encouraging algae growth

[mattlait]

I know its a weird one usually !! but does anyone have any ideas on how i can encourage algae growth?

The tank sits in the front room on a easterly wall aprox 2 ft from a southerly facing window but with my community tank in the window its self (i blocked half the window off with plywood to stop algae becoming a problem in that tank)


General tank info

Cold water tank (20-22 degrees ) aprox 150 ltr (4ftx1ftx15in)
three sides covered with super dark black car window tinting film.
Running internal bio filter, sponge filter and airstone (24/7) , and aquaclear powerhead with prefilter and venturi open 24/7.(i will be changing the powerhead to a unidrectional filter when i get my new tank in.( a 6x2x2ft!))
Planted with anubis, crypts and a few weeds.
Silica sand and round beach stones sat infront of dried ivy.
I have 1 @ 38watt arcida t8 ( but no where else i could put another lighting fitting)


i know i could put a few rocks in a tank outside to encourage algae but what about the nasties that could be in the outside tank..... larve of some sort?


any ideas????


matt

[chefkeith]

Try adding some nutrients to the water like an aquatic plant fertilizer such as Seachem Flourish, Tropica Mastergrow, or Kent Freshwater Plant. If that doesn't work good enough, then add more light.

[raedeon]

I have some driftwood floating at the top of one of my tanks. Sometimes water from the filter runs over it, and it rotates every now and then. It gets covered in algae in about 2 weeks or so. My GAE from another tank then gets to eat it all off one day and its back in the tank for more algae collection.

[splendid100]

I would not fiddle with your tank settings but leave your tank set up to optimise fish health and focus on growing supplementary algae elsewhere. Buy a transparent 2-gallon plastic bucket from a cheap retailer for £1.99. Fill with tap water plus a squirt of liquid fertilizer (or just use the waste water when you clean out your tanks) then add safe wood, safe rocks, ceramic 'caves' etc. Cover with clingfilm to keep out insects. Pierce the clingfilm with a pin to make air holes. Put in a sunny spot indoors/outdoors (indoors with additional artificial light in winter) and leave to brew. Turn bucket regularly to get 360-degree algae growth. Place algae covered items in tank to feed fish. Have enough buckets brewing to have a regular supply of algae.

When I used to keep algae-eating fish, I used to get complaints about the buckets of algae. I have to admit they look unsightly. But it was the only way to feed fish that refused any other food. Now I have returned to fish-keeping, I would be delighted if I could set up a community of Gastromyzon sp. as I admire these fascinating little fish but I don't see how I could maintain them long-term given their feeding needs. Algae-eating fish can be very difficult to care for long-term and I think they should be left in the wild as they are not suitable as aquarium fish. Obviously, that advice applies to people like me who are thinking of acquiring algae-eaters -- my advice to myself is leave them in the dealer's tank and don't support this trade. But for people who have already got algae-eaters at home, then it is too late to back out, once they are your fish you have to do your best for them. Which is what you are trying to do and I applaud you for it. I hope you find a solution which works for you and if you do, please let us know!