why won't algae grow???

[clownbaby]

Okay, I know this is a weird thing to complain about... but my tank has basically no algae and I don't like it!!! 😡

It has the slightest bit of brown hair algae on my wood, but you cannot even tell because my wood is yknow -- brown. 

I want something like this to grow on my wood & rocks. Even some growth on my back and side glass would be really cool. 

I mean that looks so good! So pretty! How do I encourage the growth of green hair algae and green dust algae? My light is on 12 hours a day. Do I need to use fertilizer? My tank does have live plants. I just want live plants and some pretty algae to grow on the rocks. Is that so much to ask? 

Algae looks incredibly natural to me, and it is good for fish tanks' health; so how do I get some darn algae to grow?!?!?!? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

edit: I wouldn't mind black / brown algae or diatoms. All of it is honestly appealing to me. 

edit 2: tank is 30 gallons, planted with 6+ species, stocked with 4 pygmy cories & mystery snail (and bladder snail hitchhikers <3),

nitrite & nitrate 0, ammonia 0, pH 6.8 - 7.4, dgH 9 dkH 8; temperature at 73 degrees F (~24 degrees C)

currently using no fertilizers, just relying on my substrate (clay, organic soil, leaf litter, peat moss, crushed lava rock; then capped off with pebbles pea gravel and sand mixed together)... but plan on buying fertilizer soon.

Light is 6000 degrees kelvin, on for about 12 hours a day at this point. Sunlight also hits one corner. 

I can tell I am overfeeding a little too because my bladder snails are laying eggs like crazy... trying to feed less but confused of why my plants are doing such a good job at sucking up nitrite and nitrate... like STOP making me look good I am supposed to suck at being a beginner dude /nm lol 😂

my tank has been running for 4 months but only had stocking since March 6th. 

Edited April 11 by clownbaby
edit: I wouldn't mind black / brown algae or diatoms

[macdaddy36]

If your light is adjustable turn up the blue

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Agree with @macdaddy36 that I find blue light helpful and over use of ferts but especially iron grows a lot of algae. 

[macdaddy36]

I want to add a disclaimer -- doing stuff to grow algae won't necessarily mean you get the type of algae you want. You could get nice looking dust or hair algae on the wood, but it could just as easy go with ugly diatoms, green water, black beard algae (you might like this), and it will probably cover the glass before it gets to the hardscape.

[mynameisnobody]

How long has the aquarium been running? 

[knee]

You can always add ferts to help the algae. Just a warning that you might not get the algae you want. Two of my tanks get the same fert and same photoperiod but grow two different types of algae. 
 

 

[Galabar]

How are your plants growing?  How big is your tank and what is it stocked with?

You can encourage algae with slower growing plants and excess fertilizer (phosphate) and light (especially blue light).  However, if algae starts growing on your rocks, it will probably also start growing on those slow growing plants.  Also, if you have grazers like snails, otos, and SAEs, you can remove them from the tank.

None of my planted tanks have any significant algae and that is probably true for most of us here with somewhat balanced tanks.  So, growing algae might be a bit difficult (given that most of us are in your boat).

Edited April 11 by Galabar

[clownbaby]

On 4/10/2024 at 3:59 PM, mynameisnobody said:

How long has the aquarium been running? 

4 months total but only a month or so with fish. 

On 4/10/2024 at 6:50 PM, Galabar said:

How are your plants growing?  How big is your tank and what is it stocked with?

You can encourage algae with slower growing plants and excess fertilizer (phosphate) and light (especially blue light).  However, if algae starts growing on your rocks, it will probably also start growing on those slow growing plants.  Also, if you have grazers like snails, otos, and SAEs, you can remove them from the tank.

None of my planted tanks have any significant algae and that is probably true for most of us here with somewhat balanced tanks.  So, growing algae might be a bit difficult (given that most of us are in your boat).

My plants are actually growing amazingly well, which is a surprise since I haven't used any fertilizer. Rotala & pearlweed is taking over, amazon sword is starting to get huge! Ludwigia also doing amazingly well. My tank is 30 gallons, and is stocked with one mystery snail and four pygmy cories (more soon.)

It is a pretty new tank, it has only been up for about 4 months.

On 4/10/2024 at 7:40 PM, clownbaby said:

4 months total but only a month or so with fish. 

My plants are actually growing amazingly well, which is a surprise since I haven't used any fertilizer. Rotala & pearlweed is taking over, amazon sword is starting to get huge! Ludwigia also doing amazingly well. My tank is 30 gallons, and is stocked with one mystery snail and four pygmy cories (more soon.)

It is a pretty new tank, it has only been up for about 4 months.

ALSO just know my snail & cories do a horrible job eating algae (which is what I want) ... probably because I spot feed them LMAO 🙃

[AtomicSunfish]

On 4/10/2024 at 9:40 PM, clownbaby said:

4 months total but only a month or so with fish. 

My plants are actually growing amazingly well, which is a surprise since I haven't used any fertilizer. Rotala & pearlweed is taking over, amazon sword is starting to get huge! Ludwigia also doing amazingly well. My tank is 30 gallons, and is stocked with one mystery snail and four pygmy cories (more soon.)

It is a pretty new tank, it has only been up for about 4 months.

ALSO just know my snail & cories do a horrible job eating algae (which is what I want) ... probably because I spot feed them LMAO 🙃

Okay, so I betcha your plants are outcompeting the algae. They’re probably sopping up the nitrogen, and maybe even shading out the lights. If such succession is going on in your tank, the plants will suppress the algae. Most people like that 😂 But it’s understandable if you miss having algae around.

[Lennie]

The second picture is a saltwater tank btw. 

Edited April 11 by Lennie

[doktor zhivago]

Iron and phosphates are what grow hair algae for me but like the others pointed out be careful what you wish for 😂

[Tony s]

Sometimes algae is just weird. my daughter has a tank that the lights stay on 24/7. never been any algae in it. except for a small amount of diatoms. have had 3 tanks like that. constant light, no growth. but one i broke down and emptied (apparently my wife hated the placement). the fake rock centerpiece turned a light green on the sunward side. and nothing on the shaded side. no idea what's up with that. 

but the algae should come in some form. even if it's black beard. and if it doesn't. I'm sure someone would share a bit

Edited April 11 by Tony s

[Tanked]

On 4/10/2024 at 11:26 AM, clownbaby said:

Okay, I know this is a weird thing to complain about... but my tank has basically no algae and I don't like it!!! 😡

If that is possible, a little natural sunlight might be all you need.  Be careful what you wish for, you might get it. 

On 4/11/2024 at 10:07 AM, Tony s said:

Sometimes algae is just weird. my daughter has a tank that the lights stay on 24/7. never been any algae in it. except for a small amount of diatoms. have had 3 tanks like that. constant light, no growth. but one i broke down and emptied (apparently my wife hated the placement). the fake rock centerpiece turned a light green on the sunward side. and nothing on the shaded side. no idea what's up with that. 

but the algae should come in some form. even if it's black beard. and if it doesn't. I'm sure someone would share a bit

Depending on the time of  year, my planted 29 gets a few minutes to about an hour of direct sun in one corner.  That is the corner where I can grow the bright light green algae.  That is also the corner where my Vallisneria will migrate to no matter where I plant it.  I have enough spot algae or BBA in various tanks to share.

[clownbaby]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! On one hand I am really thrilled my plants do a great job at keeping my tank healthy. On the other hand... me like algae. 

You are all so awesome for educating a newbie like me! 

[Lennie]

On 4/11/2024 at 7:49 PM, clownbaby said:

Thanks for all the advice everyone! On one hand I am really thrilled my plants do a great job at keeping my tank healthy. On the other hand... me like algae. 

You are all so awesome for educating a newbie like me! 

I would say, keep your tank with healthy plants and algae free

And if you really like algae, consider a macroalgae tank one day. It is a saltwater tank full of colorful macroalgaes in different shapes. Look great and pretty easy overall

like these:

 

[clownbaby]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:38 AM, Lennie said:

I would say, keep your tank with healthy plants and algae free

And if you really like algae, consider a macroalgae tank one day. It is a saltwater tank full of colorful macroalgaes in different shapes. Look great and pretty easy overall

like these:

 

(Not in an arguing way btw, just curious!) Is there any reason I should avoid algae? Like any health concerns, diseases, etc? I honestly am just curious if there really is any reason algae should be avoided / what downsides there are? I trust your input a lot!😁

[sumplkrum]

You don't want algae to build up to the point that it's competing with the plants.
That being said, lots of algae growth is usually a sign that there's too much light, or your water chemistry is off.

It might be best if you want a specific looking green rock, ask around to see if someone else has one like that. That way you're not growing random algae in your tank.
You could also experiment in a separate spare tank or tub. Partially fill with water and rocks add light and try to get algae to grow on it ... that way you're not messing with your established aquarium chemistry.

[clownbaby]

On 4/11/2024 at 12:58 PM, sumplkrum said:

You don't want algae to build up to the point that it's competing with the plants.
That being said, lots of algae growth is usually a sign that there's too much light, or your water chemistry is off.

It might be best if you want a specific looking green rock, ask around to see if someone else has one like that. That way you're not growing random algae in your tank.
You could also experiment in a separate spare tank or tub. Partially fill with water and rocks add light and try to get algae to grow on it ... that way you're not messing with your established aquarium chemistry.

Thanks for the advice!!

[Lennie]

On 4/11/2024 at 8:48 PM, clownbaby said:

(Not in an arguing way btw, just curious!) Is there any reason I should avoid algae? Like any health concerns, diseases, etc? I honestly am just curious if there really is any reason algae should be avoided / what downsides there are? I trust your input a lot!😁

You cannot say like, X algae looks beautiful on this rock and don’t expect it to grow on any other surfaces such as other rocks, plants, on the glass and substrate in most occasions. The desired look you want in the first picture is probably green spot algae, and it is covered this way in my bedroom display. But it grows on the wood, glass and some plant leaves too.

In addition, these is no guaranteed for you to have this specific algae and growing beautifully. There can be many others you end up with, which may be painful to get rid of. Like bba, staghorn and green hair algae

There have been a few times I witnessed hair algae becoming a problem in my tank for the livestock in it. In nature, there are probably tons of algae, but it is huge, so many fish feed on it and we cant create a nature at home, at best, try to provide a natural looking tank. When my hair algae issue started accumulating, I witnessed some problems like finding my rabbit snail literally stuck cant move like a dog on a leash, same happened with my pregnant shrimp having her leg stuck in the algae, and while picking on some food particles on the hair algae, my rummynose choked on it and algae stuck on its gills.

now these might not sound valid for all the algaes and surely there are beneficial sides, but again, you never know what algae type(s) will grow and if you ever really gonna get what you desire really. At best, you can look what specifically this algae type likes, get algae eaters that eat every other type, and keep the glasses and stuff clean. I have 3 SAEs that keep the tank pretty much hair type green algae free(which is a common problem for me). Maybe you can try amanos and true saes, some shrimp, otos, borneo sucker/hillstream loach, panda garra, etc to expect them potentially eat majority of the algae sources before they find a chance to start growing, and leave the green spot algae behind to cover. This sort of green spot algae is very hardy, and only nerites can eat it.

 

One last thing, I came across someone who used morimos to cover the bottom of the tank before. Maybe you can use them to cover a rock. But I dont think these are same with the ones being sold as “marimo balls” commonly. Morimo is also algae afterall. Or you can check for moss options

 

Edited April 12 by Lennie

[Moose]

as @Lennie said, Marimo 'moss' balls are in fact algae. I've seen aquascaping videos where folks cut it up the ball it's sold in and use it essentially as an epiphyte plant. Haven't tried it myself but could work for what you're going for. Moss in general could not only get the look but, tbh, moss is a bit of an algae magnet. I was warned by George Farmer in both his book and the occasional mention in his tank build videos, but I still planted moss in my tank right away...only to find that indeed, a lot of it got severely diatom-ed. 

The other thought I have is that you could do what people often recommend as a supplement for feeding otos: take some dechlorinated water, put river stones or similar rocks in it, stick it in the sun somewhere, and once the rocks develop a nice green slime coat, transfer to your tank. The most extreme/dramatic version of this concept I've seen is the usage in this tank build: 

Using Algae to Create Shell Dweller Cichlid Fish Tank (SerpaDesign)

[clownbaby]

On 4/11/2024 at 11:30 PM, Lennie said:

You cannot say like, X algae looks beautiful on this rock and don’t expect it to grow on any other surfaces such as other rocks, plants, on the glass and substrate in most occasions. The desired look you want in the first picture is probably green spot algae, and it is covered this way in my bedroom display. But it grows on the wood, glass and some plant leaves too.

In addition, these is no guaranteed for you to have this specific algae and growing beautifully. There can be many others you end up with, which may be painful to get rid of. Like bba, staghorn and green hair algae

There have been a few times I witnessed hair algae becoming a problem in my tank for the livestock in it. In nature, there are probably tons of algae, but it is huge, so many fish feed on it and we cant create a nature at home, at best, try to provide a natural looking tank. When my hair algae issue started accumulating, I witnessed some problems like finding my rabbit snail literally stuck cant move like a dog on a leash, same happened with my pregnant shrimp having her leg stuck in the algae, and while picking on some food particles on the hair algae, my rummynose choked on it and algae stuck on its gills.

now these might not sound valid for all the algaes and surely there are beneficial sides, but again, you never know what algae type(s) will grow and if you ever really gonna get what you desire really. At best, you can look what specifically this algae type likes, get algae eaters that eat every other type, and keep the glasses and stuff clean. I have 3 SAEs that keep the tank pretty much hair type green algae free(which is a common problem for me). Maybe you can try amanos and true saes, some shrimp, otos, borneo sucker/hillstream loach, panda garra, etc to expect them potentially eat majority of the algae sources before they find a chance to start growing, and leave the green spot algae behind to cover. This sort of green spot algae is very hardy, and only nerites can eat it.

 

One last thing, I came across someone who used morimos to cover the bottom of the tank before. Maybe you can use them to cover a rock. But I dont think these are same with the ones being sold as “marimo balls” commonly. Morimo is also algae afterall. Or you can check for moss options

 

I get your point but I did edit my post to say I enjoy black/brown algaes as well as green algaes. green is prefered but I do still find all algae very attractive. maybe I'm odd. I also did say I would like it to cover my glass & substrate.

perhaps we just have different perspectives on aquascaping & the extent in which nature can be present. but that is okay! 🙂 I appreciate your opinion a lot! I just disagree to an extent. Being such a nerd I love all plants, even ugly ones like some algaes LMAO 😂 

I've been trying to discourage my mystery snail to leave any algae alone (he is mildly receptive, but he does like to graze!) by spot feeding him. again I love how algae looks and I have a lotttt of free time. If it starts to take over I am more than willing and able to manually remove some of it, much like I have had to do with my rotala & pearlweed. I would actually really enjoy that. 

Perhaps for clarity I will say this: your knowledge was much appreciated! And helpful! Now I will take that knowledge and apply it in a way that I see fit, yes? /nm

I appreciate you a lot!! Thank you so much.