MidnightToker( • )( • ) wrote:If you have excessive algae and the tank doesn't receive sunlight you're nitrates or nitrites are too high. The only way to bring them down is to do larger and/or more frequent water changes. Also, adding algae removal chemicals is a bad idea so I wouldn't do that. They may solve the problem but they create others.
I don't add anything to my tank except a dechlorinator (Seachem Prime) in water change water that I let sit for a couple days for the chlorine to evaporate anyway. But the Prime which is superior and ironically cheaper than Tetra or Wardley has additional benefits. It neutralizes nitrates and nitrites for 24 hrs, so it's like your fish are swimming in 100% fresh water for a day. It neutralizes any present heavy metals like copper if u have copper pipes on your house, and instead of adding a fake, synthetic layer of protective slime coating on the fish like the other stuff does which makes the entire tank slimy, instead it promotes the growth of natural slime coating on the fish. I highly recommend it, you can find it on the rainforest site. You only use 1/10 of what the others call for so get a small bottle. A $4.50 100ml bottle treats 1000 gallons.
No direct sunlight, but very bright , adjustable LED set-up. Nitrites and nitrates are perfect. It's just algae from the break-in cycle.
It only takes a few minutes for a five gallon bucket of water with de-chlorinator to be safe for your tank. Have to be careful not to overuse most de-chlorinators. That will kill your fish. The one I use, API Stress Coat+, cannot, practically, be overused.
No other issues except the phosphate I found in our tap water.
