About Rachel Expertise I can answer question about basic freshwater care, set-up, and diseases. I do not know anything about Cichlids, so please no questions about them. I know alot about fish compatibility, and basic conditions most freshwater fish need to be in to be healthy. I also know about the basic freshwater fish diseases. Also, I know what normal habits are for most fish, but not all. I will either answer the question based on my own experience or I will find out what the answer is. I have kept several types of fish including: angelfish, platys, cory catfish, silver dollars, bala sharks, bosemani and australia rainbows, and bumble bee gobys, just to name a few. I look forward to helping you keep happy and healthy fish.
Experience I have had freshwater fish for over 10 years, and have read hundreds of books over the years.
Question I have a 36 gallon tank, for some reason it seems to be taken over by some sort of algea or rust all over the bottom of the tank. What can i do to have the tank clean again.
Answer You are right, this is algae. You need to completely clean the tank. You can try to get a hold of it by doing some syphoning and do a partial water change and than adding an algae gone treament but that may not work. I suggest trying to syphon, do a water change, and add some algae gone treatment first. Then if it does not seem to be going away within 3-4 days you will have to completely clean the tank. Also, be sure the gravel has been completely been cleaned as this can sometimes be the problem with algae. If the brief cleaning does not work, you should empty the entire tank and re-clean the gravel and once the tank is set up again, add some algae gone treatment to be sure to kill everything. Sadly, red alage is amoung the most difficult to remove but with time it can be done. I hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.
