Algae Issue

[turtlez]

I have a 55 gallon tank, silica sand with a rena xp4. Has 2 (3.5inch) Geophagus Red head tapajos, 1 (2inch) geophagus red head tapajos and 2 (3.5inch) Geophagus Heckelii.
Also have a 4 inch yellow belly slider who wont eat/nip/fight with the fish.he eats with them at the same time. I have the tank full 95% to the top with a dock for the turtle.

Anyways, I have been having problems with algae due to the uvb light. I switched from an individual bulb to an 18inch tube. The uvb tube that covers part of the tank seems to be growing crazy amounts of algae that start as regular streaks and pieces but end up in sheets in 10 days or so.

What Algae Eater (shrimp/fish etc) do you carry that would fit this setup?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Rastapus]

What are the water parameters like? How thick is the sand? The basking area should really be larger for the turtle then the top 5%, sounds a little tight. Where is the algae in the aquarium? All over?

[turtlez]

pH is close to 7, maybe a little under. I use seachem equilibrium as well. Temperature is 27-28 celsius.

There is plenty of room for the basking area. I have the extra larger turtle dock and I built a custom cover with a 48inch actinic blue, 18inch uvb and 48inch bright white light so that he has about 5 inches high of clearance from the dock to the top of the inside of the cover when hes out of the water. Sand is silica sand, about 2.5 inches high

I have never had any problems with diseases, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites etc. No fish have been lost in this tank and its been setup for a year and a half.

[Rastapus]

Where is the algae? On the sand? At 2.5" even with Geophagus in there, that is a bit thick. Chances are you are getting anaerobic activity in that sand bed which is likely contributing to the algae issue.

[turtlez]

Surprisingly I'm getting near to zero algae on the sand. I'll post a video later tonight to show what I mean. It's just common algae but its grows very rapidly all over the glass, starts as spots grows together to become sheets that stay in pieces (looks like seaweed ...but freshwater?). and it sinks to the bottom when i rub it off after about 10 days. Comes off easily without a sponge.

Video will be uploaded later.

Also, I'm thinking of getting rid of a few of my geos, getting a little crowded; so you can take a look at there condition as well great colors

[turtlez]

Okay, so here is the video. Click to view in HD 720p !

YouTube - 55 Gallon Cichlid and Turtle Tank

Basically the side that has the floating dock, the glass in front of it gets the most amount of algae on it. I am almost 100% sure its due to the uvb bulb there...so what kind of algae eater would be good? I read a horror story of a pleco sucking the eyelids off of a turtle while it slept...

Let me know what you think of my geos

[Rastapus]

The video does not show the algae, could be Cyanobacteria rather then algae but cant really make a recommendation until I know what it is you have.

[turtlez]

yeah I ended up cleaning it up...The front glass is covered in regular, common algae, so for that I think any fish to clean it up would be alright?

anything you would recommend though taking into account there is a turtle in there too?

[marko]

I had the same problem with my 5 gallon tank in front of the window had so much algae it looked like green hair I put in a large apple snail took care of the problem same with my 55 gallon they grow super fast so even if you get small ones in a couple months they will be huge.

[teija]

It's just common algae but its grows very rapidly all over the glass, starts as spots grows together to become sheets that stay in pieces (looks like seaweed ...but freshwater?). and it sinks to the bottom when i rub it off after about 10 days. Comes off easily without a sponge.

turtlez: From your description it sounds like cyanobacteria. I used to have the same in an old tank of mine. This is not an "algae" persay, but it DOES coat things with a green slime. It is a pain as it needs "treatment" - or at the very least you need to do a series of good water changes and keep on top of it.

I'm not an expert on it but hopefully another member can help with advice for this.

Note: If the algae has a "hair-like" quality it is not cyano.