General Care Discussion :: Algae Control in Water

[luvmyslider]

So sad!
The water in our 30 lb. tank is getting increasingly more green and thick after each drain/refill. We have eliminated the lights and turned the heaters down a bit to slow the algae process, but it creeps back into the water within one week and becomes uninhabitable. Any algae control ideas? Thanks!

[cam722]

Do you have the tank near a window where sun is hitting it? Turning off the lights and turning down the heat may slow down the algae growth but could harm your turtle... they need 10-12 hours of light each day and a steady water temperature. What size is your turtle?

[daredevilgirl013]

A Pleco fish. They eat Algae. That's what I got to control mine. He does a good job!

[luvmyslider]

Hi Cam722. Our RES is 6 inches and growing! The tank is near the window and always has been for almost one year. No changes. Just recently have we had the algae prob

Hi Daredevilgirl. I'm afraid our turtle will eat the Pleco fish. Not so? And how many should I get for a 30 lb. tank. Do you feed them fish food or???

Thanks to both of you for your help.

[DanielRES1180]

Lately I have had the same problem with my tank, and it grows on absolutely everything, the fake plants, the basking rock, even inside the filter. My solution was to brush the basking rock and the filter harder on regular cleans and feed my turtles in a separate container, in hopes that will slow the process (silly me ). As absurd as the last action sounds the whole thing overall has had effect, now it takes longer for the algae to develop.

[marisa]

Not so silly, DanielRES1180 . Heat, light and nutrients in the water all contribute to algae. Feeding your RES in a separate container, means less nutrients in the water (from the food).

luvemyslider, what is the temp of the water? Moving the tank from the window will help some.

How big is the tank, how much water is in it, and how often do you change the water and clean the tank? Adding oxygen to the water through partial water changes between cleanings would also help some.

[luvmyslider]

Thank you. This was never an issue for the first 10 months we had the little guy. Tank is still in the same location near a window. I have had to change the h20 every week since February. Not an easy task with a 30 gallon tank filled as high as possible without leaking from the filter side of the aquarium. Are there any algae treatment chemicals (turtle friendly of course)?

[marisa]

I have to say I'm not in favor of routinely adding chemicals to the water, aside from dechlorinator to treated tap water. Perhaps someone else know of something that's turtle friendly...

[jeggy]

one of those magnet tank cleaners. just swipe your tank once in a while and that will keep alge from growing. but you have to start with a fully clean tank.

[luvmyslider]

The algae is not on the glass. It is a gradual but continuous green cloudiness that becomes impossible to see through. Will the magnet tank cleaner, possibly combined with some Pleco fish work for this type of condition? PS the tank is pretty minimalistic. I have no gravel. Just a heater, a dock and a filter in the 30 lb. tank. Thanks for all of your help, guys!