I just started a 40 gal planted tank 4 weeks ago and about a week ago i
started getting green alge on the front of the glass. I have 2 4 inch
plecos in the tank but they are not eating it. I just added a CF light and
I am running about100 watts. The water temp is around 75 and all my levels
are perfect. Is there any thing other that i can add to the tank to take
care of it. OR am i gonna have to scrub every other day.

Thank you in advance
Paul

If the plecos aren't eating it then it is probably blue green algae which is
actually a bacteria. check out
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/algae.html#cyano

This can be treated with an antibiotic I have used Maracyn in the past ( see
http://www.petguys.com/pet-guys/-084942011100.html ) and it was very
effective.

This is usually caused by poor water quality.

"paul anderson" wrote in message
news:AbYqe.1448$5s1.234@trndny06...
I just started a 40 gal planted tank 4 weeks ago and about a week ago i
started getting green alge on the front of the glass. I have 2 4 inch
plecos in the tank but they are not eating it. I just added a CF light and
I am running about100 watts. The water temp is around 75 and all my levels
are perfect. Is there any thing other that i can add to the tank to take
care of it. OR am i gonna have to scrub every other day.

Thank you in advance
Paul

Ive got the same problem.

What do i need to test to ensure i ;have good water quality?

I do ph, nitrite, ammonia, gh/kh tests at the moment which are all fine.

wrote:
Ive got the same problem.

What do i need to test to ensure i ;have good water quality?

I do ph, nitrite, ammonia, gh/kh tests at the moment which are all fine.

You would need to test for phosphate and nitrate also, a tank with fast
growing plants in may actually be nitrate and phosphate defficient, it
depends on your tank. You should aim for a low nitrate reading and low
phosphate reading, below 5ppm for the phosphate, I wouldn't worry about
nitrate that much. You can remove phosphate with something like rowaphos
in the filter.

But really I wouldn't worry about algae on the front glass, you could
add some ottocinclus cats to clean it but I'd just use an alage scraper
and not get too hung up about it. You can never fully eradicate algae
but far more worrying and detrimental to plants would be something like
hair algae, which you don't mention.

If it is True Alge I would'nt Worry to Much, I had this Problem and
cut back on my Lighting one hour and found this helped quite a bit. You
don't have any indirect lighting coming from a Window do YOU? I also
found this to be a part of my Problem, got a room darker blind and this
Helped me out even more, I still have some alge, But at least it's
controllable now.

As far as Plecos go no matter How much people tell you that they eat
Alge, they only eat it while they are young, after they get Older they
seem to get kinda lazy. I find Snails to be best at Consuming Alge, as
long as you don't Mind removing their Eggs every so Often before they
hatch, And providing you Like Snails???



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