# How do YOU deal with algae?



## VegasShimmer (Dec 30, 2012)

Just curious....I have two divided 10g planted tanks (not NPT, just planted in sand substrate), and I am struggling with keeping brown/reddish algae off the divider screen. I have a snail and two otos for each tank. They go on the screen every now and then, but not often enough. Tanks are fairly new at approximately one and two months, give or take. Flora lights stay on for approximately 10 hours a day. 

I bought some Tetra Algae Control, but it said not to use in tanks under 3 months. More algae eaters? Bristlenose Pleco? Any suggestions?

In the pic, you can see the algae starting again on the screen. Excuse my Betta's appearance - we've had a rough week with fighting off fin rot (which I think may have been from the algae outbreak???)


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## eemmais (Oct 28, 2012)

I would cut your light to 8 hours a day. I would also buy an algae scraper to clean the glass. If you want to add another algae eater, I recommend amano shrimp. They are very low biolad, and from what I've heard, they eat a lot of algae. Good luck, I know how annoying algae can be :/


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## VegasShimmer (Dec 30, 2012)

Will the amano shrimp climb the screen? I have zero algae issues anywhere else in the tank, except for the divider screen. It appears to be a magnet for algae.


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## eemmais (Oct 28, 2012)

I'm not sure, I've neve had amano shrimp before. I don't know how much they cost, but if they aren't too expensive maybe you could buy one or two and get more later if they do climb the screen? Nerite snails are also good algae eaters, and though I've never had a nerite snail my mystery and pond snails climb my divider screen all the time.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Nerite Snails and Amano Shrimp


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Yes, Amano Shrimp will climb the divider. Mine go everywhere.

And I'm almost positive he couldn't get fin rot from algae. Algae is fine. Don't use a chemical algae remover in a planted tank.


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

At first I freaked out and got a snail. He lasted a year. In my 20g (from when I had to downgrade from my 55g) I have an albino bristlenose pleco. I have nothing in my 10g for algae and not even worrying about it in my 5g. 

For the most part algae is kind of harmless. There are some that are bad or that come up as a sign that something else is wrong (I had brown algae forever when my ammonia and nitrites were high). If it gets unsightly on the sides or the front I scrape it off at my scheduled water change. After that I don't give much thought into it.

If it bothers you then definitely cut your light time down, as eemmais suggested. If you can't turn them on and off at the same times everyday I would suggest a timer. 

I'm not sure if a shrimp can climb that well or not. A snail might be able to deal with the screen but I'm not sure. Scraping it off and siphoning it might be the easiest way to handle it.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Kithy said:


> At first I freaked out and got a snail. He lasted a year. In my 20g (from when I had to downgrade from my 55g) I have an albino bristlenose pleco. I have nothing in my 10g for algae and not even worrying about it in my 5g.
> 
> For the most part algae is kind of harmless. There are some that are bad or that come up as a sign that something else is wrong (I had brown algae forever when my ammonia and nitrites were high). If it gets unsightly on the sides or the front I scrape it off at my scheduled water change. After that I don't give much thought into it.
> 
> ...



Shrimp can climb.. trust me.


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

lilyth88 said:


> Shrimp can climb.. trust me.


I don't doubt it, I've heard the stories of the little buggers jumping out of tanks. I wasn't sure they'd manage the screen of the divider but I bet the fact it has holes would help it climb better :3


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Kithy said:


> I don't doubt it, I've heard the stories of the little buggers jumping out of tanks. I wasn't sure they'd manage the screen of the divider but I bet the fact it has holes would help it climb better :3



I had two leap to their deaths before I changed and upgraded tanks to one with a full lid. One got poked by a cat and the other just dried up. My current ones swim all over the place and skim along the glass like they're in a race. They also scurry up the heater and the airline for the sponge filter. There isn't a single place in that tank they can't get to.


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## VegasShimmer (Dec 30, 2012)

Thanks, I'll look into a couple shrimps. Going to the pet store tomorrow to look at more possible plants to add......


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

VegasShimmer said:


> Thanks, I'll look into a couple shrimps. Going to the pet store tomorrow to look at more possible plants to add......


I swear by Amano Shrimp. They are larger than RCS, and to me, seem faster as well. My bettas never mess with them. They just ignore them.


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## VegasShimmer (Dec 30, 2012)

I have a full lid, so hopefully they won't be escaping.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

VegasShimmer said:


> I have a full lid, so hopefully they won't be escaping.


I have a soft sponge material that I just cut and shoved in the holes where the heater cord and airline tube go in the tank so there is no gap.


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## VegasShimmer (Dec 30, 2012)

Lilyth88 - good to know (about the chemical algae remover), and I will return it tomorrow. I didn't WANT to use it anyway. :/ Thanks!


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

VegasShimmer said:


> Lilyth88 - good to know (about the chemical algae remover), and I will return it tomorrow. I didn't WANT to use it anyway. :/ Thanks!


It's a fine idea with fake plants, but with real plants it's rather counterproductive.


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## Gallium (May 14, 2013)

If it's brown algae (like dust), those are diatoms and are common in newly set up tanks. They feed off of silicates so they may linger if your water naturally has high levels of silicates. They usually disappear after a few weeks to a few months. I find standard ramshorn snails are the most effective at reducing diatoms and can be easily controlled in population, and removed easy if they become too numerous. They are relatively slow breeders though, and don't overbreed unless there is too much feeding going on.


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