Platys tank

Question
Hi Karen,
I have 6 adults and 17 baby platy's in my ten gallon aquarium. Of course I know that the tank is over populated and I am trying to find someone to adopt the babies. Anyways, my question is about algae. I have alot of it all over the bottom of the tank and on there log (decoration). I am using river rocks instead of gravel and it seems to be working fine. Just recently (maybe the past month) there has been a build up of algae. I turned up the heater because one of the fish was sick, is it because of the increase in temperature? I also tried to remove all the snails because I didnt think that the snails were doing a good job cleaning the tank, was I wrong, and were they actually doing a good job? I dont have those algae eater fish, because I think they are creepy. Should I get over my fear of them and get a few? Why do I have a increase of algae and what should I do? The water also seems cloudy, I am assuming it is because of the algae, am I wrong? Please help. Thanks. Vanessa

Answer
Dear Vannessa,
Can I ask if you have cycled your aquarium of it it is established? Your aquarium isn't overstocked as long as you find homes for your extra little babies. (Petstores usually gladly take them)

Knowing that light and nutrients are keys to excess algae growth helps to resolve this problem. Snails usually do a good job at algae eating but it just depends on the species also. Or if they are tiny ones that have little impact on the algae growth. Whenever I got algae problems, I always go at what I find the best treatment, lowering light levels to just about 12 hrs a day, adding lots of nutrient absorbing plants (anacharis, hornwort) and making daily water changes of 30% everyday until the nutrient levels the algae may be feeding is depleted. Lots of fast growing aquarium plants also help too in species like hornwort form a green fluffy mass that blocks light out to algae and usually outcompetes it altogether, I also must say that floating plants would be very well-appeciated by your platy fry and mature fish also! ;-)

So basically all you really have to do to combat algae is not by lots of algae eaters. But by controlling what causes it instead of just treating the symptoms. Keep light levels at the most of 12 hours per day, change the water more frequently (also appreciated by your platies) and include plants if you can. If you would like an algae eater, the best kind I have found for small aquariums like yours is the cute little Ottocinclus catfish. It's a good thing to avoid the "algae eaters" which is a common name to anything from Chinese algae eaters which are rumored to stop eating algae as they mature and become territorial, to the plecos which grow into massive fish when mature. I have seen plecos given up by owners in a locally owned petshop around here which were very close to nearing 2 feet!

Stick to the little species of algae eater, and employ those other methods of algae control and you should have good luck!

Cloudy water can be an overabundance of nutrients also. It is due to a blooming population of bacteria and possibly infusoria that are feeding on the available nutrients and multiplying at a rate where they cloud the water. Solving this is almost like algae problems. Change the water at about 30% everyday and be sure you aren't feeding too much.

Best wishes and feel free to write with anymore concerns!
Karen~