mark1078 Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi Everyone, I discussed yesterday with the man from the pet store my algae problem, we did check our water and the ph level was fine and no ammonia.... Anyway, he said to buy a heater for my little Aqua 320 tank (38 litres) and an algae eater. The algae eater eats all of the algae but does not eat it of my silk plants! And that is my question, do they eat it of my silk plants? If not.. How to clean them?? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hmmm good question which I would like to know the answer to as well! I had a little bristlenose in the tank which was doing a good job at keeping the surfaces clean but since i moved him to a different tank I've noticed brown algae starting to appear. Apparently brown algae is common in newish tanks (which mine is) and sometimes goes away by itself. But I've been doing extra water changes and using a toothbrush to clean the ornaments. Hopefully it will resolve itself as the tank matures. But for your tank, some more info will help the experts .. what colour algae and how old is the tank setup. And I'll keep a watchful eye on the replies. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrenB Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 mine eats the algae off my live plants so I don't see why not, I think it will find and eat the algae on the plants when it runs out of food else where. also you will in the future need to feed it some sort of bottom feeder food as the algae will soon be gone as they eat it very fast and its only a small tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1078 Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 I know! It is SO fast by cleaning the main ornament in the tank (which is an old car), the tank setup is about 3 months now, I have been in close contact with the pet store, they have helped me SO much, but I forgot to ask him about the plants! The algae is brown on the plants... its not a very nice picture at the moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 ok. so first thing - what sort of algae is it? a pic would help too with silk plants - you can always remove them and clean them in hot / warm water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrenB Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 brown algae is a real pest if the algae eater does not find and eat the algae, clean the plants in water using your hands or a small brush. RE a heater, don't buy the cheap ones I did and I spend a good hour a day trying to get them to stay at one temp. because if you turn the dial to 25'c it heats the tank to 28'c. Aquaone & Jebo make good ones but be ready to pay $30+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrenB Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 what other fish do you have in the tank? :-? and why do you only need a heater now? after 3 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1078 Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Uhmm.. the guy said at the store that the heater would help the algae eater, it is set on 20 degrees, he set it for me, in regards to the fish, there not goldfish..(at least don't think so) could they be called something lion.. they costed $12.50 each.. they look bigger then goldfish, one is orange and the other one grey but has gold spots, sorry am a real amateur! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 do you have a pic? it wasn't a lionhead by any chance was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrenB Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 there are many types of "Goldfish" fantails etc. are they lionheads as phoenix44 said because these are a coldwater fish and part of the goldfish family if there water temp. goes above 22'c they will become ill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrenB Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 a photo of a lionhead fish off the net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1078 Posted June 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi Again, it is definitely a fantail!! I just googled it! I can not post a picture at the moment but can do this in the morning.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 Wouldn't an AR380 be a bit small for goldfish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JazzyJeff Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I agree - 38l won't be big enuf for a Lionhead ... but if there has been no heater, what sort of algae eater do you have? I thought that aside from the hillstream, loach they were a tropical fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron11 Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 do gold fish need a heater? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 do gold fish need a heater? no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrenB Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 goldfish are coldwater and get sick and can die at tempatures over 22'c. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 goldfish are coldwater and get sick and can die at tempatures over 22'c. not necessarily, during summer my tanks got over that temperature on a regular basis. the problem is that their life span is shortend at higher temperatures. otherwise it is ok. they seem more active too, provided there is a lot of water movement in the tank. thats my opionion any way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deno Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 not necessarily, during summer my tanks got over that temperature on a regular basis. the problem is that their life span is shortend at higher temperatures. So they get sick and die slowly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrenB Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 you got it, my tanks also get hot in summer but this is why I float ice in them. we are getting a bit off topic here, mark1978 hows it all going have you worked out what type of fish it is?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 It seems to me that the pet shop person has set the heater at a temperature that will not harm the goldfish (20 degrees is just a warm room temperature - in a lot of places in the world they keep their houses warm all year round, believe it or not!) And with a steady temp of 20 degrees that will also allow an algae eater to be kept in the tank - one that has a tolerance for the lower temperature ranges rather than some of the really warm tropical temperatures. So, to me, it sounds like good advice from the pet store so far. As for the original algae problem, there are still some questions we need to know before we can help answer the question: 1) What kind of algae is it? 2) What kind of algae-eater is it? 3) Has the algae-eater already cleaned the algae off the rest of the tank & ornaments... but there is still algae on the silk plants? If it's only the plants that aren't being cleaned, I would suggest that either the surface of the leaves is rough, so the fish can't get at the algae, or that it's a different type of algae that the fish might not like, or that the algae has been established for a long time and has become too hard for the fish to scrape off. I would suggest removing the plants, scrubbing them thoroughly (Just use a toothbrush - definitely no soap or other cleaning products!) then put them back in and see if the algae re-grows. The fish might be able to handle soft, new growth better than it can deal with harder old growth. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 12, 2009 Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 When I had ottos in with my goldfish I had a heater. Now, there is just the 2 goldfish and I didn't replace the heater when it broke. We are just out of winter here and my goldfish tank pretty much maintained a temp of 70 F, maybe a tad above depending on how high I had to turn on my heat. Now with summer coming (supposedly, having lousy weather :evil: ) the temp in the tank will go up. All I have ever done is add ice packs and fans when the temp rose, not much else I could do. So since you have goldfish I'd say you're in the same situation so to speak as I am, depends on the temp in the tank in correspondence with the season. It makes me said to think that I'm decreasing the life of my goldfish so much so that if anything should happen and I loose both I wouldn't replace them Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1078 Posted June 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2009 Hi Everyone! Thanks all for your replies! The algae eater has removed most of the algae that were on the glass and ornaments. Now a new problem is ac curing, the gravel (little stones) are beginning to turn brown... No, the tank is not in direct sunlight, yes.. it is on a timer... and the algae eater does not seem to take it of the gravel... Any advise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Did they clean the stones??? Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 The brown/ginger algae is common in newly set up tanks, it goes away by itself over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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