Gross green slime netting type algae

[Tetra22]

I just got brand new lights for my 55g planted tank because my old ones were way underpowered and burning out. So the new lights are two shop lights with two 40w, 6500k, 3000 something lumen bulbs each. I put them on the tank and did a water change and algae cleaning and all that good stuff. I had been having problems with bba so I cut off all the leaves that had it, (which was about half of all the vegitation) and stirred the gravel so it was nice and white colored. Anyways the tank was looking great and the lights were nice and bright. Now the plants are growing better but so is the algae. I havn't seen anymore bba, but theres this new stuff. It's like green mossy netting that's spreading all over the gravel and a bunch of the leaves. I don't know what it is or how to get rid of it. My ph is at 8.0 and my nitrates are at 10ppm. I add API Leaf Zone to my tank weekly too. Any advise would be great. Thanks.

ps. I would love to put some pics on here for you but I still havn't really figured out how to do that...

 

[meegosh]

For adding pictures:
Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - FAQ: User Profile Features

As far as the tank goes, are you adding any ferts or CO2? Sounds like a nutrient imbalance to me. Does it wipe off easy or does it take some elbow grease to get rid of it?

 

[Tetra22]

What are ferts? And no co2. I havn't tried to take it off yet, it only showed up less than 2 days ago. Stuff grows fast.

 

[Tetra22]

 

[Crepe]

Looks like cyano...just dose with H2O2 if you want to get rid of it fast then correct nutrients. I can't tell if those are veins in the rock or are those the threads. If it's threads it's just thread algae, if the algae has gotten into the veins of the rock, it's probably cyano.

 

[meegosh]

What are ferts? And no co2. I havn't tried to take it off yet, it only showed up less than 2 days ago. Stuff grows fast.

Ferts = fertilizers, sorry. When you increase the intensity of the lighting you usually have to compensate by adding fertilizers and/or CO2. The algae is coming about because there is an imbalance in your nutrients. That is why a lot of people use the EI method of dosing ferts. This basically overloads your tank with fertilizers and then at the end of the week you do a 50% water change to 'reset' the levels. The excess ferts allow your plants to soak up the nutrients and out-compete the algae.

 

[Purrbox]

Definitely looks to be BGA (aka cyano). Generally it's caused by low nitrates and/or poor flow in the area. Most aquarist grade test kits aren't accurate for Nitrate levels below 20ppm unless you have taken the time to calibrate them by testing against reference solutions. It's quite possible that your Nitrates have bottomed out (reached 0) even though your test kit is showing 10ppm.

 

[Tetra22]

Well I dose with that bottled fertilizer every week. And I have liquid tests if that makes any diference. So I have low nitrates...just dose, what, twice as much this week?