Algae taking over

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GNAAAR

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Messages
80
In my planted tank my amazon sword plant is covered in algae. It was perfectly fine last week but now the whole plant is covered, leafs have been detaching freely and some leaves are melting but I can't seem to stop the algae.

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How long is your lighting duration? How much light do you have? What is your fertilization and CO2 regimen?
 
How long is your lighting duration? How much light do you have? What is your fertilization and CO2 regimen?



My lighting is between 8 and 10 hours a day. I can't seem to figure out anything about my light quality. My fertilizer is API Leaf zone (picture below) which I add 1 time per week an I don't use a CO2 system.

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It's probably due to lack of Co2. You could try starting to dose liquid co2 if you want to keep in low tech.

There are 2 out there, easy carbon and flourish excel. Sounds a like an imbalance in nutrients.
However if it is a new plant melting is common while it gets used to your water parameters.
I'm quite new to planted tank and currently running a low tech now for 4 weeks and the plants are doing excellent. I have 2 swords and another few stem plants which I don't know the name of and no melting as of yet, I have had a few of the old leaves drop off but the new leaves are growing okay!

Do some research into Co2, using an air stone could help with the gas exchange however bring co2 into the tank
 
What are root tabs?

Also, since the leaves off my sword were covered in holes and melting I d coded to uproot the plant and see what I could salvage from it to hopefully let it make a full recovery and not look really awful in the tank. I cut off all the severely damaged leafs (almost all the leafs) and was left with 1 little healthy lead attached to the main roots and mini sprout with 4 tiny leafs the just pulled away easily from the main plant. This is what I'm left with
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I know they don't look as amazing as the big plant used to in this tank but hopefully if algae doesn't attack these 2 sprouts than I should have a mini forest in my aquarium. [emoji16]
 
Are you using plant growth substrate below the sand? If so you may not need root tabs
 
I'd suggest pulling it up abit more in the substrate, try to keep the crown above the substrate (the part where the leaf attaches to the base.)

Root tabs can be made with 00 gel capsules filled with osmacote plus plant fertiliser ( can be purchased at most hardware stores)
 
I'd suggest pulling it up abit more in the substrate, try to keep the crown above the substrate (the part where the leaf attaches to the base.)

Root tabs can be made with 00 gel capsules filled with osmacote plus plant fertiliser ( can be purchased at most hardware stores)


Thanks! I will try that. [emoji16]
 
With swords you need to root tabs as the feed through the roots quite a bit.
I use JBL root tabs, but there are loads out there that do the same thing! Just ask in LFS. They usually last quite a few months before having to be replaced
 
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