Type of algae and how to treat.

[TMaier]

Can you help me identify what is growing on my Anubias. It is not slimy or fuzzy. It will not wipe or scrape off.



How should I treat? Remove all leaves?

 

[Bert2oo1]

Looks like a bad case of GSA, it’s hard enough to get off the glass let alone plants [emoji36] is it in a low tech tank? I found increasing phosphates helped keep GSA away.

I’ve also had trouble with GSA on anubias due to how slow it grows. I found shading it from direct light helped a lot aswell [emoji106]

 

[TMaier]

Low tech tank. Any way to naturally increase the phosphate? I will start moving the plants from under the lights.

Should I remove the leaves?

 

[Bert2oo1]

Low tech tank. Any way to naturally increase the phosphate? I will start moving the plants from under the lights.

Should I remove the leaves?

Depends, shouldn’t effect it to much but it is unsightly. Not sure about doing it naturally I’ve always just used dry ferts to increase mine [emoji106]

Are u using t5’s or 8’s? They also might be getting close to needing replacement. Once they get old they can bring on algae [emoji106]

 

[Delapool]

Plus one on the GSA - would be interested what lights you have. Also found shading it seems to help and keeping good phosphate levels (although no hard evidence).

Are you dosing liquid carbon at all?

 

[TMaier]

This is my snail nursery. I haven’t been dosing anything because I don’t know if it’s safe.

My lights are Aqueon LED. This unit has 2 slots this pic shows one but I have 2 color max bulbs.

I have Excel on hand. And Seachem Equalibrium, Excel, Flourish Micros and Flourish Potassium.

I know Seachem has a Potassium Phosphate I can pick up to use.

The lights are on about 12 hours and these Anubias are on wood dead center under the lights.

 

[Bert2oo1]

You could try cutting the lighting back to 8 hours and see if that helps too if u want the lower period I’d say shading it would be your best option

 

[TMaier]

I sure will. I have the lights on a timer so I will do 4 hours morning, dark 4 hours mid day and then 4 in the evening.

 

[TMaier]

Any recommendations on some sort of plant that I can attach to the wood and can handle the light there?

 

[Delapool]

Don’t think I’d dose glut with snails. I tried with pond snails and numbers dwindled over time.

I’ve never managed to get GSA on java fern or bolbitis so far. Bolbitis could be worth a try.

Good water flow might help as well to keep CO2 constantly coming into tank. I did see a post that low CO2 can also encourage it. Not sure there as it is going fine next to the CO2 diffuser in my tank so ...

The phosphate increase I think I’d do from dry ferts. I can’t think of any natural way except increasing fish food or something. The phosphate vs GSA seems a bit of an urban myth but there seems something to it (I thought it helped on GSA on glass although I really wonder if something else was also going on).

 

[TMaier]

Well I cut the Anubias off the wood and tucked it over on the shadiest areas of the tank. I could see some algae on the wood so it got a squirt of peroxide. Tied a little Fissidens fontanus to it to see how it does. My flow is a little low so it’s time for a canister and hose maintenance session. Might add a circulation pump??? Order some dry ferts and see what happens.

 

[TMaier]

What brand of potassium do you recommend?

 

[toolman]

I have been extremely happy with NilocG's products, although I use the premeasured pps-pro kit. I'm going to break down get a scale next time and measure the dry ferts individually as its about half the cost of what I'm getting. Greenleaf Aquariums also has a good selection and I've heard good things about them.

 

[Bert2oo1]

What brand of potassium do you recommend?

I get mine from an Aus supplier so can’t help you there dela is on the money with bolbitis and Java, never had any issues with them either. Anubias is fussy if you ask me [emoji16]

It’s a shame your not in Aus I’m about to pull out 2 giant bolbitis from 2 tanks

 

[TMaier]

Australia is scary. Lots of bug man eating bugs....but I would love to have your blobitis!

 

[Caliban07]

I think excel is a safer version of glut. Something about it being polymerised for safer handling etc but don’t quote me on this.

I’ve been using easy carbo for good reason and good effect. Personally I would never use metricide or full strength glut. If I’m being stitched up by the companies on this one I’ll take it for slight piece of mind.

I’m sure Fresh2O uses glut and he has tons of snails.

It has now been proven apparently the glut or proponents thereof actually remove the periphyton membrane coating leaf surfaces. The periphyton (just like the boundary layer) add another layer of complexity for gas transfer in and out of the leaves so removing this layer maximises nutrient (including co2) uptake. With good flow you can actually decrease the thickness of the boundary layer further increasing gas transfer efficiency.

I don’t know how glut effects the other microorganisms within the tank but I do know that the differences of using it in a co2 and non co2 injected tank are night and day. Anything that improves the health of plants improves the health of the system so T.Maier if you have excel on hand you could start using it at manufacturer dosing instructions.

I’ve been using easycarbo with nerite snails and shrimp. It’s the gas they don’t like, that becomes clear when there is too much.

As for phosphate to control GSA (not potassium [emoji846]) I read an article recently that suggested it was the over eutrophication of water ways that made green algae and other types disappear. They look ‘clean’ because the are clear when in actual fact they are highly polluted. I wonder if this is why GSA disappears when adding lots of phosphate.

Again if the plants are growing....

Here you can see the differences in my Anubis leaves when I had the 180. Fully injected, easycarbo with EI macros.





I was using 2 x T5HO bulbs both with reflectors at about 20 inch

If you go off this chart



You will see that I was running about 150 PAR. What some would call very highlight. Anubis grew better than ever. As did everything. Soil substrate mind....

 

[Caliban07]

Funnily enough was just trawling through UKAPS and was watching a video of George Farmers long term natural aquarium.

I see similarities with his and your Anubis T.Maier. Maybe not something to worry too much about if a renowned aquascaper has a similar look.

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/long-term-nature-aquarium-12-months.51214/#post-503265

 

[TMaier]

Thank you for the lovely link! Awesome tanks.

I haven’t seen you post any pics of your tank for a while. Or did I just miss the post. How are you doing?

You know I think some of my problem again is flow rate. This is my older canister and when I moved it to this tank I did not move the circulation pump. I will try some Excel for a while and see how the snails respond. The phosphate is on order and will start using that too. Add a small circulation pump and I’ll give it a month and see if I have any improvement.

 

[Caliban07]

Thank you for the lovely link! Awesome tanks.

I haven’t seen you post any pics of your tank for a while. Or did I just miss the post. How are you doing?

You know I think some of my problem again is flow rate. This is my older canister and when I moved it to this tank I did not move the circulation pump. I will try some Excel for a while and see how the snails respond. The phosphate is on order and will start using that too. Add a small circulation pump and I’ll give it a month and see if I have any improvement.

Well I do have plans to resurrect my thread but I’m just collecting my thoughts. I’ve been uphill and down dale with my tanks and learning about others, what works and what doesn’t. I can post a pic later but I’m just acclimatising some red cherry shrimp.

Flow is well underestimated in my opinion. You don’t have to have a vortex by any means but a good consistent flow. Having said that I’ve come across cases of neglect, lack of water changes, large plant mass obstructing both light and flow but optimal health (ADA substrate) Once the plants are stable they can manipulate the system to suit there needs. I don’t think there is anything magical about it. I think it’s all about gas transfer (co2, o2) and solubility/availability of nutrients.

You can sit in a dark room without eating or drinking for days but try holding your breathe for 5 minutes....we are not plants but you get the idea. It’s always about oxygen and healthy plants are net producers.

These are my thoughts anyway. As far as nutrients go and toxicity. I will update soon

Excel will help. It doesn’t add much carbon in to the mix but it is another effective tool. I’ve used easycarbo at about 9ml daily in the 180 litre and I had ottos and shrimp in the tank. It’s a maximum of 2ml per 100 litres according to the bottle but the plant mass was so huge!

If you are Gauging an improvement on the Anubis only I wouldn’t fret too much over this but if there are other issues it can only help to increase flow and adding some excel.

 

[TMaier]

Lights on this morning and the snails had moved all the Anubias rhizomes around. I tied them to some small pieces of slate to keep it from reoccurring. One odd thing is that there isn’t any GSA on the glass? I raised the spray bar up to get as much gas exchange going as possible. But looking at the sand and the plants there is just amount 0 movement. That circulation pump is really needed. I have a Hydor 425 in my 29. It’s held up. But I’m curious about the Sunsuns so I ordered their JVP-110, 530 GPH.

I’ve got the Anubias under the shade of my big Java.