Algae help

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Archie427

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
May 7, 2013
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13
I have some algae on some of my plants and rock and I was thinking of trying to do some spot treatment with peroxide. I've seen people talk about doing it but I'm am nervous to try it in my tank. If anyone has any good advice on how to do this I would really appreciate it.
 

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It hard to tell what I'm looking at in the picture. Is it green spots on the plant leaves in front?
 
The pictures are kind of hard to seet. In the second picture, it looks like a few leaves have a gray hair like aglae? Is that right?
 
Hello Arch...

Putting chemicals on things or in the tank water isn't really safe for the fish and plants. Chemicals can also potentially kill your good bacteria. Algae isn't the end of the world, some is good for the water and good nutrition for the fish.

I've had success getting rid of most of it by removing its food. I don't feed my fish very much and keep a lot of floating plants in the tank to use what little dissolved food there is in the water. Brazilian water weed and Hornwort are likely the best floaters. The more floating plants the less algae you'll have.

The process takes time and my tanks have been running for several years, but there's very little algae in any of them.

B
 
Does it look like any of these pictures: http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

I don't know if you can try to take more pics that show it more clearly. What have you tried to do to remove it. What kind of damage does it do? Is it long and hairlike? Branched? Bushy? Clumped? Is it hard? Is it slimy? Is it sheet like? Any info you give can help. Also what is your lighting, fertilization and CO2 (liquid or injected). When did this start. How is it progressing? That information and close up, clear pics will allow someone to try to help.
 
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I can see you have a severe nutrient deficiency problem, green spot algae, and just can't see the red algae clearly but "guess" it could be black beard algae, which is actually a type of red algae. A close up of it would help. If it's fuzzy and in clumps that is what it is. If it's flat, in sheets, and shiny looking it would be cyanobacteria. I just can't say for sure from those pic's.

What light fixture and bulbs do you use? How long do you run lighting daily? What is your WC schedule and how much do you change out weekly? Do you use any ferts? Do you use liquid carbon or CO2? What are your nitrate and phosphate levels? You need to answer these questions so the problem of what is causing the algae can be fixed since spot treating will only be a temp solution and algae will return.

GSA is usually found in low phosphate waters. Raising phosphates to 3ppm makes it very hard if not impossible for GSA to form.

When dealing with an algae issue only run lighting 6 hours daily is recommended. You can spot treat some types of algae with liquid carbon or hydrogen peroxide 3% safely unless you have delicate shrimp species. Turn off filters, pull up 3ml of either for every 1 gallon of tank water, squirt algae slowly, and leave filters off 20 minutes. If you have a lot you will have to treat an area daily.

As for your nutrient issue it appears to be a macro problem but with a bad as it is it could be nitrates, phosphates, and or potassium. In a planted tank you want to shoot for a nitrate level of 10-20ppm and phosphates from 1-3ppm. I would suggest looking into dry fertilizers or Seachems full line of plant fertilizers.

I also suggest using a liquid carbon daily if you don't already. You can buy Metricide 14 on line for about $20 a gallon. It is twice the strength of Excel and much cheaper. Use 1/2 ml of full strength Metricide for every 2 gallons of water daily.
 
It looks the diatoms, Brown algea. It has kind of a scratchy texture to it. I recently started using API root tabs and excell. Also upgraded my lights to 3 CFL 100 watt equivalent each at 5000k. I will have to get a new pic tonight after work.
 
Here's a close up pic I just took that will hopefully help. And in the second pic you can see I have some new leaves coming in that look pretty healthy as of now.
 

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Up close that doesn't look like diatoms. Diatoms are smooth and easily just rub off between your fingers. That actually looks like detritus acclimation on the leaves. Do you have current in your tank? Plants should slightly sway and the current greatly helps keep detritus in the water column for filters to remove and keeps them from settling on leaves. Try gently swishing your hand over plants and through them and see if it comes off and to see if you have a lot of detritus come up into the water column. Just be sure to do a WC after so it doesn't all settle again. Then if needed add a small nano powerhead or two depending on the size of your tank to get a nice flow moving through the tank.
 
That is a good idea to get a power head so that nothing can settle. The algae doesn't come off easily. It's stuck on the plants pretty good. Even if a try to scratch at it a little it stays. I'll probably go buy a power head and some liquid co2 today since I get payed haha. Hopefuly that hwlps.
 
My water is at 81°. Is that kinda warm and would that also cause algea to grow?
 

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