Growing java moss in a fry tank

[matti]

Had this issue in my old tank years back, now it's popped up again in my fry tank - anyone got a clue what's triggering it?

[coltin]

It sounds like you're dealing with a case of Blue green algae, also known as Cyanobacter bacteria. This stuff is basically a photosynthetic bacteria that thrives on nutrients, low oxygen levels, red light and slow water movement - pretty much the perfect storm for it to take hold.

To combat this, I'd recommend doing big daily water changes, trying to suck out as much of the algae and gunk as you can in the process. When doing these water changes, try to use aged water so you don't stress out the fry too much.

If you're feeding your baby fish dry food, see if you can cut back on the amount you're putting in the tank. Overfeeding can definitely contribute to the nutrient overload that this algae loves.

Lastly, if possible, try to increase the water movement in the tank. I know this can be tricky when you've got young fry swimming around, but it's worth a shot.

[matti]

It sounds like you're dealing with a case of Blue green algae, also known as Cyanobacter bacteria. This stuff is basically a photosynthetic bacteria that thrives on nutrients, low oxygen levels, red light and slow water movement - pretty much the perfect storm for it to take hold.

To combat this, I'd recommend doing big daily water changes, trying to suck out as much of the algae and gunk as you can in the process. When doing these water changes, try to use aged water so you don't stress out the fry too much.

If you're feeding your baby fish dry food, see if you can cut back on the amount you're putting in the tank. Overfeeding can definitely contribute to the nutrient overload that this algae loves.

Lastly, if possible, try to increase the water movement in the tank. I know this can be tricky when you've got young fry swimming around, but it's worth a shot.

Thanks for the response, really appreciate it. The causes you listed are pretty much all present in the tank, which doesn't surprise me. We've got a sponge filter going on, and I've been using an orange/white light in the evenings for a couple of hours before turning it off. The fry are about 2-3 months old now. To be honest, water changes haven't been as frequent as I'd like, work's been getting in the way lately.

[coltin]

Considering the fry's age, they should be able to handle large water changes now. It's probably a good time to look into other food options as well, like frozen mixes, brine shrimp, or even bloodworms.