algae taking over

[dmoore504]

my tank is covered in algae, Nitrite and nitrate are not at 0 but real close. What i wanna know is can a few cleaner shrimp, crab or snails help clean this up, beacuse the algae is all over the LR , my hemit crab, and on the LS.

 

[dmoore504]

:help:

 

[nluchau]

What kind of algae. This would be helpful.

 

[joker_ca]

is this a new tank? post your water parameters. also what kind of algea is it?? :thinking:

 

[dmoore504]

greenish?

 

[fishieness]

crabs, snails, and fish like blennies. But some blennies refuse to take to algae sheets once the problem is gone. other fish will eat it though.
but you can only control it to a point and i assume you want to get ride of it. Is it hair algae? How long are you running your lights and what lighting do you have?
is your tank near a window?
how old is your tank?

 

[dmoore504]

Nitrite under2.5 and nitrate under 5.0

 

[joker_ca]

green water, or green slime all over everything.....you need describe it a little better than just "green"

 

[dmoore504]

Originally Posted by fishieness
crabs, snails, and fish like blennies. But some blennies refuse to take to algae sheets once the problem is gone. other fish will eat it though.
but you can only control it to a point and i assume you want to get ride of it. Is it hair algae? How long are you running your lights and what lighting do you have?
is your tank near a window?
how old is your tank?
its a lil fuzzy and the lights are 2x65 130 total in a 20 gal and the tank has been running 5 weeks and no its not by a window.

 

[fishieness]

i mean how long a day do you run your lights?

 

[dmoore504]

7-10

 

[rickd]

Do you use tap water???

 

[dmoore504]

yes

 

[fishieness]

that would be the problem. Switch to an RO/DI filter if you have the money. You could use distilled or RO from jugs form your grocery store or walmart, but they soemtimes have phosphates. Go to an auction site and look. i got my D/I online from a normal site for 30 bucks!

 

[dmoore504]

RO/DI filter?and so i should i go with crabs, snails, and fish like blennie, cause im on my way 2 LFs.

 

[fishieness]

well do you alraedy have a sufficient clean up crew?
I wouldnt go with a blennie until you reserch them more, find out what they eat, their needs, and if you have room in your tank or not
If you already have a clean up crew, then you probably wouldnt need one.
RO sands for reverse osmosis. DI stands for deionization. It removes harmful metals and materials form your water as well as ones that cause algae blooms like silicates and phosphates

 

[dmoore504]

i do not have a clean up crew should i get 1 now. and should i get a cleaner shrimp.

 

[dmoore504]

i guess ill go with 2 or 3 of the Mouse Cowries.

 

[rickd]

Originally Posted by DMoore504
i do not have a clean up crew should i get 1 now. and should i get a cleaner shrimp.
I dont think Cleaner Shrimp will help much go wiht some Mexican Turbo,Nassarium Snails, and some Hermit Crabs and stop using that Mississippi river water

 

[drew2005]

Dont get a clean up crew until those nitrites are 0. Do a water change and cut back on the lighting a bit. Did you cycle your tank? Definitely switch to RO water. 58 cents for a gallon jug at walmart. Tap water is definitely your problem.