Hoping for some algae.... (Never thought I would say that...)

[Toobit67]

My 10 gallon heavily planted shrimp/snail tank has been going for for over a month now..  

Livestock consists of 5 Crystal Red shrimp, 5 Cherry Reds,  1 adult Mystery snail,  a bunch of tiny hitchhiker snails, and 6 hitchhiker fish fry...  

The plants are growing well, the fish are growing steadily (still too small for me to identify the species, though) and the shrimp are active, molting, and breeding, apparently, as I now have 4 berried females...

I had a minor outbreak of diatoms a couple weeks ago which is expected, and mostly gone now... 

BUT... I have zero algae at this point....  My concern is that there will not be enough food for the baby shrimps when they hatch..

 

 

[Mengo]

You can leave the lights on for longer periods or shine some other light on one side of the glass for algae(since you've got floaters). I do that sometimes and it works. Beautiful tank and shrimp btw👍 

[Will Billy]

Algae grows really well in stagnant water. My aquarium is in my man cave and gets no natural sunlight. From time to time i take a clear cup and scoop out some tank water and set it in a window sill and give it a quick shot of easy green fertilizer. After a few days it starts growing fresh green algae for my critters to munch on, and then i just add it to my tank. 

[Toobit67]

27 minutes ago, Will Billy said:

Algae grows really well in stagnant water. My aquarium is in my man cave and gets no natural sunlight. From time to time i take a clear cup and scoop out some tank water and set it in a window sill and give it a quick shot of easy green fertilizer. After a few days it starts growing fresh green algae for my critters to munch on, and then i just add it to my tank. 

This tank gets full on sunlight all afternoon (you can see the window blinds behind the back glass).... I have been leaving them wide open lately... stil

l nuthin!

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Toobit67

[Toobit67]

51 minutes ago, Mengo said:

You can leave the lights on for longer periods or shine some other light on one side of the glass for algae(since you've got floaters). I do that sometimes and it works. Beautiful tank and shrimp btw👍 

Thank you)

[Toobit67]

30 minutes ago, Will Billy said:

Algae grows really well in stagnant water. My aquarium is in my man cave and gets no natural sunlight. From time to time i take a clear cup and scoop out some tank water and set it in a window sill and give it a quick shot of easy green fertilizer. After a few days it starts growing fresh green algae for my critters to munch on, and then i just add it to my tank. 

Yeah, I was thinking some ferts may help... I have never used them before, though.. and am so afraid to screw up my water parameters

 

[Streetwise]

I consider algae to be an important component of my tanks. It grows because of my substrate, lights, and food. Plants provide a balance, but I enjoy keeping algae-eaters, so I always want algae.

[Toobit67]

Just now, Streetwise said:

I consider algae to be an important component of my tanks. It grows because of my substrate, lights, and food. Plants provide a balance, but I enjoy keeping algae-eaters, so I always want algae.

i agree 100%, Street... thats why I am concerned... I never have had a new tank setup with NO algae...  I'm trying to create a little biosphere... but the algae isn't showing up! lol

[Toobit67]

Could it be that my plants are literally stripping ALL the nutrients?

 

[Struggle]

8 hours ago, Toobit67 said:

Could it be that my plants are literally stripping ALL the nutrients?

 

That’s a possibility, I’d start dosing some ferts like easy green and if you want hair algae I’d dose easy iron as well.

[Jungle Fan]

Your floaters are probably absorbing quite a bit of the nutrients because they have an unfettered access to CO2 out of your room air that is much higher than the level in the water, and therefore they can transform the nutrients into new growth.

However rather than chucking your floaters, or growing algae which can be a Pandora's box of chocolates (because you never know which kind you're gonna get) I would advocate to attach some moss to your wood.

If you plant it high enough you might even get some green algae growing on it from the light, and my shrimp absolutely love foraging through it whether they're just babies or full grown. In my opinion it would solve your problem, and no shrimp tank should be without moss, and I don't mean Marimo balls, no disrespect to Marimo balls intended, but actual moss, i.e. Java moss, Christmas moss, Taiwan moss, Weeping moss, ... . If you add it you will rarely have a moment without shrimp in it.

[Oakenstein]

Not sure if I'm seeing it right, but is that a tangle of moss in the back corner? If not, yes to moss (also known as the shrimp-berry bush in my tank). Otherwise, I'd also try some ferts. You can always undose at first, to see what does happen to your water. Unless you are very heavily feeding, there's not much going into your tank bioload-wise. My shrimp only tank always wants nitrates, whereas my fish/shrimp tank always has about 30ppm. More feeding/more poo, right?

[gardenman]

Your problem is you want algae and the aquarium gods are fickle gods. The more you want something, the less likely they are to give it to you. Start chanting "I hate algae!" and the aquarium gods will bestow untold amounts of algae upon you. 

[Maggie]

While waiting for algae to grow, you could try spirulina powder.

[Brian]

I did not read all responses, so if I am repeating someone..   sorry.

I would not try to hard to get algae.   Once it gets a foothold it might over take everything and the cleaning crew might not be able to keep up.  And besides, what kind of algae will you end up with...

I would just let the tank slowly cycle/season itself while supplementing the clean up crews diet.  I think the animals are or will be better off with a variety in their diet.

Good Luck and Share updates 

[Toobit67]

11 minutes ago, Brian said:

I would just let the tank slowly cycle/season itself while supplementing the clean up crews diet.  I think the animals are or will be better off with a variety in their diet.

Yep...  I have two different shrimp foods and another should arrive today from Amazon.  I always feed sparingly, but I like to keep it varied figuring that one food may offer something that another may not.

[skipper]

I can relate to this. My ~2 month old tank is also in front of a window and I too wanted to cultivate some algae for my nerite snail. Due to the carp toddlers, I can’t really target feed him/her. If you’ve never watched a goldfish sniff out the most seemingly discreetly hidden algae wafer, it’s quite entertaining. 100% find/gobble-for-self rate. Dosed with ferts, left the lights on. I wished and wished for many weeks to no avail. Attributed my “failure” to emersed pothos with an ever-growing root jungle. And then, out of nowhere there arose a white carpet over all of my decor, green spots on the glass, diatoms sprinkled throughout. Guess I fished my wish 😂🙈 today I’m off to purchase many nerite friends. Hang in there, your day will come.