I have a Green Spotted Puffer tank that is developing brown algae on the fake plants. I can't use any type of live animal for the algae because the puffers will eat anything I put in there....ideas for clearing the algae? I know there are chemicals for such a purpose, but I've heard that the chemicals will reduce the oxygen content in the water. I use otocinclus and other algae eaters in other tanks with success so I haven't had to deal with this before.
Thanks,
Z
Can't use algae eaters for my algae - other ideas?
11 posts • Page 1 of 2
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gumbii - Posts: 1695
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:31 am
phosphate remover like phospure... more lighting will also get rid of the brown stuff... but you will get pretty green stuff...
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zambize - Posts: 401
- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm
The guy at the store lied to me and told me they wouldn't get any bigger than the 2"-3" they are right now. I have 3 of them in a 29 gallon tank....plenty of room for the cute little buggers. Until I found out that they'll get to be the size of footballs. I never, ever buy fish impulsively without first researching them, but I did this time. And I'm paying for it. They are messy, too. And they'll bite your fingers if you're not careful reaching into the tank. And it's *really* hard for me to have nearly 30 gallon tank with only 3 little fish in it. I'm dying to put more fish in it, but, alas, I understand that I can't. I'm seriously considering returning these fish.
Z
Z
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darkruby - Posts: 87
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:00 am
Well, I would use a lot of snails, little ones, for this job. The puffers would not be able to find ever one and so the snails would eat the algae. But I think this would be very ineffective in your case.
I like dwarf puffers.... they never grow more than an inch or two.
I like dwarf puffers.... they never grow more than an inch or two.
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Tmercier834747 - Posts: 887
- Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/phpbb/viewtopic/2307
read my post and ignore the first 3 options since they're livestock. =P
I think gumbii has the best solution depending on your filter. Try and find some phosban product, and toss it in a media bag, and go ahead and slam that in your filter. Phosban stuff removes phosphates and silicates from your water --- prime algae food. Fish food in many forms is a way that steady phosphates are introduced into the aquarium on top of whatever amount existed in tap.
If you're leaving them on more than 8-10 hours you could cut that back for starters, and if that doesn't work (ASsuming you have no live plants in this tank) try lowering the wattage of your light while keeping the same kelvin bulb (if you like that quality of light).
I'll agree with darkruby in that dwarf puffers are much more manageable and just as personable..however after watching mine annihilate every snail in my 16gal within 5 hours of putting them in there...I don't think much will escape your GSP's. The only snails still alive in my 16gal seem basically dead. They barely move, they won't reveal enough of their actual body to be able to tell if its even there. All signs point to badly wounded.. lol and I'm pretty sure adult GSP's don't bother avoiding the shell like DP's.
read my post and ignore the first 3 options since they're livestock. =P
I think gumbii has the best solution depending on your filter. Try and find some phosban product, and toss it in a media bag, and go ahead and slam that in your filter. Phosban stuff removes phosphates and silicates from your water --- prime algae food. Fish food in many forms is a way that steady phosphates are introduced into the aquarium on top of whatever amount existed in tap.
If you're leaving them on more than 8-10 hours you could cut that back for starters, and if that doesn't work (ASsuming you have no live plants in this tank) try lowering the wattage of your light while keeping the same kelvin bulb (if you like that quality of light).
I'll agree with darkruby in that dwarf puffers are much more manageable and just as personable..however after watching mine annihilate every snail in my 16gal within 5 hours of putting them in there...I don't think much will escape your GSP's. The only snails still alive in my 16gal seem basically dead. They barely move, they won't reveal enough of their actual body to be able to tell if its even there. All signs point to badly wounded.. lol and I'm pretty sure adult GSP's don't bother avoiding the shell like DP's.
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MamaPuff8331 - Posts: 6
- Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:25 pm
We went to a LFS this weekend and asked if we could have some of the snails (the tiny ones that everyone hates). The guy was more than happy to let us have them. He handed us a bag and said fish out as many as you want. We went tank to tank and got a couple hundred of them. Ours loves to eat them, suck the bodies out and crunch the shells. The others that make it, get the job of cleaning the tank. Its a good way to give him a snack, and get the tank clean too. Plus they are usually free. :) I hope that helps.
