I just read that hornwort is toxic to algea on its leaves. Is this true? The reason i am asking, is because i have a ten gallon with a major algea problem. I cant use algea eating fish, because my grass pickerel and senegal bichir eat everything, even plecos. I thought the toxins might help my snails keep the algea in check. It is hair algea, and a slimy green coating on the plants and sides of the tank.
Hornwort toxins?
- Thread starter Gearhead
- Start date
Hi there,
I had the same problems, and it`s due to over feeding and poor quality water.
If you feed to much, this will lead to more ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. It`s this excess which results in algae! Plants use nitrate to grow, but an excess will inevitably result in algae blooms.
The slimy green 'algae' is actually bacteria. This shows up again when water quality is low.
My advice would be to:-
1. Check your filter to make sure there are no blocked pipes/strainers or change filter pads if haven`t done so recently.
2. Cut back on the amounts you feed. I used to feed my snakeheads daily. I now feed twice or rarely 3 times a week!
3. Increase % of water at water changes i.e.From 30% to 50% or do more frequent w/c.
4. Consider getting a bigger tank. 10 gallon is to small perhaps.
5. Use a weaker light bulb (less watts) or cut the amount of hours per day the light is on.
6. Try adding some floating plants to your tank. These will help with the nitrate problem and the light problem, plus they look nice.
Snakeheads HATE water changes, so I only change about once every 2~3 months!! But by feeding less my algae problem is now under control. Try a combination of the points I`ve mentioned, and I`m sure you`ll see a difference.
I`m not sure about the spatterdock thing, but s/dock grows BIG so probably not an option. Egelia densa does (so I`ve heard) have these algae 'busting' properties and I would recommend this. It`s cheap and grows fast (eating nitrates). It doesn`t need planting, just 'throw' it in.
Good luck!!
I had the same problems, and it`s due to over feeding and poor quality water.
If you feed to much, this will lead to more ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. It`s this excess which results in algae! Plants use nitrate to grow, but an excess will inevitably result in algae blooms.
The slimy green 'algae' is actually bacteria. This shows up again when water quality is low.
My advice would be to:-
1. Check your filter to make sure there are no blocked pipes/strainers or change filter pads if haven`t done so recently.
2. Cut back on the amounts you feed. I used to feed my snakeheads daily. I now feed twice or rarely 3 times a week!
3. Increase % of water at water changes i.e.From 30% to 50% or do more frequent w/c.
4. Consider getting a bigger tank. 10 gallon is to small perhaps.
5. Use a weaker light bulb (less watts) or cut the amount of hours per day the light is on.
6. Try adding some floating plants to your tank. These will help with the nitrate problem and the light problem, plus they look nice.
Snakeheads HATE water changes, so I only change about once every 2~3 months!! But by feeding less my algae problem is now under control. Try a combination of the points I`ve mentioned, and I`m sure you`ll see a difference.
I`m not sure about the spatterdock thing, but s/dock grows BIG so probably not an option. Egelia densa does (so I`ve heard) have these algae 'busting' properties and I would recommend this. It`s cheap and grows fast (eating nitrates). It doesn`t need planting, just 'throw' it in.
Good luck!!
Well the pickerel and bichir wont be in there for much longer, im getting a 75 gallon soon. I plan on keeping the ten gallon a planted tank, but with more peaceful fish. Maybe a pair of rams, a few tetras and a few oto cats. I only feed the fish a cricket a day, and 25% w/c every week. I will start feeding them every other day and do 40% w/c. Also, I have java ferns, java moss, amazon swords, and some other unknown plants. Should i fertilize any of them once the algea is gone and the fish are moved? None of them seem to be growing much. And im getting some duckweed and mabye some frogbit next week to hopefully help with the excess. Thanks for the advice.
Well the grass pickerel and bichir will and probably have gotten to big for them thats why you have the algae problem. Though i but that out there
They're only about 5 inches each, but they eat anything that moves or kill it if they cant eat it.
Allright, i got a bunch of giant duckweed today, I pulled most of the algea off of the plants, and I have reduced feedings to one cricket every other day. I'm going to do a 40% w/c once a week. There is also a clown pleco that has managed to not get killed, and is now completely ignored, so he is slowly eating the remaining algea.