What algae is this?

[Purrbox]

I would expect you to need at least three 2 Liter bottles with a tank that size. Depending on how efficient your diffusion method is, it could easily take more. Also, if your filter has a biowheel, you'll want to remove the biowheel as they are excellant at gassing off CO2.

 

[zenkatydid]

i suspect that the problem is indeed with the filter. it's an ac620 unit, the filter is in the hood and consists of two sections the water is pushed first down and then up through various media. it's got quite a surface area. then to make it worse, it comes down back into the tank via a waterfall type drop.

 

[rkilling1]

i suspect that the problem is indeed with the filter. it's an ac620 unit, the filter is in the hood and consists of two sections the water is pushed first down and then up through various media. it's got quite a surface area. then to make it worse, it comes down back into the tank via a waterfall type drop.

Is there anyway you can raise the water level in your tank to minimize that waterfall effect?

 

[kostasonia]

Oh GOD, thats staghorn. Seriously a PITA to get rid of. ....... with great results.

mmm...what is a PITA...?????

 

[rkilling1]

Oh GOD, thats staghorn. Seriously a PITA to get rid of. ....... with great results.

mmm...what is a PITA...?????

A Pain In the A(butt).

 

[kostasonia]

YAARF!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!! (you americans are really funny) !!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry but I really LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Zezmo]

There are a couple things that stick out to me when I read this thread.

each bottle has 2cups of water, 2cups of sugar and 1/4teaspoon yeast.

Without getting into a discussion about "super" yeast formulas. I will say that just adding more water to the solution will get better and longer lasting results. Simply fill the 2-liter bottle to within 3-4 inches from the very top. This will keep high sugar concentraions from being "toxic" to the yeast, as well as making it take longer before the alcohol builds up to toxic levels.

Also, I could not find where the type diffusion being used is mentioned. This may be somehting to look at, regardless of outgassing, filters, nutrients etc. Good even diffusion/distribution of the CO2 is important to maintaining consistant levels.


Discussions of the cause of algae are always interesting. Older schools of thought describe excess of a particular nutrient causing an algae bloom. Newer research indicates that it is limitation of nutrients that creates conditions under which algae thrives over plants.

Here is an ilustration of the theory of how nutrients can limit growth, and a link that has a nice general article about plant nutrition.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07730.html

 

[zenkatydid]

the co2 bottles are underneath the tank, and go through tubing and out through an airstone. it is producing tiny bubbles constantly. my other tank, which has better co2 levels (but very little surface agitation), also has "bells" over the airstones to catch a maintain a constant co2 bubble in contact with the water. we could add those to this tank too. and no, there is no way to lessen the waterfall - we have the water level as high as it'll go.

so add 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of yeast, and say 6 cups of water? will try that one on our next mix, thanks.

good article, thanks for the link! i would assume that the limiting factor in this tank would be carbon. i thought it might have been phosphorus too, looking at the green spot... but the phosphorus test i got recently seemed to think i had 0.5ppm?! so i have no idea. it's all getting out of control, i think i will just continue and see how time takes it.

 

[Purrbox]

I would recommend seriously considering getting a new filter for the tank. With the way it's been designed, you're always going to have difficulty getting sufficient levels of CO2 in the tank.

GSA is a sign of low Phosphates, so you may want to see about bumping your Phosphate dosing slightly as well. Targeting 1-1.5ppm would be good.

 

[zenkatydid]

unfortunately getting a new filter for this tank is not an option - it is an all-in-one unit and there is nowhere for a different filter to go. it's also my boyfriend's tank, and i know he likes it as is. if that's the case, should we abandon co2 altogether and just dose excel or something instead?

we have not been dosing phosphates at all. i will pick up some fleet enema... if they sell it here. that is sodium phosphate, i believe? will that hurt my snails? is there any other widely available chemical i can use if i can't find that?

 

[Purrbox]

Since you can't replace the filter, you could get some polyfiber and put it in the areas where there is the most splashing. This may or may not reduce the splashing sufficiently to prevent gassing off most of the CO2. If that doesn't work, you could definately give Flourish Excel a go. The biggest drawback is that the tank is large enough that it would get rather expensive before long.