Algae question

[Duhend]

Sheesh it seems I've posted a lot lately asking questions...So the new tank I set up is doing good other than some brown algae I have noticed come on in the last few days. I'm curious if I can use something in the water to keep it under control, I clean things and try to keep the tank free of uneaten food to cut down on the nasties. I have a magnafloat but it can be hard to get into certain spots. The little snails I've become infested with can't keep up.

My girlfriend uses Algaefix from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals in her turtle tank and it has done miracles for her. Her algae was so bad it was under the scutes and causing them to fall of the turtle before she was ready to loose them. I've looked around and I've found nothing on the product on the forum, and since I'm new at the big tank thing I figured I would ask and see if anyone has used it, or not used it and get some advice. I know its ok for fish, but Axolotls just aren't the same as fish and I am curious.

I suppose the algae is just part of the tank ecosystem, but I do think it is part of the reason the pants look brown and dying. I don't have a problem with it I guess, but I would like to find a solution to it before it does become an issue.

Thanks in advance!

 

[yellowpebble]

Algae is interesting! Brown algae is caused by not enough light, where as green is caused by too much.

Brown in particular is also helped along by too much nutrients in the water (poop, left over food) and low oxygen levels. Newly established aquariums are prone to algae because the tank isn't cycled enough to deactivate the nutrient content in the tank, so water changes are recommended.

The majority of water aditives are harmfull to axolotls, they have different care requirements for fish and turtles! I'm not sure what is in the algae control substance, but here is a list of safe/unsafe chemicals for axolotls:

http://www.axolotl.org/health.htm#list

Buying algae control substances will only act as a bandaid for the problem. To get rid of the root cause of the algae, try doing regular water changes and poop scoops, providing the tank with a little light (not too much, axolotls don't like that and green algae LOVE it) and an air stone to oxygenate the water. This will also stop the plants dying... they need some light to grow too!

I have found sand as substrate instead of large rocks much easier for water conditions and algae control because it is MUCH easier to clean. You can just suck the poop and food off the sand, where rocks collect all the bad stuff algae loves so you have to take them out and scrub them as well as poop scooping. If you have rocks, sand does make it easier.

 

[Duhend]

Well that is interesting. The tank gets about 12 hours of light a day, she has hides to get out of it though. The tank is only about 3 weeks into its new life with us. I figured that the help of old established water and a few weeks time would help negate the balance of everything in the water. I have started water changes, maybe I should do them more often or just a bit bigger.

 

[yellowpebble]

hmm that is odd about the light. You could try to clean the whole tank out and just scrub it off everything and see if it comes back with 20% a day water changes. An established filter is needed to create a cycle, established water will soon become "nutritious" with animals pooping in it with no biological filter to keep cleaning it. maybe a whole tank clean out would help if you do not have to wory about breaking the cycle of your filter.

Do you have any water test kits? You could test for substances in the water to check on the establishment of your tank?

 

[Duhend]

The filter is established, its a bio-wheel, I don't have test kits, my last bunch ran out a few months ago. We are headed to the pet store tomorrow anyway so I will have to pick some up. I just went and fed her, and looked a little harder and it oddly enough looks like a cross between brown and green, I'm wondering if could be all green but the brown stuff is just dead green algae. I've only seen that turn black though, so I may have to give it a few days and see how it progresses, maybe back off to 8 hours a day of light and see if any changes occur. I'm just kinda out of my element with this one, normally I've added an algae eater fish or an apple snail, but I think the snail would be bad size wise and the fish may end up as a snack. Thanks again for the advice, I get yelled at how much time I spent looking around on this site at Tiger salamander stuff an Axolotl stuff..

 

[yellowpebble]

good idea, just ajust your settings a bit and see if it goes away.

 

[carsona246]

brown algae is just a sign of a new tank. It should go away after a while, dont worry about it