Please help!
I`ll try and attach some pics later, but I`m getting frustrated with green algae that I have in my setup, it only seems most obvious on the sand substrate, I check my water parameters weekly, the ammonia and nitrite are 0ppm, I did alex`s little tip of checking the nitrate more acurately by diluting half bottled water with tank water, and that is showing as a orangey/red on the API test card which is around 40ppm,
I`m not happy with it at this level, I do a 35% water change evry monday, but have been doin a 20% change halfway thro the week, but the algae is still there. I try and suck it up when I syphon the gravel, but it doesnt suck up very easy, when I`ve done, it looks like its all gone, only a few hours later its back again, bloody stuff!
The fish are all behaving as they usually do, no problems there.
It just looks messy, and its doin my `ead in!!!

hello FF, have you got any direct sunlight on the tank? or it could be the length of time you have ya lights on

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WHO'S YA DADDY

The tank doesnt get direct sunlight, and my lights are on from 9am till 2pm and then again at 6pm-12, 11hrs total. I have a planted tank, would you suggest cutting back by an hour?

I found small pitbull plecs good to keep the algae away, also i only used my lights for an hour a day for viewing and feeding, this seemed to keep the algae out!.

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Dom

If you are really stumpted i suggest getting the pics you can and posting on either a specialist plant forum.

I say this becuase when you describe the algae to me in the past i can;t quite picture what you mean.

Not sure if we've covered this already, but what.........

- is the total wattage in the tank
- fertiliser routine

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