Algae control

[joethechickn]

Just picked up a Finnex Ray 2 48" light fixture for my 55 gallon a few weeks ago and with the big step up in output from my previous light my tank is experiencing an algae bloom. Looking for help on ways to treat the algae problem and keep it under control

 

[Fresh2o]

A few questions:
1. How long is the Ray2 on each day?
2. What fertilizers are you using?
3. How much and how often (for #2)?
4. Are you adding a source of carbon (DIY or pressurized CO2, supplements such as API CO2 Booster, Seachem Excel)?
5. What plants do you have in there currently?
6. Describe the algae: cling to walls and decor or hazy green water? Stringy or hair like algae? Flat and/or slimy? Green? Red? Bluish or black?
7. What fish are in there?



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[joethechickn]

A few questions:
1. How long is the Ray2 on each day?
2. What fertilizers are you using?
3. How much and how often (for #2)?
4. Are you adding a source of carbon (DIY or pressurized CO2, supplements such as API CO2 Booster, Seachem Excel)?
5. What plants do you have in there currently?
6. Describe the algae: cling to walls and decor or hazy green water? Stringy or hair like algae? Flat and/or slimy? Green? Red? Bluish or black?
7. What fish are in there?

Advice

1. The light is on for about 12 hours each day roughly depending on my schedule and when I'm able to turn on/off
2. I occasionally dose flourish iron and flourish excel
3. Around 3-4 times a week
4. I have a pressurized CO2 system set up but the tank is not full
5. I have Java fern, crypts, rotala, a crinum, Amazon swords, Anubis and jungle val
6. The algae is on the plants, rocks and walls. On the plants the algae I believe to be what is BBA it's very stringy and brownish. On the walls the algae is spotted green and very hard to remove. There is also a brownish algae that is on the walls. There is occasionally slimy green algae stuck to the gravel or driftwood. On the Anubis there is red spots of algae along with some of the crypts. The water is clear and doesn't seem to be discolored at all.
7. Currently I have 4 Angels, an electric blue acara (4 inches), 5 few khuli loaches, 4 Cory cats, 4 blood fin tetras and 3 ottos, and a bushy nose pleco that's full grown

 

[philipraposo198]

There is much wrong here.

Photoperiod need to be 6-8 hours max right now, light intensity is far to much. I would raise the light fixture to at least 24" above the substrate.

Your essentially a low tech tank with high light and no co2 or any macro ferts ( macros way more important than micros).

Dose flourish excel daily.

The brown cloudy stuck on glass algae should NOT be scraped off. It has a life cycle and will die on its own. Scraping it will allow for reproduction and spread like mad.

You don't have enough fast growing plants, crypts, anubius, ferns are all slow which is bad to fight against algae.

You should get your co2 filled and back to a good rate, this will help again.

Get dry ferts and start dosing ei dosage based on your tank size.

You need to be consistent and keep things stable. I promise you unless you lower photoperiod and intensity or start pumping the co2 and get proper fert schedule, your tank will soon be destroyed with algae.

In the mean time (as your tweaking and making changes, get a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and or use excel and spray it directly on the hair / beard algae and gsa. Do some each day to help keep algae at bay.

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[Brookster123]

Set that co2 up, reduce photo period to 7 hrs. Dose ferts and excel daily. You can spot treat bba with h202. I'd suggest raising that fixture as Phillip recommends.

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[Brian_Nano12g]

1. The light is on for about 12 hours each day roughly depending on my schedule and when I'm able to turn on/off

Please invest in an automatic timer. It can be digital or mechanical, either way, it's one of the cheapest and BEST investment you can put into a planted tank. Having a precise and consistent photoperiod will be one of your best friends in controlling algae issues from forgetting to turn off your lights. That and a good carbon source.

 

[Fresh2o]

Set the solenoid (assuming one is present with the regulator) on a timer as well. Set it ON an hour before lights on and OFF and hour before lights out.
Get a bubble counter and drop checkers (one for each side of the tank) if you don't already have these.
Start out with 1-2 BPS and adjust based on the drop checker colors.
You can spot treat BBA with Excel, Glutaraldehyde, or hydrogen peroxide.


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