5 gallon hair and green slime algae

[LoudMouse1]

I've recently upgraded from a 3 gallon to a 5 gallon.  In all of my tanks I've had a hair algae and a green slime algae problem.  I think it's a water quality issue that might be causing it, but I'm not 100% sure.  

 

Onto the issue, due to a shellfish and mussel allergy in the home I can't keep just one betta and one snail like I originally planned.  I'm thinking about trying to put just 3 otocinclus in the tank, but I don't know how well they would do with this type of algae and water quality issue.  

 

Is there anything I could put in this 5 gallon that isn't a shellfish or mussel that could keep the algae under control and also live comfortably.  Would 3 otocinclus work or should I try some guppies with a couple dwarf african frogs?  Please help!

 

I've been doing so much research and watching so many videos and I'm getting really frustrated with all the conflicting information I'm getting and was hoping I could get some input here.

 

Edit: I forgot to mention I have a layer of bio rings under aqua soil that combine to make a 1.5" thick substrate, one nano sponge filter, and have all fast growing plants.  Currently I have two 3-stripe corydoras in the tank, but I plan on bringing them back to my LFS or give them away if possible.

 

Also, I noticed my water quality was better and more stable with more dirt, which is why when I upgraded to this 5 gallon I put so much dirt and bio rings in.

Edited September 2, 2023 by LoudMouse1
Forgot important info

[Zac]

On 9/2/2023 at 4:44 PM, LoudMouse1 said:

I've recently upgraded from a 3 gallon to a 5 gallon.  In all of my tanks I've had a hair algae and a green slime algae problem.  I think it's a water quality issue that might be causing it, but I'm not 100% sure.  

 

Onto the issue, due to a shellfish and mussel allergy in the home I can't keep just one betta and one snail like I originally planned.  I'm thinking about trying to put just 3 otocinclus in the tank, but I don't know how well they would do with this type of algae and water quality issue.  

 

Is there anything I could put in this 5 gallon that isn't a shellfish or mussel that could keep the algae under control and also live comfortably.  Would 3 otocinclus work or should I try some guppies with a couple dwarf african frogs?  Please help!

 

I've been doing so much research and watching so many videos and I'm getting really frustrated with all the conflicting information I'm getting and was hoping I could get some input here.

 

Edit: I forgot to mention I have a layer of bio rings under aqua soil that combine to make a 1.5" thick substrate, one nano sponge filter, and have all fast growing plants.  Currently I have two 3-stripe corydoras in the tank, but I plan on bringing them back to my LFS or give them away if possible.

 

Also, I noticed my water quality was better and more stable with more dirt, which is why when I upgraded to this 5 gallon I put so much dirt and bio rings in.

You could do some shrimp at most. You can’t really keep any fish in a 5 gallon. Maybe 6 ruby or ember tetras but that’s it 

[LoudMouse1]

I upgraded from a 3 gallon to a 5 gallon.  I'm still having algae issues but at least I got rid of the slime algae by changing my light settings.  I'm slowly getting there!  I still have the 2 three-striped corydoras and I now also have a betta and 2 otos.  One of the otos seems to have ich even though I've been medicating them unfortunately but hopefully they make it!  If the otos don't make it I think I'm going to start dosing the tank with liquid carbon because the algae killing meds I put in weren't working at all.  Hopefully I can eventually get the algae under control with maybe lower light and a regular liquid fertilizer schedule.

[LoudMouse1]

I understand that and have looked at multiple different websites and videos by other channels.  That's why I thought it would also be in my best interest to ask in a forum like this.

[LoudMouse1]

On 9/2/2023 at 7:15 PM, Zac said:

You could do some shrimp at most. You can’t really keep any fish in a 5 gallon. Maybe 6 ruby or ember tetras but that’s it 

I think when my betta eventually dies I'll get a group of chili rasboras.  The way my tank is set up my betta is always finding his reflection on the back panel of glass.

[jwcarlson]

How long is your light on every day?

[LoudMouse1]

On 11/2/2023 at 1:43 PM, jwcarlson said:

How long is your light on every day?

It used to be on 24/7 with a daylight/moonlight cycle with different light colors and intensity.  Now I only have it on one light setting for 10-12 hours a day.

[LoudMouse1]

It's been a while since I last posted an update on my tank, so here goes!

 

I have successfully re-homed  my 2 julii corydoras!  I found a free fish page on Facebook and the person who took my fish sent me pictures of my fish swimming happily with other julii and other corydoras in a 35 gallon aquarium!

 

Thanks to the 4 otocinclus I have, the algae issue is mostly gone.  Now I only find hair algae stuck to some of the floating plant roots here and there.  However... The way the otos eat their algae wafers has caused my tank to be invaded by bladder snails, detritus worms, ostracods, and most recently even hydra!

 

Since all of these little critters seem to be so prevalent, I'm going to start fasting the fish for two to three days between feedings to help get the populations under control.

 

I think once the otos and the betta eventually die of old age, I'm going to get one nerite snail to help with algae control and a school of 8 chili rasboras to keep all the other little critters' population down.  I actually like the little bladder snails.  They're cute!

I have the lights in my tank on when I'm awake, so the light is on for 10-12 hours at a time now.  I have a timer now, so I just have to reorganize my wiring and plug that in and it will be on for 12 hours at a time.  I also dimmed the intensity of the lights and turned the blue lights off (It has RGB and white lights).

I have a question now though... My dwarf water lettuce and duckweed is going insane and I pull fistfuls out every one to two weeks.  Would it be okay for me to give away the extra plants with all of the extra stuff living in my tank?  I would of course disclose what I have in the tank when giving the plants away, I'm just wondering if it would be okay to do in my case.  I feel bad throwing the extra away.

 

[jwcarlson]

Looks quite nice!  You're probably overfeeding, which is helping boost the snail population.  If they bother you too much, you could try an assassin snail or two, they usually keep the population down and in my experience do not then boom in population.

 

Regarding giving the plants away, I don't see why not.  Most of the things you describe are in people's tanks at some level anyway and I don't see them as a "pest", but part of an ecosystem.  Floaters do seem to go bananas and they're good nitrate sponges.

[LoudMouse1]

I forgot to mention some things yesterday, so here's an update to the update.

 

I had to cut some microgreen mesh to size and shove it in the back of the tank so the betta would stop chasing his reflection in the back at least.  He was glass surfing so much he was showing his stress lines and looked like he was getting weak.  Since I put the mesh in and the little critters in my tank have taken over he has been a lot happier!  He still chases his reflection everywhere else, but because of the plant density and all the little critters to hunt, he doesn't chase his reflection nearly as much thankfully.

 

Also, with the person who has the shellfish and mussel allergies in the home... I make sure to work on the tank and feed the fish when they're not home and then I make sure to thoroughly sanitize everything that I touched or possibly dripped fish water onto.  I also use my empty pill bottles as food containers and store the rest of the food in a ziploc bag in my fish supply container.  I think the main allergen problem was with the way I was storing the fish food.  They don't have any allergic reactions when they're near the tank thankfully!

 

I have read all the responses on this thread and the main problem with overfeeding the fish is actually because of the way the otos eat their algae wafers.  I don't see them move around or eat all that much, so I'm wondering if they mainly move around at night?  I have no idea.  They never immediately jump on the wafers to eat them, so that is the main problem I'm having with them.  By the time the otos get around to eating the wafers the little critters have already swarmed it and eaten like half of it.

[jwcarlson]

Those algae wafers are probably driving a lot of the population of extra critters, honestly and at some point it becomes a vicious cycle of overfeeding.  I think your oto looks like he's eating plenty well, but I've never kept them so someone else might be able to tell you for sure.