natural bacteria and other things that have grown over time. True?
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Post Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:48 am   Re: Algae Control

If you're using a canister filter, the beneficial bacteria will colonize on the bio media in there, so you can do full cleanings or water changes. You can still do just partial water changes if you do it consistently. With larger tanks, you can probably get away with fewer changes as well.
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 11:37 am   Re: Algae Control

I recently bought a Chinese algae eater for our tank and it is doing a wonderful job. In the two previous tanks, that were too small, we didn't have a problem with algae. In the newest 90 gallon tank, the algae seemed to thrive. I'm not sure which variable changed enough to encourage the growth, but in 2 weeks time the Chinese algae eater has taken care of all the algae on the back glass and has started taking care of the rocks. It wasn't very big at all when we got it but it has seems like it has already at least doubled in size.

Brian
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Post Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 9:40 pm   Re: Algae Control

Here's a fleeting pic of Albert the algae eater.
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 12:32 am   Re: Algae Control

Pretty cool. Does he have any hiding spots?
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:29 am   Re: Algae Control

steve wrote:Pretty cool. Does he have any hiding spots?


He is almost always hiding behind the big rocks I have set up as Penny's basking platform. Sightings aren't very common and are brief. He does like to play around the heater suction cups, swimming loops around them. He's been a big help with algae control though :-)
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 2:16 pm   Re: Algae Control

Penny doesn't try to eat him?
1 RES - A girl named Sheldon
1 feeder fish - affectionately named Fishy - RIP 5/27/12
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 2:46 pm   Re: Algae Control

cutepanda86 wrote:Penny doesn't try to eat him?


I saw her kind of check him out once, but didn't seem to be interested in eating him.
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 2:55 pm   Re: Algae Control

Ah. I may need to think about getting one for my tank. Sheldon has issues with tank mates.
1 RES - A girl named Sheldon
1 feeder fish - affectionately named Fishy - RIP 5/27/12
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