Snowman Posted March 19, 2005 Report Share Posted March 19, 2005 do SAE grow ? would they be a danger to GBA fry ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Any fish that can fit into another fish's mouth is generally known as food. The SAE would likely maul the GBN, especially in their "egg sac" phase until they were dead. I lost a whole lot of BN fry to baby guppies, who slowly picked at the BN until they died. My advice is don't mix the two, until at least when the GBN are free swimming. from memory the SAE grows to 4-5 inches, although more likely to be four. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Cheers Matt i'm getting GBA fry about every 2weeks, was looking at SAE to control BBA but looks like i'll be sticking with Flourish Excel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 If you're tank where you are breeding the GBN is only for that purose. Why change things? Put up with the beard algae and get more babies. You may upset the parents into not breeding. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 I've been getting fry for the last 6 mths and because the BBA is killing the several plants in there and the BGA enjoy sitting on the leaves also BBA is not the prettiest of things to have in a tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 with all the money you can make with the GBN, buy some new plants of the same ilk. Anyway, the GBN are prolly enjoying munching around the BBA. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Sorry for my lack of knowledege but what are GBA, BGA and GBN? Cheers, Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 I only make about $30 a fortnight from selling them which goes back into food and hopefully a heater and filter for the smal hospital tank i bought with the money from the last sale, i dont have any money to spend on them so selling them supports my hobby (hopefully LOL). Having to spend $40 a month on Flourish Excel for my 3 tanks doesn't help. Matt GBA (Golden Blackeyed Ancistrus) & GBN (Golden Bristle Nose) are the same thing BBA is Black Beard Algae a long haired algae that smothers everything, covers the plants so no photosynthesis happening meaning slowly dying plants, its starting to cover the substrate now as well, horrible stuff i hope you never find in your tank LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Gez! $40 a month, I would be looking at what was causing the algae instead of spending so much just treating the symtoms. If you have a good balance of light, CO2 and nutients plus all those algae eating fish there is no way you should have an algae problem. First thing I would do would be to reduce feeding and have a good think about your light. Do you have enough, are they the correct type, are the bulbs/tubes more than 12 months old? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 20, 2005 Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 Thanks Snowman for the info, I have BBA in my main tank have had for a good six months since I stopped Co2 injection. My two SAE jumped out of the tank a month ago (left the lid off for one day) and it has got really bad. I got sick of it last week and so went and bought some flourish excel and am currently trialling that, fingers crossed. I have patches of it on my substrate as well and it is completely covering a couple of pieces of driftwood, not an attractive sight . If you think BBA is bad, I have Blue-Green Algae aka Cynobacteria in 3 of my 4 tanks and that is a nightmare, completely covers the leaves and if some of your plants are touching the surface it will also start covering that. I have managed to control it but not get rid of it, I am currently trying to source some Erythromycin to kill it once and for all :evil: . Cheers, Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2005 The GBA wont eat BLack Beard Algae, i cant reduce feeding as there are to many fry in there ranging from still got eggs sacks up to 60mm long with a new generation about every 2 weeks, the lights are 6 mths old and only get used every second day as they get a lot of natural light, i have a towel draped half over the top and back to reduce the light, as for the correct type they are twin u-tube 7100k 48w. They were recommended by Kim at Pupuke, i know what kelvins are but dont know which is better suited to fish, plants, algae, if you could shed some light (pardon the pun) on that subject would be much appreciated. I have reduced feeding on my other 2 tanks & feed 6 days a week now but hasn't made a lot of difference, its by far worst in the GBA breeding tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Quote from a search on the internet. http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_algae.htm "Red algae: Also called Black Beard Algae (bba), or Black Brush Algae. Short hairs (1/4" long), closely packed together. Appears dark green, black, or dark red. Grows on plant leaves, and sometimes on decorations/substrate. Often grows all around the edges of plant leaves. BBA thrives in situations of high phosphates. Phosphates come from fish waste, excess food, and occasionally will be present in the water supply. The best way to eliminate BBA is to let the plants out-compete the algae for the nutrients. In heavily planted tanks, BBA will often show up when the plants have used up all the nitrates. This causes plant growth to slow or stop, which leaves the excess phosphates available to the algae. By supplying extra Nitrate to a planted tank, we allow plant growth to continue until all phosphate is consumed. Then plant AND algae growth will slow/stop. As long as a usable (5-10ppm) level of Nitrate is maintained, the the plants will continue to use up the available phosphate, effectively controls BBA and other phosphorus-dependant algaes. See the article "Adding Nitrate to a Planted Tank" for detailed instructions on how to increase your Nitrate levels. Very few fish will eat BBA. The most famous one is the SAE (Siamese Algae Eater). I've got 5 of them in my 75g. I added several BBA infested stems of Bacopa to the tank recently, and overnight, the SAEs had completely cleaned it. But even these amazing fish won't be able to control it you don't have the phosphate level under control. Another fish rumored to eat BBA is the American Flag Fish. In tanks with very large amounts of BBA, the BBA covered leaves should be removed once the phosphate level is controlled." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 I'll have to get a phosphate test kit, i've been trying to put more plants in my community tank but my 7" loach seems to love digging them up and my GBA tank i've planted more but the BBA gets them and stops them from growing. I've lost a few plants in there, if i can get the BBA down long enough for some plants to take i'm hoping things should settle down, been using Flourish Excel for 2 weeks and its slowly working, i try planting trimmings that are BBA free twice a week but no joy yet. I was tempted to use more lights to try to promote plant growth but dont know whether it would have the same effect on the BBA. I cant use SAE with the GBA as they would eat the GBA fry, another tank has a red tailed shark & from what i've read on the net they aren't compatible. Anyone want to swap a large red tailed shark for some SAE ? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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