Continuous Green Algae

by Kathleen
(Caldwell, NJ, USA)

I have had my aquarium for about a year now (I originally wrote to you about the diatoms in my turtle tank, which have thankfully gone away!)and now I can't seem to get rid of all the algae. I scrape it off the sides of the aquarium all the time, but it just keeps coming back immediately after! And algae is constantly covering the gravel on the bottom and the filter pipe tubes (inside & outside).

Some background information that might be helpful:

Tank Setup
- 30 gallon, completely filled with water (with a "turtle topper" resting on the top)
- Used for one turtle - His shell is approximately 5-1/2" long, 4-1/2" wide, 3" high
- I use the "waterfall" tubing (with the spaced-out holes) for the water output. It is completely submerged in the water, so it doesn't make a water trickling sound.

Filter: Filstar XP2
Filter media:
- ceramic rings
- microfilter pad
- 2 20ppi foam pads
- 2 30ppi foam pads
- Bio-Chem Zorb pad

Lighting*:
- 1 basking lamp above "turtle topper"
- 1 clamp light shining into tank
*Because of the algae problem, I do not turn the lights on frequently. The tank is in a bright room, though, next to 2 windows that get a good amount of sun every day. Unfortunately, that is really the only spot where I can put the tank.

I also add Stress-Zyme and AlgaeFix, but these don't seem to help with the algae problem at all.

I wondered if I should add an air pump with a bubble disk or "airstone." I've never used these and aren't sure exactly how they work, but I'd be willing to try anything if it means that the tank is cleaner for longer!


Do you have any advice to help eliminate (or even just reduce) the amount of algae in the water? It is so disheartening to clean the tank & change the filter media, since the algae comes right back...

Thank you!

A: Turtles are dirty. No other way to say it. The only way to fix this situation is to get the eco-system back in balance. First, test the water. Find out if you have nitrates and/or phosphates. These pollutants, along with the light, feed the algae. Try and reduce the levels of these pollutants. First, do a 10-15% water change weekly. I recommend you vacuum the gravel at the same time so you accomplish two goals with one action. You can also use both NitraZorb and PhosZorb to help with the removal of these pollutants. And lastly, when you use an Algaecide, the algae will always come back if the other polluntants are present. Algae spores are in the air and will blow right into the tank and bloom again. Other things you can consider are reducing the amount of time and levels of your lighting and the amount of food you feed.