Algae & More

[FishRBeautiful]

I started my tank in January (new fish keeper). I know I asked before but I have lots more algae questions. I have 3 Cory catfish (want to get 2 more, not sure if they eat algae), a Bristlenose pleco, and 3 Nerite snails (may move one to another tank), and now a hilstream loach (and my Platys and Kuhli loaches which probably don’t eat algae). Thinking of getting 2 Otos but not sure. Anyway, because I love the algae eaters, they’ve eaten all the brown soft algae (assuming I can see it all). I read the other day you can add fertilizer to make more algae grow. Would love to but I have green spot algae which some are eating but no one seems to love. Also have some fuzzy brown algae on my driftwood and fuzzy green algae on my rock and thick brown algae on fake coral which only pest snails from my plants eat. I killed them all now. So would fertilizer cause problems with these algaes? I just want my fish to have natural algae instead of the fake algae in wafers and sinking pellets. I’m anti-bleach so that’s not an option. I can add pics if needed. 

[Fish Folk]

There are very few ways to selectively propagate just one or another type of algae. Newer tanks tend to yield more diatom algae. Older tanks grow blackbeard algae. Under certain mineral deficiencies and changes in flow, filamentous algae will boom.

If you lengthen your photoperiod a bit, and keep adding fertilizer as prescribed _without adding aquatic plants_ the available nutrients and photosynthetic light should raise your algae across the board.

But personally, I prefer keeping Omega One algae wafers in their diet.

[FishRBeautiful]

On 6/7/2023 at 7:25 AM, Fish Folk said:

If you lengthen your photoperiod a bit, and keep adding fertilizer as prescribed _without adding aquatic plants_ the available nutrients and photosynthetic light should raise your algae across the board.

I keep the light on way too long to try to grow brown diatom but the fish just eat it all. Does it matter what type of fertilizer? 

 

On 6/7/2023 at 7:25 AM, Fish Folk said:

But personally, I prefer keeping Omega One algae wafers in their diet.

I use Omega One flakes. I didn’t know they had algae wafers. I’ll have to try those. I have just Tetra pleco wafers because I wasn’t aware of other options. And my fish like the Hikari catfish pellets better then the algae wafers I have. 
 

I noticed some of the plastic Amazon plants are harder to get algae off and show the algae more than other brands. Would Petco or PetSmart or some other fake plants be better? My fish eat the anacharis. And the live plants get brown spots and holes. They said I don’t need fertilizer but maybe I do? 

Edited June 7, 2023 by LoveMyPlatys

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/6/2023 at 8:12 PM, LoveMyPlatys said:

I just want my fish to have natural algae instead of the fake algae in wafers and sinking pellets

A bit of a clarification here.  The wafers are not "fake algae".  Spirulina is a type of superfood and very healthy for the fish and bottom feeders.  They also get things like vitamins, minerals, and proteins they need to grow and thrive in your environment.  Most bottomfeeders are going to be omnivore and opportunistic eaters.  They need their veggies, but they also do need other things to keep them doing well.

If I was trying to purposely grow algae.....
Brown diatoms: keep the light on slightly too long, 12 hours a day
Green diatoms: dose in slightly more than you need when it comes to ferts.

The majority of what you're trying to achieve can be done by simply leaving the side and back glass to house algae. Ceramics, flat rocks, and so forth will grow those algae as well.  You also want to have plants and the ability for those plants to thrive.  I would encourage you to focus on the plant side of things, let the plants grow and thrive, then you will have that added benefit as well as the aufwuchs, algae, and items for the fish you're requiring.

On 6/7/2023 at 6:23 AM, LoveMyPlatys said:

And the live plants get brown spots and holes. They said I don’t need fertilizer but maybe I do? 

Yes, with live plants you're going to need nutrients for those plants.

[FishRBeautiful]

Great! Thank you! By fake, I meant not as natural. Like if I ate oat bread or Quaker Toasted Oat cereal instead of oatmeal. Commercially made foods (for both people and animals I’m sure) are usually less natural and have fillers. Often, vitamins are pulled out and then added back in. That’s more of what I was trying to say. Obviously some brands are better than others. And that’s not to say there’s not a need for some added vitamins because of our diets and way of life. 

That’s very helpful! I also Googled something last night and Aquarium Coop had an article with a diagram for causes of different kinds of plant problems. Brown leaves can be low phosphates. But I’ll have to relook at that chart if I can find the website, which shouldn’t be too hard. 

[FishRBeautiful]

Super helpful! Thanks! What about the hilstream loach? Yesterday, I scraped off a bunch, but not all, of the green spot algae and he’s freaking out. He doesn’t eat pellets or fish food.

[FishRBeautiful]

Thank you! I’m always afraid to overclean my tank of algae and starve the fish. It’s good to know I can use other foods to keep them fed. The hilstream loach only eats off the glass. It’s like he’s scared to leave it to find food. Hopefully he’ll venture out if he’s enticed enough by other food. He’s not gone after algae wafers, sinking pellets, or flake food. I’ll try some of your suggestions. I don’t think I’ve done cucumbers either since I got him a few days ago

[FishRBeautiful]

That’s good advice! I have figured some of that out. I usually use a few references for any fish, plant, algae advice, etc. But I’ve also found people with experience can often be as much or more helpful