Reduced feeding to promote eating algae?

[Corbidorbidoodle]

I'm working on some various hair/string/BBA algea in a 55 with mostly cardinals, rummy nose, and pearls.

Made some other changes to slow the algea. But trying to get the fish to pick at it a bit.

How much should I reduce feeding? Like, just once a day? Every other day? Don't feed till it's gone?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I'm not sure the fish are going to help you with the BBA and may only pick at the other algaes. If you want to see what they will pick at I'd say every other day is a good place to start. 

[Odd Duck]

I routinely feed only once daily unless I have fry or maybe fish that need feeding up into better body condition.  Certain fish will help with maintenance, but it’s much more about getting the tank in balance.  You can spot treat the algae with peroxide to help kill it and your helpers will be more likely to eat it.  But it will grow back if you don’t find that magical and elusive balance point between food in and water changes, plant growth, etc.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Odd Duck, I'm with you, I only have ever fed 1x a day. Which is probaby why I quit doing a fasting day but I'm sure that would be fine too. 

[Odd Duck]

On 3/19/2022 at 2:20 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Odd Duck, I'm with you, I only have ever fed 1x a day. Which is probaby why I quit doing a fasting day but I'm sure that would be fine too. 

I still have a fasting day many Sundays, usually, because my lights aren’t on yet when I leave the house for my long day shift, and they’re usually off again before I get home.  If I get home soon enough (I never leave work “on time” Sundays), I will go ahead and feed late.

[Corbidorbidoodle]

Thanks for the tips. I already cut the light by abou 8 percent and Increased ferts.

I should have mentioned Ive got a few ottos, a few amanos, and a few little SAEs as well.

Ive seen the pearls nip at the algea a little, but the claners are on that stuff all day.

Ive heard the internet talk about reducing food to make the cleanup crew more hungry.

Oh, and I've been spot treating the algea with H2O2 and CO2 booster, so alot of it is bright red now.

[Corbidorbidoodle]

I was mostly worried about starving the display fish.

[Odd Duck]

I’d probably limit feeding to once daily and make sure it’s all eaten quickly.  If there’s leftovers floating around even a short while it’s a sign you’re feeding more than the fish need in a single feeding.  The other fish you have should be working on your algae, especially since you’ve got it on the run (red now).  Use a toothbrush or other small brush and twirl it in the hair algae to physically grab and remove as much as you can.  Leaves that are sturdy enough can be wiped.  Leaves that are severely affected on faster growing plants can just be removed.  This will focus your algae eating crew onto the remaining algae.

With that many algae eaters, I’d bet you are over feeding (or were over feeding) or you wouldn’t have developed an algae issue at all.  Feed light and give it time.  Spot treat again if new algae shows up.  Physically remove as much as you can.  Be patient and persistent.

Edited March 20, 2022 by Odd Duck
Typo with help from autocorrect. 🙄

[Corbidorbidoodle]

I was way over lighting and under fertilizing. I was at 12hrs of Stingray 2 sitting right on top of the tank with basically zero additional water column ferts.

I'm going 10 hours now and easy green twice a week.

My plants had stopped growing and were getting covered in algea. But now they're growing great and there's no algae on the new leaves.

Plus, the new leaves are, like, three times the size of the old ones.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I can say from experience, Otos don't eat BBA, hair algae or string algae- well if they do I've never seen a dent in this sort of algae in tanks I've had with it. I've always resorted to manual removal and adjusting elements of the tank. Hair algae is a tough one (so is BBA)

[Corbidorbidoodle]

On 3/19/2022 at 1:51 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I can say from experience, Otos don't eat BBA, hair algae or string algae- well if they do I've never seen a dent in this sort of algae in tanks I've had with it. I've always resorted to manual removal and adjusting elements of the tank. Hair algae is a tough one (so is BBA)

Yeah, I'm hoping the SAEs (Siamese Algae Eaters) will take care of that for me.

Luckily, all the decorations are nice and clean. The algae is mostly just growing on the leaves of the plants that had stalled.

[lefty o]

cut back the light some more.

[Corbidorbidoodle]

I've cut the light back to 10hrs with a siesta and it's working really well. Pretty much no new algae growing now and the cleanup crew has pretty much eliminated everything. I'm actually a little worried about keeping the cleaners fed. I've heard ottos don't take to wafers easily. But there are worse problems to have.

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/19/2022 at 10:47 AM, Corbidorbidoodle said:

How much should I reduce feeding? Like, just once a day? Every other day? Don't feed till it's gone?

I had some major issues. Still do.

 

I feed once a day. When I wanted the SAE and amanos to go after the algae you can either....

Feed less (QTY) just so that those fish that will target the algae graze more.

Or just wait about 3 days.

I had a patch of BBA that was 6" square. After 2 days the amano went after it and had the whole area cleaned in an hour or two. It was fun to watch.  After 48-72 then you will either have it cleaned or need to adjust accordingly.

On 3/19/2022 at 1:45 PM, Odd Duck said:

I’d probably limit feeding to once daily and make sure it’s all eaten quickly.  If there’s leftovers floating around even a short while it’s a sign you’re feeding more than the fish need in a single feeding.

100% agreed