Algae taking over!!!!

Question
Hi. I am turning 12 soon, and I have some freshwater fish. My dad cleans the tank, but algae is taking over! We got a algae eater, but it died. We are going to get more, but I was wondering if there is something else we can do. Thanks for the help!                                              Melissa

Answer
Hi Melissa,

Algae is a pain in the backside for every fishkeeper. The most common cause of algae build up in a tank is because of the fluorescent light that is used to light the tank during the day.

Aquariums that are only decorated with artificial plants should have the light on for no more than 8 hours a day. On the other hand if your Aquarium has real plants then it is best to leave the light on for 10-14 hours a day and feed them once a week with plant food, which will be available from your local fish store.

Using real plants in the tank will also help cut down algae growth. At the moment the algae in your tank has unlimited access to a food supply and light source, plants such as Straight Vallis (Vallisneria Spiralis) prefers bright light and hard water (dH 12) will help with algae control.


Cleaning the tank with a pair of magnetic abrasive pads will remove any surface dirt and loose algae, you should do this every 2-4 weeks.

I'm guessing that the algae eater you purchased was a Plec, this leads me to believe that you may want to check the nitrite, ammonia and pH in your tank as Plecs are pretty tough fish.

Good Luck!