tank looks revolting!

by **Mike0372983** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:08 pm

just got new light a while ago, with a new whisper EX45 filter, now the tank looks like blurry everywhere wall turn brown and greean, and the gravel gets brown, and the plants have black fuzz! still do my water changes and everything I used to do...

thinking about recycling my tnak with a canister filter, new gravel, and still live plants... preety much gunna start over by christmas...

any suggestions for the mean time?

by **doomydarkdoom** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:09 pm

Have you tried a good-old-fashioned algae control medicine? That's what I had to do in one of my tanks, even though I despise adding chemicals. It just gets too much sun where it is, but I can't put it anywhere else. The green algae is ok but the brown algae doesn't get eaten by anything I currently have.

by **dizzcat** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:42 am

I have the very worst time with my 20 gallon planted tank :-( Its that ugly brown crap that gets all over the sides, plants and rock. I cannot just do a light gravel vac with that tank, I have to take out all the plastic plants, scrub them down, wipe as best I can the real plants, etc. I have had that crap from day one and just cannot get rid of it! I have had my water tested for phosphate levels, tried every non plant harming algae control stuff, everything! My lights are only on about 8 hours a day. My little otto cats help, but not enough. If you get a solution, pass it on! I have 2 other tanks and this one seems to be the only one with the problem. My other two will get that brown algae, but in much smaller amounts. I am thinking because those two tanks have high pH for the Africans.

by **a1k8t31524** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:15 am

i have done alot of research oh this subject here are a few good links i have found
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/red-algae.html
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/

by **Tmercier834747** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:37 pm

Isn't that tank relatively new mike, I mean as a whole? Might just be new tank syndrome encouraged by your new higher-light environment. If your PH and phosphates are high combined with high light in a relatively new tank the algae will make it look hideous. Lower your Ph, add more dense plantings, and feed your fish a bit less and the algae won't seem quite so overwhelming. It certainly seems a bit safer than recycling the tank. This isn't necessary with a new filter.

I'm not quite sure why you aren't happy with the substrate you have either. You seem to lean towards a sandy substrate when all you want is some of the grains to be a slightly different color. lol Forgive me if I'm wrong.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - amano shrimp are the best algae eaters I've seen (not so much on GSA and BSA), but they still prefer fish food which is probably why things like otocinculus get the one-up in most circles (who if I might add have as much of a hard time at removing GSA/BSA as I do). Not saying they don't do their part, the amanos are just better imo.

by **seankh** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:39 pm

I get that brown crap all in my tank too. Its a pain in the ass! Every week i got to scrub it off the glass and i cant even get it off some of my lace rock. Is your tank in the sun like mine is? If so you can try moving it out of the sun or you can lower the hours your lights are on and theres always the chemicall solution which is only a quick fix itll be back trust me.

by **Mike0372983** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:42 pm

thanks so much everyone, all the links help too, but I think i might just re cycle my tank and start over on christmas, I just hate white gravel, to hard to keep clean... and ust am getting pissed after every time I clean my tank, just gets dirty all over again...

by **Mike0372983** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 12:53 pm

anyways I cleaned my tank, still blurry, this time you can see from both of the far end sides to the other. And instead of blurrygreen wtaer, its just blurry

tank looks revolting!

8 posts