How do you stop Algae?

I keep getting the so call Algae Eaters and I guess they eat them selves
to death. I've moved the tank away from sun and a light source and
still get it.

Any solutions?

Allen

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How do you stop Algae?

I keep getting the so call Algae Eaters and I guess they eat them
selves to death. I've moved the tank away from sun and a light
source and still get it.

Any solutions?

don't feed so much... the more nutrients you have, the more the algea will grow... i've gone to feeding my tanks only once or twice a week and no longer have algae growth problems... there was a time, though, when i had hair algae that was 3 to 4 inches long and lost numerous fish when they'd get tangled in it...

when you say that you are getting "algae eaters", what, exactly, are you getting? plecostomas shouldn't have a problem cleaning algae but you might need
a large tank in a year or so for them :) my last pleco was 19 inches long, now
to tail and about 2.5 inches across the head at its eyes ;)

)\/(ark


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Re: Algae Growth
By: mark lewis to ALLEN PRUNTY on Sat Dec 29 2007 08:56 pm

when you say that you are getting "algae eaters", what, exactly, are you getting? plecostomas shouldn't have a problem cleaning algae but you might need a large tank in a year or so for them :) my last pleco was 19 inches long, now to tail and about 2.5 inches across the head at its eyes ;)

What size tank was that? :)


Jason - W8ZZU
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when you say that you are getting "algae eaters", what, exactly, are you getting? plecostomas shouldn't have a problem cleaning algae but you might need a large tank in a year or so for them :) my last pleco was 19 inches long, now to tail and about 2.5 inches across the head at its eyes ;)

What size tank was that? :)

30 gallon... he was in there with my female albino oscar that got up to about 12 inches long from nose to base of tail ;)

)\/(ark


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need a large tank in a year or so for them :) my last pleco was 19 inche long, now to tail and about 2.5 inches across the head at its eyes ;)

What size tank was that? :)

30 gallon... he was in there with my female albino oscar that got up to abou 12 inches long from nose to base of tail ;)

Sounds like an overloaded tank <g>.

We plan to setup the 70gallon tank in the near future.
xxcarol
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Re: Algae Growth
By: mark lewis to Jason Vierik on Sun Dec 30 2007 05:52 pm

when you say that you are getting "algae eaters", what, exactly, are you getting? plecostomas shouldn't have a problem cleaning algae but you might need a large tank in a year or so for them :) my last pleco was
19 inches long, now to tail and about 2.5 inches across the head at its eyes ;)

What size tank was that? :)

30 gallon... he was in there with my female albino oscar that got up to about 12 inches long from nose to base of tail ;)

Wow, thats awesome.. I have a 29 Gallon (Is that what you meant?) and have never had one grow quite that big.


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need a large tank in a year or so for them :) my last pleco was
19 inches long, now to tail and about 2.5 inches across the head
at its eyes ;)

What size tank was that? :)

30 gallon... he was in there with my female albino oscar that got
up to about 12 inches long from nose to base of tail ;)

Sounds like an overloaded tank <g>.

nah, not really... define "overloaded"... AFAIK, overloaded means too many fish
for the biologics... i've never had any problems with disease or biologics... at that time, there were only the two fish in the tank... they started in that tank when they are toddlers only about as long as your thumb ;)

We plan to setup the 70gallon tank in the near future.

i've plans, somewhere around here, for building a 100Gal or 200Gal tank... the problem is where to put it... with the 30 and two 20s in the living room, and several others with nothing in them, there's just no room... it is bad enough that the 30 is up beside the TV on the wall unit :)

)\/(ark


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when you say that you are getting "algae eaters", what, exactly,
are you getting? plecostomas shouldn't have a problem cleaning
algae but you might need a large tank in a year or so for them
:) my last pleco was 19 inches long, now to tail and about 2.5
inches across the head at its eyes ;)

What size tank was that? :)

30 gallon... he was in there with my female albino oscar that got up to about 12 inches long from nose to base of tail ;)

Wow, thats awesome.. I have a 29 Gallon (Is that what you meant?)
and have never had one grow quite that big.

no, i mean it is a 30gal tank... when it is completely full to where it is supposed to be, it holds ~32gal... that's with 30lbs of gravel on the bottom with an undergravel filter (with bubblers for flow) and a 250G/Hr external filter pump... i've also got a 250G/Hr powerhead that i put on one of the UGF's
risers at times but it is definitely not needed with GF and guppies in the tank
;)

my oscar died when it was about 10yo or so... the pleco was alone in the tank for another several years after the oscar died...

FWIW: the oscar died due to bladder problems and i wasn't able to find a solution in time... after a while, his bladder got detached and then came out... it was another little while before he died... and all the time he was swimming about as if there was nothing wrong... no listlessness or hiding or anything like that... t'was a sad day when he passed and went on to grow popcorn...

)\/(ark


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We plan to setup the 70gallon tank in the near future.

i've plans, somewhere around here, for building a 100Gal or 200Gal tank... t problem is where to put it... with the 30 and two 20s in the living room, an several others with nothing in them, there's just no room... it is bad enoug that the 30 is up beside the TV on the wall unit :)

Careful, at that size you can cause structural problems in your house. I'm
on a slab so it's not an issue.
xxcarol
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Re: Algae Growth
By: mark lewis to ALLEN PRUNTY on Sat Dec 29 2007 08:56 pm

don't feed so much... the more nutrients you have, the more the algea will grow... i've gone to feeding my tanks only once or twice a week and no longe have algae growth problems... there was a time, though, when i had hair alga that was 3 to 4 inches long and lost numerous fish when they'd get tangled i it...

I feed about once a week ... maybe less if I can remember it... I do feed good food... Aquadine high protein flakes.

when you say that you are getting "algae eaters", what, exactly, are you getting? plecostomas shouldn't have a problem cleaning algae but you might n a large tank in a year or so for them :) my last pleco was 19 inches long, to tail and about 2.5 inches across the head at its eyes ;)

I can not get plecostomus, or is it plecostomi when there is one to stay alive more than a month. I have been buying "chinese algae eaters"... they seem to have difficulty actually eating algae... and like to pick on other fish.

Allen

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Re: Algae Growth
By: mark lewis to Jason Vierik on Thu Jan 03 2008 12:07 pm

FWIW: the oscar died due to bladder problems and i wasn't able to find a solution in time... after a while, his bladder got detached and then came out... it was another little while before he died... and all the time he was swimming about as if there was nothing wrong... no listlessness or hiding or anything like that... t'was a sad day when he passed and went on to grow popcorn...

I had a red devil that I grew for almost 15 years and it was very sad when he died.

Allen

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I can not get plecostomus

you should be able to get them at any walmart... they are the dark algae eaters
they sell... their skin is hard like armour plating... pleco is the short name for them but you might have to read the cards at the tanks to know because i doubt that anyone working that section would have the first clue other than they are fish :?

or is it plecostomi

i dunno ;)

when there is one to stay alive more than a month. I have been
buying "chinese algae eaters"... they seem to have difficulty
actually eating algae... and like to pick on other fish.

i think i know the ones you are speaking of... what kind of algae are you having problems with? can you describe it?

)\/(ark


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Re: Algae Growth
By: mark lewis to Allen Prunty on Sat Jan 12 2008 12:41 pm

i think i know the ones you are speaking of... what kind of algae are you having problems with? can you describe it?

It's a freshwater tank... algae is brown and slimy.

ALlen

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i think i know the ones you are speaking of... what kind of algae
are you having problems with? can you describe it?

It's a freshwater tank... algae is brown and slimy.

that's all i have here, too... a small pleco should have no problems with it...
they are also a hardy fish...

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Re: Algae Growth
By: mark lewis to Allen Prunty on Sun Jan 13 2008 02:09 pm

that's all i have here, too... a small pleco should have no problems with it they are also a hardy fish...

I talked with the pet shop and they told me that the Louisville water is too hard for Plecos... they have a lot of them die.

Allen

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that's all i have here, too... a small pleco should have no
problems with it they are also a hardy fish...

I talked with the pet shop and they told me that the Louisville
water is too hard for Plecos... they have a lot of them die.

hunh? is this not your aquarium? can you not soften the water? ;)

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Re: Algae Growth
By: mark lewis to Allen Prunty on Mon Jan 14 2008 11:47 am

hunh? is this not your aquarium? can you not soften the water? ;)

Water softeners are hellatiously expensive here... not to mention that we have more urologists to take care of the kidney stones that we are blessed with from our water.

I have tried using brita pictures... but that does not seem to work well either.

Allen

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