The neverending algeee...

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

A friend of mine got me a 5g cube acrylic tank at some estate sale or yard sale or something. I cleaned it out filled it up got it started cycling and near instant split pea soup water thanks to some form of algae in it.

Cleaned everything out, bleached the ever loving crap out of it, cleaned it out some more and set it up again yesterday to cycle. The tank has been running near 24 hours with no light on directly over it either for that matter and the water is practically green again.

I'm assuming whatever algae got into this tank is something insane. Outside of breaking the tank down and soaking it in bleach for a few days, has anyone had any luck with the crazy algae chemicals? There seems to be a number of different brands of stuff, but I'm not having any luck finding reviews.

Subject: Re: The neverending algeee... Tue Mar 23, 2010 9:51 am

Did you check the filter or clean that, could be your problem. I have tried one algae product that worked, I can't remember the name of it though, I think it was made by wardley.

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

I'm pretty sure I got everything. I threw in new filter media, and I cleaned out all the permanent plastic stuff with bleach. Also soaked the impeller in vinegar for a few hours since it was caked with mineral deposit stuff.

I'm assuming it was originally set up as a salt water tank, everything I'm seeing for it is talking it up as a wee reef tank.

Oh and it's actually 6 gallons not 5, like I originally thought. Whooo! Smile

Subject: Re: The neverending algeee... Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:19 pm

Hmmm...weird. Is the old substrate in there? How about sunlight is there any hitting the tank at any point in the day? I've actually heard that flourish excel will kill certain types of algae.

Subject: Re: The neverending algeee... Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:29 pm

I would wrap a towel around it so that no lite can get to it and wait and see if it clears up in about 5 days.

Subject: Re: The neverending algeee... Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:43 pm

Good point CW. A total tank blackout may get rid of it.

Subject: Re: The neverending algeee... Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:21 pm

It sounds like the tank was empty for some time I doubt it is the substrate or the tank....Got to be coming from some equipment in there.

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

There wasn't any substrate with it and it was bone dry when I got it. So I don't have any idea when it was last in use.

There's no sunlight hitting it, but 10 feet away is one of the turtle enclosures with a uvb light. I'd think that be far enough away (and not pointing directly at the tank) that it wouldn't cause any problems.

I'm guessing at this point, I'm going to break it down again and give it another good once over. After that I think I'll be trying a combination of the towel method as well as using some Excel. I had no idea that stuff could work on some types of algae. While that's doing it's thing, I'm going to split out some smaller plants, and plant them in once I take the towel off.

Hopefully another cleaning, the lack of light, excel and then having to compete with plants after the fact will wipe it out for good. I've had a lot of algae here, but I've never seen one that turns the water green that fast before. It's impressive stuff. Smile

Subject: Re: The neverending algeee... Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:22 am

No livestock in the tank?

Subject: Re: The neverending algeee... Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:53 am

Wow saint, sounds like a hell of a lot of work for a small 5g cube tank....but at least it IS a small tank having those problems....did you check your filters or how about your tap water?

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

Besides the algae, there's nothing in the in the tank. I'm assuming this stuff is what plagued the original owner, which is why my friend picked it up so darn cheap.

MC, it's one of those Nano Cube tanks, and the lighting on it is 3wpg since it was supposed to be for an itty bitty reef tank. I'd love to try growing some fancy high light needing plants in it, otherwise I don't know if I would have put this much effort into cleaning it up. Smile

My tap water is extremely hard which makes it fantastic for growing algae, but it's normally the string/hair kind or the brown stuff that grows right on the glass. This is the first I've ever dealt with a kind that I can't just scrape off or have a pleco go to town.

The neverending algeee...

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