Need Help with Tank being in Direct Sunlight and Scratches on glass harboring algae

jyeldell

jyeldell

New Member
Good Day,
I have a bad situation thats spiraling out of control and need advice.
Purchased home few years ago that came with a double sided 150 FOWLR separating kitchen from dining area..
problem is that the tank is right in front of patio doors (constantly getting that New Jersey Sun)....
In addition, the inside of the tank is littered with small scratches in the glass (presumably from over-use of mag float algae cleaners that had sand trapped in the pads....) I think the sand caused numerous scratches in the glass....
The major issue is because the tank is in direct sunlight and the glass is scratched so much, that alage grows very quickly (almost overnite) and gets "rooted" in the scratches of the glass...causing an irritatingly ugly look.. (pretty bad for a tank in full view of the house and intended to be a focal point...)
Has anyone else ever encountered a situatiobn with unavoidable direct sunlight or scratches in glass? Any advice?
I dont want to just put curtains up because the patio door gets regular use in and out house...
Thanks in advance..
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
I'd get a set of blinds for the door. And if you ever have the oportunity to break down the tank I'd buff the scratches out as best as you can. Usually a soft scrubber does the trick in cleaning the algae out of the scratches.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi.
I agree with 2Quills, you can also use those divider panels they sell. There are lots of designs to choose from, and they look really nice.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by jyeldell http:///t/394494/need-help-with-tank-being-in-direct-sunlight-and-scratches-on-glass-harboring-algae#post_3511254
Is there anything biologically or chemically i can do to keep algae at bay?
No chemicals that you can use...Macroalgae will out compete hair algae. It isn't just direct light, phosphates and nitrates play a role as well. Sea urchins will mow down every drop of algae in the tank....but I'm not sure about hair algae, a Lemonpeel dwarf angelfish are hair algae nippers...a sea hare too.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Urchins will eat algae on glass, rock and substrate. Starfish are more glass dwellers and do a good job with algae as well (urchins are better). Keep in mind that inverts don't like high nitrates.
You could try more snails or a different variety of snails.
I have a friend with a cichlid tank similar to what you're describing. Instead of putting blinds or drapes on the door, they put them on the tank. During the most intense sun, they covered the tank unless they're were guests over to view the tank. Algae issue solved. The drapes looked nice and really framed the tank well
 
jyeldell

jyeldell

New Member
Aha.. Thats actually a neat idea i never thought of ( blinds or cover for the tank)... Hope the wife doesnt think im crazy...
I will check my nitrates and get a crew of urchins, stars and snails.... Problem is ... I have a 8 inch lunar wrasse that goes crazy on any inverts in the tank.....
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by jyeldell http:///t/394494/need-help-with-tank-being-in-direct-sunlight-and-scratches-on-glass-harboring-algae#post_3511319
Aha.. Thats actually a neat idea i never thought of ( blinds or cover for the tank)... Hope the wife doesnt think im crazy...
I will check my nitrates and get a crew of urchins, stars and snails.... Problem is ... I have a 8 inch lunar wrasse that goes crazy on any inverts in the tank.....
Hi......DO NOT GET A CREW OF URCHINS
A single black long spike urchim cleared my 90g that was over run with algae in 5 months, then starved to death. One thing for certain, the wrasse won't bother an urchin...but you need only 1, not a crew of them..
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Keeping your nutrient levels low in the first place should probably be first priority. That in itself can drastically reduce how quick nuisance algae builds up in the display. I used to never want to keep tanks near uncovered windows because of how quick the algae would cover the glass. Then it wasn't until I started up a saltwater tank and trying my hand at keeping corals when I needed to use stronger lighting before I truly ever got serious about doing water changes. I found that when kept the water at very low nutrient levels that I didn't have the algae headaches in the first place. 1 larger urchin is probably plenty to help clean up the mess. But no amount of clean up grew alone is ever going to keep your glass algae free or drastically reduce it either IMO.
 
jyeldell

jyeldell

New Member
Thanks for all the responses. Here is a pic of my tank location. It is flanked by windows and large patio foor rite in front of it.
I will do water changes more often as well and hope it makes a dif...
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,
It would be just fine to use the panel that I first mentioned....you put the panel up on the side you want blocked for a few hours until the sun beam moves...same with the other side. Those panels are very decorative, and looks nice as a room divider instead of seeing the tank from that side. Once the sun has moved away from creating a problem, fold it up and enjoy your tank. I used a 75g for a room divider for 8 years...I made a custom panel to block the sun, it folded and sat at the back end against the wall when not in use. It looks lots better than a hair algae filled tank let me tell you. The ones with curtains inside the frame can be replaced with material that matches your homes decor.
It's your choice, I'm just giving you my idea because I had the same problem years ago. I like your house, and I loved having a tank for the room divider. There is always dark curtains, which I use now in my new home. 2Quills is right about not overfeeding and doing water changes...if you have a sump, a section dedicated as a refugium loaded with macroalgae to out compete hair algae for food, will help a great deal as well.
 
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