Algae Overrun Help!

[sleepylof]

Hello,

I am a new member to this forum. I have this major problem with algae in my newly set up tank. The algae problem started when I moved my plants from an established 10-gallon tank to a new 26-gallon tank. Although I only cycled the new tank with goldfish for 3 weeks, I believed it was "established" enough as nitrate, phosphorus, and ammonia readings were low. When I placed my Amazon Sword, Crypts, and Elodea in the new tank, immediately black brush algae began to grow on the leaves of the plants. The new tank is lit by a 96W, 6700K compact fluorsecent light for 6/hrs a day. Ammonia levels are 0ppm, nitrate very low. I perform weekly water changes of 20% and fertilize weekly with Kent Freshwater Plant (followed dosage).

I find myself weekly having to physically scrub off the algae from the underside/surface of the leaves with a toothbrush... and I'm currently using AlgaeFix (reluctantly) to keep the algae in check. This is very frustrating because I can't seem to find the cause of this algae growth. Bascially, I've followed weekly water changes, using algacide (following dosage), scrapping algae off daily, and reduced the lighting to 6 hours/day. This is my first time transferring between aquariums, and I am at a total loss of how to control this algae and have almost given up.

Does anyone have any suggestions of how I should handle this algae problem? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[SnyperP]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think you're missing a few elements in your new tank. From what you've posted, it sounds like you aren't running an sort of CO2 and dosing at a very small amount. BBA is generally linked with a low presence of CO2 in higher light tanks. 96w of PC lighting (and i'm assuming a reflector of some sort) will easily classify your tank as 'high light'. The lighting on can easily be analogized as the throttle of an engine. It controls everything else that follows. Ferts can be seen as the 'gasoline' and CO2 the oxygen that burns gasoline. If everything is in proper order your engine, or in your case, the plant will grow and algae will be suppressed. If you're missing ferts, or lack CO2 plant growth will be poor and algae will run rampant through your tank.

Although, some people will not agree with me here, but I do believe algaecides help to remove the unpleasant look of algae quickly. But if you do not find the source of the algae problem, it will just return.

 

[sleepylof]

Hi Snyper,

Thank you for replying to my post. I've never considered CO2 as part of my fertilizer regimen, but I'm looking into how it could possibly cause the algae problem in my new tank. I have a pH of 7.6 and a KH of 7 degrees @ 125ppm and calculated the CO2 content to be 5.275ppm at night. Do you think a CO2 level at 5.275ppm would cause BBA problems? If so, how much CO2 should be in my 26-gallon tank and should I continue lighting for 6 hrs/day?

Thanks so much for your advice.

-Erik

 

[greenmaji]

you could dose some Floush Excel untill you can get CO2 injection of some kind.. your tank isnt so big that it will put you in the poor house quickly..
what are your perams.?
NH3, PO4??

 

[malkore]

You'll want CO2 levels of at least 25ppm, up to 35ppm. Once you have that, bump the lighting up to 10-12 hours a day.

You say nitrate is very low...that's likely why you have the BBA. I find BBA shows up when phosphates get a little high and CO2 is lacking.

With that amount of light, you'll need a phosphate test kit. I recommend the one made by SeaChem.

 

[sleepylof]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far! I will definitely buy a phosphate kit and increase the level of CO2 in my tank. Usually, though wouldn't reducing the light and increasing water changes keep the BBA in check? (I'm just asking because this hasn't worked for me even with the addition of algacide). I've looked on the internet about BBA and haven't found information linking low CO2 levels and high phosphate levels to BBA. Does anyone know why they are linked? I'm very curious about it. Well, again thanks for all the advice and I will keep you posted on what happens!

 

[malkore]

higher CO2 levels aren't natural in nature. algae is a very simple life form, and can't adapt to higher CO2 levels...thus increasing CO2 almost always decreases algae.
since algae cannot cope with reduced lighting duration, that also stunts it.

water changes lower the phosphates and nitrates, and since it seems to be easier to build up excess phosphates than nitrates, water changes often alleviate BBA blooms.

That's really basic, non-scientific info, but hopefully sheds some light on the situation.

 

[SnyperP]

It's a very common idea to check your CO2 levels when BBA is present in the tank. It is documented very well on some other aquatic plant forums. I'm not sure if direct linking is allowed, so I will not post it here directly. Anyways, you should really take a look at some articles geared towards beginning plant keepers. This will help answer ALOT of the questions you'll be seeing in the first few weeks.

But back to your lighting for one moment. Once you reach 2 WPG (watts per gallon), generally Co2 is recommended, but not required. Passing 2WPG CO2 (either from pressurized units, yeast reactors, or even Flourish Excel) is definitely required. From your original post, you have 3.6wpg. I honestly believe that your biggest problem right now is CO2. Pressurized units are expensive. You may look into some dyi methods. Excel works as well, but most people notice that growth is much much slower than actual CO2. After you address CO2, you must look at fertilizing. I have no experience with Kent ferts, but it is most likely a micronutrient. You're going to need some sources of macronutrients (NPK). It really depends on the biomass of your plants.

Another option would be to lower the amount of lighting you have in your tank. Reducing the photoperiod isn't the same as reducing the amount of light produced. You have alot of options out there to you. Just think it though and you'll be fine =D I hope i helped.

 

[sleepylof]

Phosphate reading is very slightly over 1.0 ppm. Nitrite levels are below 1.0 ppm. Ammonia- undetectable (or very very low).

I just purchased a DIY CO2 system (NOT pressurized) for my aquarium, hopefully, as your advice suggests, this will start causing the algae to die down. I've also cut my Compact Fluorscent lighting down to about 7 hours a day.

-Should I aim for CO2 levels of 20-30ppm?
-Does anyone reccomend me discontinuing the use of the Algae-Fix (algacide)?
Do you think Siamese Algae Eaters (true ones, not Flying Foxes) are useful to keep algae in check?

Thanks again for all your useful suggestions... I'll let you know how this turns out. (I'm crossing my fingers too).

-Erik

 

[Hoovercat]

You should aim for 20-30ppm CO2. With DIY it's not easy to maintain this level though. Flourish Excel at regular dose may be necessary to cause the BBA to die off. I would suggest this approach and stop the algaecide. SAE's are useful for algae control as are Molly's, Rosy Barbs, and Otto cats all of which are easier to find than true SAE's. Until you get your nutrients in check NO FISH will control algae problems.

 

[malkore]

SAE's will get much too large and too active swimmers for a 26 gallon.

Stop the alga-cide.
get your nitrates up to 10-15ppm. you want at least a 10:1 ratio of nitrates to phosphates...and you have a 1:1 ratio.
Flourish nitrogen for now..but you might wanna invest in some KNO3 from gregwatson.com
a .5 lb should last you a while.

 

[sleepylof]

Thanks for all the replies! I have purchased the Flourish Excel, hopefully this will reduce the BBA algae on the plant leaves. After much seacrhing, my LFS had the true SAEs too.
Does anyone have experience with using Fluorish Excel? May I use Flourish Excel along with Flourish (the fertilizer, which is labeled "comprehensive supplement for the planted aquarium"). And what's the safest dosage of Flourish excel I should use in order to kill the BBA (I've read other posts... just there are many estimates)?. I'm asking because I do NOT want to OD the tank with either one and kill the fish. I'll keep you all posted.

-Erik

 

[sleepylof]

Thanks to all for their advice, thus far after using Fluorish Excel the BBA has significantly declined. Will keep posted.

 

[sleepylof]

Just wanted everyone to know that the plants are growing back slowly. I've even seen some promising leaves appear. Hopefully all goes well. Will keep you updated. Best of all the BBA is apparent on some plants, but it is nowhere near that outbreak I had earlier.

Thanks again for the advice.