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Algae question

JQW

CCA Members
Hi everyone,

I am seeing some string like algae in my one week old 5gallon Fluval V.

Currently in the tank is just a piece of drift wood and java moss. Substrate is fluval stratum.

Waiting for ammonia to arrive before I start my fishless cycle. Tap water registers 10ppm nitrate on my test kit, pH7.6
Light came with the kit, and is on for 12hr+ per day (sometimes I am also guilty of using it as a night light).

Could someone please let me know what it is and how to get rid of it?WechatIMG1.jpeg

Thanks!
James
 

JQW

CCA Members
Try dosing daily with Flourish Excel (not other ferts) and reducing your light hours.
Thanks Becca. Do you know what kind of algae this is? Will Amano Shrimp eat it? This is going to be a shrimp tank.
 

Zepp914

CCA Members
Amano shrimp eat hair algae. I don't think they will eat it enough of it to make a dent though. Also, Amano shrimp need to be in an established tank. I would put them in after the fish have settled.

I would do what Becca says and try the Excel and lights. You can get cheap timer at a hardware store and set the tank to be lit 3 hours in the morning and 4 hours at nights (presumably when you are at home to enjoy it). That way you don't have to worry about leaving it on. Seven hours is probably more than enough to keep Java moss alive. After the algae dies off, you can try to up it to 8 or 9 hours if you want. It is all about balance.

When a tank is brand new, you are going to deal with some algae. Sometimes things will settle on their own (brown algae tends to work itself out).
 

chriscoli

Administrator
also, why the fishless cycle? If you have another tank or know someone who has one you can transfer the bacterial cultures without the need to cycle.
 

Becca

Members
Thanks Becca. Do you know what kind of algae this is? Will Amano Shrimp eat it? This is going to be a shrimp tank.

I just want to confirm - you're talking about the fuzzy/stringy stuff that's growing on the moss and sort of out-of-focus, not the moss itself?

It's hard for me to tell what this is, partly because the photo isn't great. Shrimp will pick at it. Amano shrimp are great for this and I've recently found a more colorful variety, Caridina propinqua, that are supposedly awesome algae eaters. Neither will spawn successfully in freshwater, but they also won't bother other shrimp for the most part (ok, yes, I did see an Amano piggy-back on a Tangerine Tiger this morning to steal food).

There's some good beginner information here https://www.aquasabi.com/aquascaping-wiki/algae/algae-in-the-aquarium.
 

JQW

CCA Members
also, why the fishless cycle? If you have another tank or know someone who has one you can transfer the bacterial cultures without the need to cycle.

Don't have another tank. My past experience with ammonia + stability was completely cycled tank in about a week. I can wait.
 

JQW

CCA Members
This is another 5 gallon I set up one week earlier than the previous. Never had an algae problem. Lights are on at the same time.

 

JQW

CCA Members
I'm going to start on the Excel today and see how things go. I think both the moss tank and the fern tank could benefit from Excel.
 

Becca

Members
One has driftwood (decaying organic material) and one does not. Your substrates are also substantially different. One looks to be soil-type.
 

JQW

CCA Members
One has driftwood (decaying organic material) and one does not. Your substrates are also substantially different. One looks to be soil-type.

Becca, do you still have Amano Shrimps for sale? I would like to get some once the moss tank is fully cycled.
 

JQW

CCA Members
Well, looks like there's something else I need to take care of.

pH has been crushing for the past few days (since I added the Excel, but I doubt that's the problem). Might be the driftwood, but doubt it as well. Tap water is pH 7.4 but tank water is pH 6.4. Changed 50% of the water yesterday and that brought the tank pH to about 6.8. Tested water this morning and it's back down to 6.4. Looks like it's going to be daily water change plus daily ammonia dosing from this point.

Hair algae is turning a yellowish brown color, presumably dying.
 
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