Algae?

[dvorak]

we've been getting some growth on the front glass of our tank and i believe it's algae. I've been cleaning it off with an algae magnet and it grows back but not too quickly. Today I've noticed behind our thermometer there is a ton of growth, probably since i never clean there. Just wanted to check that this stuff is just algae and just needs to be scrubbed off every now and then.

[TheOldSalt]

Looks like it to me.

[ilovemyplaties]

Yeah it looks like algae. If your tank gets sunlight from a near by window, that could be a problem for the algea growth. My thermometer gets a lot of algae too because it gets the sunlight. Also maybe if you have a plant light, maybe dont keep it on as long so you dont grow too much algae. You could also get an Otocinclus. Just one though. Theyre the best algae eaters.

[dvorak]

Yea i saw Ottos at our fish store the other day, though i was wary of getting one. I read that they exclusively eat algae and i don't know if our tank has enough, or will grow enough, to keep them satisfied. Also read to never add them to a tank younger than 6 months, which ours is.

[ilovemyplaties]

oh, thats too bad. maybe get some ghost shrimp? when i had them they ate a lot of my algae, but when they died i had to get an otto.