# Algae problems



## Mirf (20 Nov 2010)

I have a 15 gallon tank inhabited by 10 african dwarf clawed frogs and I'm having no end of problems with algae.

It started with a good collection of blanket weed, green spot and green dust algae. After a hour hour + conversation with the guys at the green machine I started dosing the tank with plant nutrition, easy carbo and potassium.

Within a fortnight the tank was clear.

However I now have a mass of brown algae. It is covering the pebble substrate, glass and 90% of the plants!! From what I have read brown algae is common in new tanks, yet this one is about 4 months old.

What am I doing wrong?  

I am not using any co2 in the tank, lighting is 6 hours a day, 30% ish water changes every week. not sure what other info to add.....

Any help would be much appreciated as I am utterly clueless (pretty obviously)


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (20 Nov 2010)

Mirf

Could you please advise regarding the quantity of light - how many watts and whether they are T5 or T8 as the intensity of light will trigger the algae to start invading the tank.

Regards
paul


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## Mirf (20 Nov 2010)

It's an 18" t8 arcadia tropical.

Apparentlt silica in the water can cause it to grow as well?

Just makes no sense that in a matter of about a week I have managed to get rid of all the other algae and then this pops up. It's driving me mad and is the only tank that has these problems. :?


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (20 Nov 2010)

Mirf

What are you doing different from when it disappeared and now - you must be doing something different to trigger the algae. 

Any pictures - 

Regards
paul.


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## Mirf (20 Nov 2010)

As I said in my first post I had various types of green algae and blanket weed in my tank. After advice from gm I started dosing the tank with plant nutrition, potassium and wasy carbo, nothing was being used before. This got rid of the initial problems,  but it was replaced within a couple of days with the brown algae.

There is now a powdery coating on all the plants and it's spreading over the substrate and up the glass.  

Excuse the poor quality of the pics but the batteries are dying and the camera doesn't want to focus properly....


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (20 Nov 2010)

Mirf

See if your local fish shop has some of these - these little guys will clean the diatoms for you.

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_oto.php

Regards
paul.


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## Mirf (21 Nov 2010)

Therin lies the problem. My nearest decent lfs is about an hours drive away and, thanks to my car deciding it wanted to be a bonfire last week, I don't have transport at the minute.

I have been after some oto's for months now. I even looked at having some delivered by courier but that would work out at about Â£15 per fish. :?

Would more frequent water changes and scrubbing the sub and rock help, or will I simply be moving the algae spores around?


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## danmil3s (21 Nov 2010)

have you over cleaned your filterer. or disturbed your substrate moving plants or some thing. both of theses could cause the problem getting fish that eat the algae will just mask the problem not fix it.


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## Mirf (21 Nov 2010)

All the substrate was removed and scrubbed when I had the green algae, as the entire tank was covered, but that was about 6 weeks ago or so. Nothing since.

Only change to the filter is the addition of siporax about 3 weeks ago (50% of filter volume)

I only have a bog standard master test kit for nitrites, ntrates, ammonia and ph. All tests were normal....ammonia 0 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm, nitrate 40 ppm, ph 7.4. :?


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## danmil3s (21 Nov 2010)

if you cleaned all your substrate and bind half you filter media it might be a bit like resetting the tank, so new tank syndrome is possible.


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## Mirf (21 Nov 2010)

Even if done over a 3 week period?

Damn


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## danmil3s (21 Nov 2010)

im not an expert but it does make sense to me. did you add any extra fish


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## Mirf (21 Nov 2010)

No fish in the tank, just 10 frogs and lots of algae!!


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## dw1305 (21 Nov 2010)

Hi all,


> Would more frequent water changes


 Personally I would change a lot more water, 10 frogs will be quite a high bioload for a 2 foot tank, as from what I remember about them as they are fairly messy eaters. I would think shrimps or Otos are probably a non-starter, but snails may be "frog safe"?

This is also why algae isn't a very useful term in some ways, your initial green algae was all very similar in metabolism and photosynthetic pathways to all the higher plants (from mosses to flowering plants), but diatoms are a very different type of organism, with different requirements. I would expect the Diatoms to decline over time.

cheers Darrel


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## Mirf (21 Nov 2010)

dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> 
> 
> > Would more frequent water changes
> ...



They are suprisingly clean eaters to be honest. Very little, if any, bloodworm are left after a feed. Please forgive my ignorance as I am still very new to this, but surely a high bioload would show up on the tests wouldn't it?

I am loathe to add anything that might start munching on any eggs or 'poles as they have been in amplexus for the last few days and I would really love to try and raise  some of these little guys. Would snails large enough to be protected from the froggy suck of doom not eat the eggs?

I am assuming when you say diatobes that's the brown powder algae? I shall toddle off to google and start reading  

Sorry, someone answers me and I fire another half dozen questions at you all


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## dw1305 (22 Nov 2010)

Hi all, 





> They are surprisingly clean eaters to be honest. Very little, if any, bloodworm are left after a feed. Please forgive my ignorance as I am still very new to this, but surely a high bioload would show up on the tests wouldn't it?


 Good if they are clean feeders and are not making a mess, it makes things easier. How big the bioload is depends to some degree on the metabolism of the frogs, because of their high protein diet they will be excreting excess nitrogen (as ammonia) into the water column all the time. Tests are a very blunt instrument, and realistically have little chance of showing the level of ammonia unless it is already at toxic levels. 

Malaysian Trumpet Snails are definitely safe and I would think Red Ramshorns would be as well.

You could try keeping Endlers/Guppies with your frogs, I would think Endler fry would be an ideal food item.


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## Mirf (22 Nov 2010)

Okay I'm with you now. I'm beginning to wish I had paid more attention in my chemistry lessons  

So, assuming there is not going to be a quick fx solution to the ongoing issues with this particular tank I guess I had better start looking for more snails on fleabay.

As much as my frogs might enjoy chomping on baby fish the veggie part of me is screaming not to do it!!


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## dw1305 (22 Nov 2010)

Hi all,


> As much as my frogs might enjoy chomping on baby fish the veggie part of me is screaming not to do it!!


Point taken, although the frogs will eat the fry and night so you won't have to see it.

You can PM me, I've got lots of snails you can have, and a Red Worm culture? although these might be a bit big and I assume cutting the worms up is a non-starter as well? If you don't mind sorting through the culture there are always small worms in them. I've got Grindal and micro-worms, which might be useful for the tadpoles, but will probably be too small for the adults. I don't have any at the moment, but I should have some spare "white worms" cultures soon, they would be another alternative to Blood-worms for the adults. 

I'd try and culture a large wedge of "Java" moss as well, it is a great breeding ground for all sorts of micro-organisms, and if you are successful  in hatching tadpoles it will provide both food and cover.

cheers Darrel


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## Mirf (23 Nov 2010)

Apologies for the delayed reply. What with a fire bellied toad crisis, then my thread disappearing, yesterday was not my day!!  

Thank you for the offer Darrel, I shall get a pm fired off to you in a minute. I think sticking to tank mates that are not a tasty snack for the frogs is the best option. From what I've been told about these guys they are very good at catching and drowning fish, even ones that are too big to be munched.

I have done another thorough scrum of the tank and a  50% water change. I can't find a good way of removing the algae from the plants though. I am also concerned that the large water changes are going to reduce the numbers of bacteria in the filter.

Is there anything I can add that will bring the levels back up?


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## nry (23 Nov 2010)

Water changes won't affect filter bacteria...


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