What's next?

[humpty]

I did some searching and I am still confused about what to do:
I have set my daughter's 55gal tank as a planted tank and so far the plants are doing well (thanks to you all!), but I have a nasty outbreak of I believe to be Cyno! 8O I make that assumption because it smells much stronger than the average algae and has a few pearls, although it is more green than blue/green.

My next step was going to be to ask how to determine what nutrients I am lacking and how to fix it, but now I need to rid myself of this bloom!

So here is what I know and do:
55 gal, 220w pc lighting 1/2 10K 1/2 actinic which I will be replacing this week with 6.7K, Pressurized Co2.
PH 7.4, KH 18, Co2 21.5ppm, No3<.1, Am 0
I change about 20-30% water every week.

So should I do a extensive clean and then do a blackout or myacyn? Then I also need to figure out how and what to add as far as supplements.

Thank you in advance!!!

humpty

 

[travis simonson]

From your tank specs it looks like you've experienced a nitrate crash (NO3<.1 ppm) which can bring about an algae bloom faster than just about anything else. In a high-light, CO2 driven planted tank like you've got you need to maintain nutrients at certain levels to help prevent such outbreaks. I recommend the following levels for nutrients:

NO3: 10-15 ppm
PO4: .5-1.0 ppm
CO2: 25-30 ppm

Adjusting nutrients to maintain these levels will help prevent another outbreak. There is a great sticky in the Plants section here that will help put you on the right track to dosing nutrients. In the meantime I would recommend a 3-5 day blackout to rid yourself of the current Cyano outbreak. Do a 50% water change both before and after the blackout and run extra aeration during the blackout if you've got it. Try to maintain tank temps below 77F during the blackout and don't feed the fish or fertilize the plants during that time. You can also discontinue CO2 for the duration of the blackout. After 3-5 days it should be gone and you can get on with regulating nutrients. Good luck and let us know how it goes

 

[humpty]

Thanks for the reply, but I need to make a correction, the No3 reading should be a No2 reading!

When I went to do a No3 test I found that it had leaked and was ruined, so I have to get a new tomorrow and also pick up a PO4 test.
I will test both tomorrow and post up then get down to a blackout on Thursday!

Thanks again,

humpty

 

[humpty]

Well all I could find last night was a tetra test for No3 so it will have to do for now. It reads a 12.5mg reading although there is nothing in between that and 0 and 25 so it doesn't look to discriminating.


humpty

 

[humpty]

Ok well I have done my 50% wc and scub her down good. I also turned off the Co2 added an airstone, added the mag350 to add water movement and .......... blacked it out!!!!!!!! 8O
I am very nervous, In all my years I have never done this, heck I have never even used medicines. Are you guys sure this will not harm the plants or even moreimportant the fish?

Fingers crossed,
humpty

 

[malkore]

The fish won't be harmed. Confused by lack of daylight, maybe...but not harmed. The plants might look wilted after the blackout, but they'll comeback.

I have a question about your Kh levels though. Do you have 18 DEGREES of Kh, or 18PPM of Kh? The two are drastically different amounts...18dKh is very hard and fine for CO2 injection. 18ppm is very soft, and not sufficient buffering for CO2 injection.

 

[humpty]

That would be 18dKh, when you first turn on the faucet pea gravel comes out instead of water!

I am having trouble finding a phosphate kit so I may order one, is there a brand you like?

humpty