Algae issue!

[travisallen2007]

I have a heavily planted tank with inverts. I have been having a major issue with some very stubborn algae. I am not able to get it off unless I scrub very hard and long. I have 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates and no amonia. My filter is great (a Sunsun canister rated over my tank size 25gal). I am looking for a way to get rid of it and nothe hurt it's inhabitants.


Thanks!

 

[Caliban07]

How long have the plants been planted? Do you use fertilisers or additional co2?

Do you know the rough intensity of your lighting fixture measured as PAR?

The first picture is green spot or green dust algae. Most of us have that stuff. Decent co2, water flow and phosphate levels can help keep this away. The second picture...I never really know what that is although I have in inside my spray bar. I think it's just general bio gunk.

I used to get lots of this when I had my firemouth cichlid tank. There was minimal plants, strong lighting and a high bioload. It just peels off like a crust.

How often do you change the water/clean the sun sun?


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[travisallen2007]

This tank is roughly a year old and the issue has persisted for about 6 month. I have fluorite soil and have not really added anything to it. I had a co2 system however with inverts It was killing them so I no longer have it installed.

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[travisallen2007]

I have this light Finnex Planted+ 24/7 Fully Automated Aquarium LED, Controller, 48 Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U0HMX1C/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_4Zi0xbH7GZ008

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[travisallen2007]

And I clean it really good about monthly as it does well with being very self sufficient. The fish are doing awesome and have great colors as well as growing in size.

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[Caliban07]

That's good. How do the plants look? If the are healthy looking and you don't have to use co2 then you could call that a success. Just scrub the green spot algae off the glass every once in a while and clean the other stuff off the spray bar as and when you do filter maintenance.

If the plants are struggling then you should consider hooking up the co2 system again but set the co2 rate lower so you do not asphyxiate your inhabitants.


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[travisallen2007]

The plants are blowing up, I am constantly having to trim them back!

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[travisallen2007]

Aquarium

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[Caliban07]

Then you have managed to find the perfect balance and should be proud of your tank. Many of us simply cannot grow plants with out need to add additional carbon supplements and almost all of us have some algae.

There are far worse algae's I can think of than a bit of Green spot on the glass.

Nice tank by the way.


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[travisallen2007]

Thanks, it's a labor of love. I enjoyed putting it together.

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[HookedOnFishh]

Same thing with me I had terrible algae when I used root tabs and ferts once I stopped the algae settled back and everything bloomed!!


"Been a fish owner since I was born."

 

[plantnoob]

How long have the plants been planted? Do you use fertilisers or additional co2?

Do you know the rough intensity of your lighting fixture measured as PAR?

The first picture is green spot or green dust algae. Most of us have that stuff. Decent co2, water flow and phosphate levels can help keep this away. The second picture...I never really know what that is although I have in inside my spray bar. I think it's just general bio gunk.

I used to get lots of this when I had my firemouth cichlid tank. There was minimal plants, strong lighting and a high bioload. It just peels off like a crust.

How often do you change the water/clean the sun sun?


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Had the same green spot algae issue. Pretty consistently came back week on week. I cut back the light intensity to 50% and doubled my phosphate. I have now been Green Spot algae free for 3 weeks.


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[travisallen2007]

Do you use a bottle phosphate or how does that work?

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[Caliban07]

Do you use a bottle phosphate or how does that work?

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Normally it's in dry salt form. And comes as potassium phosphate.

http://greenleafaquariums.com/aquarium-fertilizers-supplements/mono-potassium-phosphate.html


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[Fresh2o]

Seachem has a bottled product called Flourish Phosphorus. I prefer the dry salts.
The plants in your tank look like heavy root feeders.


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[plantnoob]

Do you use a bottle phosphate or how does that work?

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I use dry ferts - monopotassium phosphate.


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[Scottishscales]

For the green spot algae you could also add a smaller pleco like a bristlenose. Mine eats that stuff up like it's candy

 

[travisallen2007]

I have to check into the bristlenose.

So I tested my pohsphate levels and they are at 0. The bottle says that high phosphates cause Algae blooms?

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[Caliban07]

I have to check into the bristlenose.

So I tested my pohsphate levels and they are at 0. The bottle says that high phosphates cause Algae blooms?

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The bottle lies because they want you to buy I kit that is incapable of reading phosphates accurately.

The dry salts are better. The bottle is just dry salts mixed with water so you have to dose more to achieve the same result at a marked up price.


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[plantnoob]

I thought this was an interesting discussion on phosphate and algae.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/2...ause-algae-grow.html#/topics/108467?_k=qjgisg




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