Algae problem advise

[FunnyBaby]

I have a 4ft tank place at balcony with morning direct sun from 7am-12pm. Set it up for a week and the overhead filter and media all full of algae. water is turning clean as well.

Will the media gets clog or is ok with so algae covering it? What can i do to stop or reduce it? i don't have any other places to place the tank.

[LauLanChu]

The algae on the filter media becomes an unintended algae scrubber, that is why your water become clear and clean. Yes it will cause clogging as times go and I am not sure it will compete with the good bacteria. For ways to reduce I can only think of either reducing light source with shade, or use black filter box or cover it with opaque material on all sides.

[scooter]

You can change to canister filter which will also help to dissolve the co2 better than overhead filter.

have some Plants to reduce nutrients in the water to prevent algae bloom? If not you can only shift the tank away.

[Royston]

If you suddenly get rid of all the algue(in your overhead filter) at once your water perimeter will get unstable unless you want to reset your tank.

Any tank place in direct sunlight will get algue no matter how well you maintain the perimeters due to the "over dose" of light (indirect sunlight after 1200hrs I believe is also going into your tank).

My suggestion is either u do something to cover up the windows or the parts of the filter being exposed to the sunlight and make use of the overhead filter turn "algue scrubber".

If algue scrubber is the way to go let them continue to grow & remove them only when the smell is unbearable or when the algue choke up your filter but do not wash them "sparkling clean" only do that for the inlet/outlet part.

You can get rid of the algue choked inlet/outlet with "dilute bleach solution" and the parts will be good as new in afew minutes but remember soak the parts in anti-chlorine thereafter.

[Yujieyeo]

Hi, just to share I have a planted at my balcony as well and is getting direct sunlight during the daytime so far haven encounter green water. I only have 4 rams, 4 cory and a pleco with some pandan plants and a diy air lift filter and so i believe if bioload is low you're able to prevent it.