# Algae problems



## Hamish (Mar 10, 2018)

Hi I know there is a lot of information on this but I need some simple instructions: I have a single male Betta in a 17L planted tank (around 4.5gal) it has white algae, green algae and these little spores all over the driftwood in the middle. It is starting to spread around the tank. I have tried getting a ghost shrimp and a cherry shrimp to eat the algae but my Betta killed them in the first few hours. I tried turning the lights off for like five days but it only killed some of my plants, not the algae. What should I do?


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## gandalfbettamom (Mar 4, 2018)

Hamish said:


> Hi I know there is a lot of information on this but I need some simple instructions: I have a single male Betta in a 17L planted tank (around 4.5gal) it has white algae, green algae and these little spores all over the driftwood in the middle. It is starting to spread around the tank. I have tried getting a ghost shrimp and a cherry shrimp to eat the algae but my Betta killed them in the first few hours. I tried turning the lights off for like five days but it only killed some of my plants, not the algae. What should I do?


Hey, why not try a snail or two? I initially got two apple snails but they were eating my plants so I gave them back to the pet store.

Today, I got a horned zebra nerite snail. They only eat algae and decaying matter, apparently they do not touch live plants! Also, they don't reproduce in fresh water.


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

How did you do black out? This is what you have to do.
Try to scrub/remove algae as much as possible. Do 50 % water change. Leave the filter on. Cover the tank with two black trash bags (double bag). Make sure no light will go in the tank. Leave it for 3 - 4 days. No feeding or no peeking. When it's done, remove the trash bags and do another big water change and remove algae as much as possible.

Big water changes always help. Less nutrition, less algae. Leave the light on for up to 8 hours a day. If you can, move the tank to where I doesn't get any direct sunlight. 

Hope this helps.


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## Hamish (Mar 10, 2018)

hi guys. Thanks for the help.
how many snails would you say would do the trick and do they remove the algae from driftwood as well?
Also, once the algae has essentially been removed, do you need to feed the snails/what do you feed them?
for the blackout, do you leave the fish in there, will they be ok without food?
Thanks again for the help.

Hamish


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## gandalfbettamom (Mar 4, 2018)

Hamish said:


> hi guys. Thanks for the help.
> how many snails would you say would do the trick and do they remove the algae from driftwood as well?
> Also, once the algae has essentially been removed, do you need to feed the snails/what do you feed them?
> for the blackout, do you leave the fish in there, will they be ok without food?
> ...


The person I got them from (very reputable in Calgary where I live) said they don't really eat algae wafers, they just eat the algae in the tank & ON plants while they do not actually eat plants. Some say they do munch on veggies & algae wafers. So I guess they could be supplementary? I haven't had to supplement yet.

For a 5 gal, I think one snail is enough. Snails poop a lot. Learnt that the hard way with Apples. 

We got a very tiny baby horned zebra nerite snail though! But I still believe it will be enough as two apple snails cleaned up the tank (lots of algae) in about 3-4 days and by the 6th day, they had pretty much eaten all of my frogbit plant 

Can't speak for the blackout, I've never done it. That said, your betta might nip at the snails too.


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

Fish will be fine without eating during the blackout. Betta can go for two weeks without eating. Absolutely no peeking, no light during the blackout. Just leave the filter running. 

Nerite snails are picky. They only eat natural algae.


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