HELP!!! tank overrun by algae

[wasabi8888]

Hi all

My rescaped tank is about a month old.. the previous set up was algae free for the longest time...

Recently (a month back), i did a major rescape on my tank... i went away for a trip a week and a half back and when i came back the tank was filled with green algae and BGA (those green slimy algae that lies on top of the gravel).

Green algae on glass, BGA on rocks, gravel and moss.

I cleaned up the top layer of the gravel, scraped my glass. but still quite a big of algae. The top layer of my water is white in color. I do not think it's protein film as i know how protein film looks like. I have 2 German rams which is on my tank. It spawned and there were fries in my tank. "were" cos all eaten up by ram. I also did a 50% water change today.

Question

1. What caused all this algae outbreak? I suspected that it is overfeeding. cos my colleagues were feeding the fries with hikari first bite and liquid fry. That could have caused the top white film. Water was dirty and cos a major algae outbreak. Can anyone certify that?

2. Although I have cleaned up most of the stuff, algae still remains on rock, gravel, glass and plants. I intend to do a 3 day black out. Will that solve the problem at least?

3. I know alot of si fu out there will feel that I will need to solve the root of the prob... besides overfeeding, what could I have done?


Specs

Tank: 2 ft Juwel tank
CO2: 1.5 bps
PH: 6
KH: 3

Fauna: 2 german rams

Plants: background is simple vialis, occupying only the back row
Spiky moss in front...

Very simple tank layout as I want to try this layer versus the jungle i had earlier..

Sorry for the long post... Need help ASAP!!

[|squee|]

1. I'd suspect overfeeding too. Too much leftover food = ammonia. Ammonia not taken up fast enough = algae.

2. I'd do a big cleanup... the blackout will not be good for your plant mass (see below).

3. You've probably not included enough plant mass (subjective), not good enough CO2 circulation throughout the water.

Get fresh new plants in there while cleaning up as best as you can. Your filter probably needs a wash too from the sound of things.

[wasabi8888]

Hi all

I am surprised with the point 2.

Are you saying with low plant mass, the black out will not be effective or the blackout will be detrimental to the low plants that I have?

I agree with pt 3. which may be one of the prob. If that's the case, how do those people acheive the zen type of scape (clean look not much plants) without algae?

[|squee|]

The blackout is subjective to point of view, personally I don't like to do blackouts because in the first place if there is algae, it means my plants are not growing well. If I blackout, my plants will suffer even more although algae might be killed.

With low plant mass, the blackout might cause the plants to be able to recover less well. It's a feeling factor for me.

Those zen tanks usually have a fast growing plant like glosso. Besides, I believe it requires a lot of maintainance, just like zen gardens (raking of messed up gravel to form the patterns etc).

However your plant mass might be good enough, it's just the overfeeding that caused the algae bloom. Remind your colleagues not to feed them a week and a half without food will not kill your fishes.

[wasabi8888]

to be fair to them, it is because there were fries in there...

to make things tougher, i wanted to scrub the rocks this weekend.. but now i see ram eggs on one huge rock...

any ideas how to put the eggs somewhere, take out rock and scrub and still manage to do WC? dun think it's possible to scoop eggs rite?