Algae

Mine is just the ordinary green algae in my fresh water tanks. In one tank it is a simple matter of taking a sponge or scraper to it. It comes off easily. My 30 gallon is another matter. I have no problem with algae on the front or sides of the aquarium, but no matter what I do, I can't get it off the back. It is like cement.

It is a planted tank so I do add a tiny bit of phosphate every second week. ( half a capful ) Every week I add a tiny bit of nitrogen & a supplement. ( the Flourish Line ) I did run a CO2 system but took it out as I thought it was operation overkill.

I've heard of covering your aquarium with a blanket for a week. I've tried it. It really works, but that was not on a planted tank. I am afraid what it would do to those.

Snails would ruin my plants & a placo would probably eat my fish. That are all small. ( a commumity tank )

I give the tank about 14 hours of light a day ( for the plants ). Is that too much ?

I have read that adding an airstone to make the water move will help the plants & decrease the algae. Any trruth in that ?


Open to suggestions.

 

Hi Satly fresh - IME a Pleco would not eat any of your fish, they are true vegatarions, you could keep a shoal of neons on a tank with a monster Plec and have no worries

14 hours of light - depends on how much light it is, very strong light= shorter periods on a salt water tank and if your light is limited longer periods can be used

I have the privilidge of living in the tropics, and can tell you we get almost 12 hours of daylight each day and that does not vary by much more than 1 hour between Summer and Winter - so I illuminate my tanks for 12 hours each day

airstones - help to circulate the water thus help with the exchange of gases at the water surface
in a salt water tank , low PH issues can sometimes be caused by to much carbon dioxide in the water, and air stone can help as it assists the oxygen coming into the system and the CO2 leaving the system as low PH can be a factor in algae issues

on a freshwater planted tank, many people use a CO2 dosing system as the plants use CO2 during the day, so it may be a CO2 dosing system that you have seen / heard about as being beneficial to the plants

 

a pleco wouldn't eat your fish, but you must be very careful with the type you get because some get huge and most eat plants.
for a 100% safe suggestion i recommend a school of otocinclus catfish, they do better with atleast 5, the get maybe 2 inches long.
for a more risky(but funner venture) i recommend a sailfin or hifin pleco. i have one in my planted tank, so far it hasn't shown any interest in plants but its still small. with the pleco it must go back when it gets too big since it reaches a foot long.

i think a bristlenose pleco or rubber pleco are plant safe and smaller then the commons but check those facts because im not sure

as far as the airstone goes i think it would cut back on algae a little, buy aiding gas exchange removing some co2. but if your tank is heavily planted i doubt you have a co2 problem

 

some plecos will hurt or kill Discus...if you have discus in the tank th eonly safe pleco would be as bristlenose