So I have had a recent outbreak of a brown algae. After inspecting my DIY CO2 I realized I had an air leak so I fixed that. I also lowered the light time from 13 hours to closer to 10. My readings are stable at 0,0,15 ppm. What should I do?
Algae Bloom, Suggestions?
- Thread starter SWerner13
- Start date
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What kind lighting are you using (watts/k rating/t5 or cf? Etc). Also, what level is your co2 at? Are we talking about algae on plants or glass, or what? A pic might help as well. Keep in mind that some algae is normal and healthy. Are you measuring or dosing n, p, or k?
40 watts. I believe I am using cf but I'm not sure. I have this light. Current USA Satellite 20" 40 Watt Power Compact Fixture-Single Strip W/Lunar Light at Big Al's Online
I have no idea what my CO2 is at. It is a DIY out of a 2 liter bottle. It goes into the intake of my filter and lets out about 60 bubbles per minute. I haven't dosed anything (I am new to planted aquariums) Although my substrate is eco complete. The algae is on some of the plants and substrate as well as begging to form spots on the glass. What should I buy to measure n, p, or k? I mean is there an all included kit like the freshwater master test kit? Thanks for your help.
I have no idea what my CO2 is at. It is a DIY out of a 2 liter bottle. It goes into the intake of my filter and lets out about 60 bubbles per minute. I haven't dosed anything (I am new to planted aquariums) Although my substrate is eco complete. The algae is on some of the plants and substrate as well as begging to form spots on the glass. What should I buy to measure n, p, or k? I mean is there an all included kit like the freshwater master test kit? Thanks for your help.
well, you can buy kits at most lfs to measure P. Your master kit measures N. No need to measure K as it is generally difficult to over dose. It sounds like your N is not bottoming out. I would wonder with 40W over a 10G tank if your P may be bottoming out. Do your plants look healthy aside from the algae? I find the best way for me to keep algae to a minimum is to make sure none of my nutrients bottom out. Also, keeping CO2 levels up seems to help. You can figure out your Co2 level approximately by measuring KH and pH, and extrapolating on this chart:
I think reducing your lighting is going to help significantly. 10hrs a day should be plenty.
I think reducing your lighting is going to help significantly. 10hrs a day should be plenty.
First of all just so we are clear. You are talking about phosphates, nitrates, and potassium? Or am I off? (Sorry like I said new to planted aquariums) Second my Test kit measures Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, High and Low range PH. It doesn't measure KH. Should I pick up a liquid supplement, like I have heard flourish complete is good, to account for missing nutrients? Over all they seem to be fairly healthy but I haven't seen much growth lately either and I would think I would with almost High light and CO2??? So I'm not to sure whats going on.
Yes, N=nitrogen (we measure nitrates), P=phosphorus (we measure phosphate), and K=potassium.
I am not sure 4WPG over a 10G tank would be consider high light. It is all
subjective though - either way it is close. I would pick up a kH test kit so you can try to gauge how much CO2 you are getting in your water column.
With medium high or high light, and CO2, it may be necessary to dose more than just flourish comprehensive. That will provide your trace elements, but I would still be curious as to what your P is at. You should see some healthy growth in your plants if everything was balanced. FWIW, my tank was P limited... when I started dosing it to get to around 1ppm consistently, my plants took off. I also dose K and N, and a trace mix. It sounds like your N levels are ok. I can tell you that if you balance it out, your plants will out- compete algae for nutrients, which is a good thing.
Everything else being equal, I would bet your are on the verge of being K or P limited with your setup...although I must admit, you don't have any plants on your list that would be really fast growers to soak up nutrients.
How is your hairgrass growing?
I am not sure 4WPG over a 10G tank would be consider high light. It is all
subjective though - either way it is close. I would pick up a kH test kit so you can try to gauge how much CO2 you are getting in your water column.
With medium high or high light, and CO2, it may be necessary to dose more than just flourish comprehensive. That will provide your trace elements, but I would still be curious as to what your P is at. You should see some healthy growth in your plants if everything was balanced. FWIW, my tank was P limited... when I started dosing it to get to around 1ppm consistently, my plants took off. I also dose K and N, and a trace mix. It sounds like your N levels are ok. I can tell you that if you balance it out, your plants will out- compete algae for nutrients, which is a good thing.
Everything else being equal, I would bet your are on the verge of being K or P limited with your setup...although I must admit, you don't have any plants on your list that would be really fast growers to soak up nutrients.
How is your hairgrass growing?
I just got it last week it hasn't put out any runners at all yet. I can't remember what kind it is, the LFS guy told me it takes a while to take and set out runners. But a user on here is sending me a bunch of Dwarf hairgrass (elocharus something or other) this week and I will see how that does. So just to clarify what I should do. I'm going to pick up a test kit for KH, K, P, and pick up something that will help does those nutrients if neccessary? I'm going to the LFS on friday to interview for a job so i'll pick the stuff up then.
Don't worry about a K test kit. There is not an accurate COTS reasonably priced K kit. It is difficult to overdose potassium anyway, so no need to test. I would just consider dosing enough to get you around 10-20 ppm or so and see how the plants respond. Flourish makes a K liquid, or petsmart carries LEAFZONE which is a K/Fe mix.
I would pick up a P test kit... test to see what level you are at. It may not be necessary to dose it if your fish/fishfood are providing enough already to keep you around 1ppm P. FYI, petco/petsmart don't carry a P test kit, but most LFS stores will.
The KH test will help you estimate your co2 levels, so that could be handy. If you are under 20-30 ppm CO2, bumping that up could help control some algae.
Of course, some will tell you you do not need to test for N or P... experience will tell you when your plants are N, P, or K limited, or trace limited. But, as someone who is pretty new to the hobby myself, I like the security of testing once a week or so just to make sure I am hitting my target levels. When you start crossing the medium-high light threshold and start adding CO2, I think it becomes vitally important to your plants' health to keep anything from bottoming out.
I would pick up a P test kit... test to see what level you are at. It may not be necessary to dose it if your fish/fishfood are providing enough already to keep you around 1ppm P. FYI, petco/petsmart don't carry a P test kit, but most LFS stores will.
The KH test will help you estimate your co2 levels, so that could be handy. If you are under 20-30 ppm CO2, bumping that up could help control some algae.
Of course, some will tell you you do not need to test for N or P... experience will tell you when your plants are N, P, or K limited, or trace limited. But, as someone who is pretty new to the hobby myself, I like the security of testing once a week or so just to make sure I am hitting my target levels. When you start crossing the medium-high light threshold and start adding CO2, I think it becomes vitally important to your plants' health to keep anything from bottoming out.
Another thought. What will happen to the algae already in the tank? Will it go away? Haha, I'm hoping once I stop its growth the 2 otos will take care of it? I need to give them a pep talk though or something these guys need to huddle up and step it into gear!
Well, K would be tough to overdose. N would be tough to overdose long enough to effect your fish, although it would be possible I suppose. P, possibly a little easier to get to lethal levels.
The big thing though, is just like bottoming out, if you have TOO much of 1 of them, it can encourage algae growth.
Once you balance it out, the algae will slow down, you won't have to clean it off nearly as often.
I picked up leaf zone and put in that, any idea as to how often I should dose? Even just after shortening the light time and fixing the co2 the algae growth seems to have slowed significantly. I wasn't able to find a KH test today. They retard didn't even know what I was talking about. Anyway I think I can get a test kit for it tomorrow. I'll check co2 then.
There are directions on the bottle, just follow that, see if you notice a change. The lighting period sounds like that is going to help get the algae under control. If the K doesn't get the plants growing some more, then I would look at P. Keep in mind, if the plants are K limited now, and you add K, they may start sucking up the N, and you might become N limited, etc. It is a balancing act. But, test the N in a few days again and see if it has dropped. I would bet it will drop some, just a question of whether or not it will bottom out.
Well the good news about N is that my water has a baseline of 10ppm so I can always do water changes to suppliment that. And I suppose I will be working on this new balancing act I have gotten myself into. Thanks for the help.
