Mini bow algae issues

[Littlebittyfish]

Anyone else have troubles with algae in the mini bow 2.5? It is not so much IN the tank...yet..Mostly the filter pad is bright green now...I try to rinse it off during water changes and it gets rid of most of it..however...by my mid-week water change it is green again! should I change the filter pad? I leave my lights on from 9am-6pm. Is this too long?
any suggestion on keeping the algae away would be helpful. I dont have green algae problems in anyof myother tanks at the moment...I do however have quite an issue with diatoms...theyre not too horrible to handle though...I clean it off decorations and the glass during water changes.

[JackisLost]

From what I understand, the filter is open top and really really close to the light. Is there a way you can put a piece of black platic to shade it?

[Johnificent]

omg! finally, someone that can relate to my filter XD yes, my filter cartridge always somehow manages to get algae X( so much that i had to throw away my filter cartridge (i know you have to change them every month), so i'm waiting for my parents to buy me a new cartridge XD

[Littlebittyfish]

Originally Posted by JackisLost

From what I understand, the filter is open top and really really close to the light. Is there a way you can put a piece of black platic to shade it?

Yes, it is open topped and is in the direct light. I may try to find some black plastic..that is a pretty good idea. I believe I have the piece that got cut out of my hood for the filter on my other tank..

Originally Posted by Johnificent

omg! finally, someone that can relate to my filter XD yes, my filter cartridge always somehow manages to get algae X( so much that i had to throw away my filter cartridge (i know you have to change them every month), so i'm waiting for my parents to buy me a new cartridge XD

Wouldn't changing cartridge monthly mess up any cycle you had established? I know I am going to have to buy a new cartidge for mine..it is just to nasty to keep using now..

[Canuck Fins]

Originally Posted by Littlebittyfish

Wouldn't changing cartridge monthly mess up any cycle you had established? I know I am going to have to buy a new cartidge for mine..it is just to nasty to keep using now..

This is right. In a cycled tank, you don't change the filter media because it's one of the places that is full of good bacteria for the tank. However, it's pretty hard to keep a steady cycle a 2.5G tank. Cycling really works better in 5G and bigger from what I have read.

Is your tank near a window and getting a lot of direct light? That will be a big factor in algae. I had diatoms, but they've really decreased as my tank got older.

[Littlebittyfish]

Originally Posted by Canuck Fins

This is right. In a cycled tank, you don't change the filter media because it's one of the places that is full of good bacteria for the tank. However, it's pretty hard to keep a steady cycle a 2.5G tank. Cycling really works better in 5G and bigger from what I have read.

Is your tank near a window and getting a lot of direct light? That will be a big factor in algae. I had diatoms, but they've really decreased as my tank got older.

Most of my tanks are fairly new setup..Which i believe maybe my diatom issue... Or the playsand I am using maybe causing it...I never had issues until I switched to that sand...I plan on switching my 5.5 gallon back to pool filter sand or gravel to see if it helps at all eventually...
The algae itself isn't actually in my 2.5 gallon minibow it is just in the filter and on my sponge baffle...which is making me think it is my lighting? The filter sits really close to the light and is an open top kind of filter.. I have an amazon sword plant and a few stems of anacharis in my minibow.