[audioholic]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

That is looking great.

I have a natural aquarium with Shrimps, Guppies and Tetras. I am struggling to keep the algae growth in control on the plants, drift wood and even on the glass. Shrimps and Guppies are breading and Tetras are not looking bothered, so leaving the algae to thrive except on the glasses.

Same problem here. Tried everything from lesser lighting, bio filtration, water change and what not. I could not keep an algae eater for long since they would mess up my plants by uprooting them. Now the only way is to get another bunch of algae eaters and let them do their work. Any other ideas? I also tried some chemicals but they only seemed to have killed my tetras instead of killing algae.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Same problem here. Tried everything from lesser lighting, bio filtration, water change and what not. I could not keep an algae eater for long since they would mess up my plants by uprooting them. Now the only way is to get another bunch of algae eaters and let them do their work. Any other ideas? I also tried some chemicals but they only seemed to have killed my tetras instead of killing algae.

It is exactly the same story at my end, have tried every step that you mentioned with no success.

I even purchased a fresh set of plants online and replaced the algae filled ones, end result was the entire colony of close to 30 plus shrimps perished. It seems they apply fertilizers and chemicals while growing plants in nursery, and they are fatal for shrimps http://www.petshrimp.com/articles/whyshrimpdead.php

[deathwalkr]

Are your tanks facing direct sunlight? If yes, then algae is inevitable.

Algae eaters help a bit. Ottos, Siamese Algae Eaters are usually the best.

Algae removing chemicals are dangerous and can kill off fishes if not monitored properly.

New plants and new fishes, need to be in a quarantine tank if you have an expensive main tank. Otherwise, at least wash the plants and then place them in the tank.

What algae eater did you get that uprooted plants?

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Algae eaters help a bit. Ottos, Siamese Algae Eaters are usually the best.
What algae eater did you get that uprooted plants?

I had Siamese Algae eaters as well as Albino ones. Both of them were ok to start with but once they grow above 2-3 inches they start burrowing into the mud and that leads to a lot of change in the soil landscape. That was something I always used to get annoyed with. But looks like now I have to get them back to the tank and remove them once they grow big. And my tank is not exposed to direct sunlight. The lighting is also not too bright, but adequate for a healthy plant growth.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I had Siamese Algae eaters as well as Albino ones. Both of them were ok to start with but once they grow above 2-3 inches they start burrowing into the mud and that leads to a lot of change in the soil landscape. That was something I always used to get annoyed with. But looks like now I have to get them back to the tank and remove them once they grow big. And my tank is not exposed to direct sunlight. The lighting is also not too bright, but adequate for a healthy plant growth.

Er do you mean Chinese Algae Eaters?
https://aquaticmag.com/freshwater/fi...r-information/

Am yet to see an albino siamese algae eater

And yes, if it is indeed the Chinese Algae Eater you had, they eat algae when young and move to other sources as they grow up.

If your tank is not exposed to direct sunlight, a UV system might help to kill off free floating algae. Weekly water changes with gravel siphon cleaning also is mandatory.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Er do you mean Chinese Algae Eaters?
Am yet to see an albino siamese algae eater

And yes, if it is indeed the Chinese Algae Eater you had, they eat algae when young and move to other sources as they grow up.

Sorry, my bad. I had the Siamese algae eater and then a Chinese Albino. I got confused since the non Albino chinese algae eater also has a black strip running along the body. I hope I will be able to get hold of the Siamese soon. These days in Bangalore the fish supplies have been pretty limited to the common species only and finding stuff like these is a little tricky.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Sorry, my bad. I had the Siamese algae eater and then a Chinese Albino. I got confused since the non Albino chinese algae eater also has a black strip running along the body. I hope I will be able to get hold of the Siamese soon. These days in Bangalore the fish supplies have been pretty limited to the common species only and finding stuff like these is a little tricky.

It's hard to get the SAE. Mostly it would be the Flying Fox which would be available.

[Vyadh]

Was pleasantly surprised to see a thread related to aquariums on Team-BHP.

I started this hobby about 2 years back with a simple 2 feet aquarium. Had different fish in them, the typical beginner variety: Goldfish, Guppies, Gouramis, mollies etc., Then sold that off and tried my hand at a planted one. In addition, got a small tank for the fighter fish as well. Couldn't see that guy in a small bowl. Attaching some pics. Using liquid ferts and CO2 at the moment, am thinking of installling a DIY CO2 setup. Saw some kits on aliexpress, any hints there?

The light is a 10w LED light which is on a timer, 3 times a day for an hour each.

Neon tetras, mountain minnow, glow tetra, guppies, shrimps, golden algae eater, yo yo loach(snail control) and a fighter fish baby Yes, I was able to breed the fighter fish, but only 2 fry survied. Pics below:





















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[deathwalkr]

Nice setup. Fishes looking good except for that yo yo loach :( He looks malnourished. Check if he is getting his fill. Also loaches love to be in groups. Get a couple more.

[Vyadh]

Originally Posted by Vyadh

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My Bad. Apologies for this. New to posting to this forum. Will be careful while posting next time.

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Nice setup. Fishes looking good except for that yo yo loach :( He looks malnourished. Check if he is getting his fill. Also loaches love to be in groups. Get a couple more.

I agree with your observation on the yo yo loach. Had got a pair of them last week. One of them jumped out of the tank, saw that only after coming back from office. It was too late to save him. Immediately went to the fish shop and got a glass cover for the aquarium. Hopefully now I wont see any fish jumping out. Will get another pair from the fish shop.
Have got the following fish food for the loach:
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is this the correct food? Currently the feeding pattern is one tab every 3 days(twice a week). What I see is that more than the loach, other fishes swarm around the tablet for eating it. Not sure how much does the loach gets to eat.

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[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by Vyadh

I agree with your observation on the yo yo loach. Had got a pair of them last week.
Have got the following fish food for the loach:

Is this the correct food? Currently the feeding pattern is one tab every 3 days(twice a week). What I see is that more than the loach, other fishes swarm around the tablet for eating it. Not sure how much does the loach gets to eat.

Get Tetra bits, shrimp pellets etc. They are not very fussy eaters at all. Algae wafers once in a while, but i guess your CAE will be dominating that.

[Vyadh]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Same problem here. Tried everything from lesser lighting, bio filtration, water change and what not. I could not keep an algae eater for long since they would mess up my plants by uprooting them. Now the only way is to get another bunch of algae eaters and let them do their work. Any other ideas? I also tried some chemicals but they only seemed to have killed my tetras instead of killing algae.

I had a similar problem couple of months back. What worked for me:
1. Water changes, twice a week. 60% each time. Did this regularly for a month.
2. Reduced the light duration. Earlier it was for almost 5 hours. Reduced it to 3 hours a day and split it into 3 times in a day.
3. Cleaned the hang-on filter every week.
4. Brown-beard algae on the anubias was the toughest to go. Had to resort to chemical to remove it. Half drained the aquarium. Applied the below chemical (less than a drop) to the affected leaves with hand, then after 5 minutes, filled up the tank. After 2 days, the brown-beard algae was gone.
(https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B01...?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

I do the following treatment to plants before planting them in the tank:
1. Make a solution of potassium permanganate (you get it as a powder in medical shops) - half a pinch in a bucketful of water.
2. Clean the plants by removing them from the packing. Remove any soil, dead/yellowing leaves.
3. Put the cleaned plants in the solution made in step1 for about 2 hours.
4. After 2 hours, remove and soak them in normal water for and hour before planting them.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Get Tetra bits, shrimp pellets etc. They are not very fussy eaters at all. Algae wafers once in a while, but i guess your CAE will be dominating that.

Yes, already using tetra bits and shrimp pellets. But I generally ground the tetra bits before feeding the fish. It helps the tetras and guppies to eat it. But I think I will keep some larger chunks for the loach, to pick up from the bottom of the tank.

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[shashank.nk]

I've had a planted tank for a while now which had a bad algae outbreak a year or so ago. It was mainly BBA and Green Algae and it took me a while before I could get the algae under control. However, while cleaning the tank a few days ago I noticed that some Green Algae has seeped under the inner silicone layer and is quite close to the seam holding the two glass panes.

I've attached a few pics of one such spot and have about 3 such spots where the front glass meets the side glass, no issues with the back glass and also the silicone seam holding the glass panes has zero bubbles or signs of seepage as can be seen in the pic.

I've tried to clean it using a blade to remove the algae but its hard to get at and i'm worried it may damage the silicone further.

• Will this cause a leak eventually ? I've read that the inner layer is only just insurance and as long as the outer layer shows no signs of damage its safe
• If it will cause a leak in future, should I just do a reseal now than wait for signs of seepage ?
• If I do need to reseal, can I scrape off the inner layer alone and reapply leaving the silicone holding the glass panes as it is ?
• Any guesses on what may have caused this ? Poor silicone work initially or some over-enthusiastic cleaning etc

[V.Narayan]

Guppy & Tuppy, my two gold fish who lived in a bowl have finally died after living a few years. The new occupants are some smaller fish - Danios and Neons. Deathwalker will disapprove. I seek forgiveness. :-) Don't know where to buy a bigger bowl from.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Guppy & Tuppy, my two gold fish who lived in a bowl have finally died after living a few years. The new occupants are some smaller fish - Danios and Neons. Deathwalker will disapprove. I seek forgiveness. :-) Don't know where to buy a bigger bowl from.

Yes i will disapprove

Can i know what stops you from buying a rectangular or square tank instead of a bowl? Even a 1footer tank would be an upgrade for your fishes.