Alternative to co2

[flchamp89]

There's alot of formulas I've found to convert lumens to par, but they are not fit the aquarium of you know what I mean lol, it's a very complex thing to do which I don't really understand lol, so here's the thing, from what I'm understanding is it's really not lumens it's the rating of Nm, the redd are 630 Nm but should be 660 Nm blues are 445 should be 475 etc etc, I know nothing about light but there are formulas to convert by I haven't found one for led.

Exactly...you need a par meter, rely on manufacturers data, or alot of popular fixtures have had test results done by individuals.
Anyway...wouldn't loose sleep over diatoms. Like snails to me its a good thing. Tank is maturing.

 

[Potluck]

Something has to be out of balance either to much light, not the right ferts, I never go fully dark when it's lights out I turn the blues on, so I don't know if that's still considered a light cycle so that's why I went full dark going to do it for a few days and see if it helps, as per the thread I linked he sent no blues and after 3 days he had no more brown algae, I could throw otos in there but I am not fond of them

 

[Potluck]

Exactly...you need a par meter, rely on manufacturers data, or alot of popular fixtures have had test results done by individuals.
Anyway...wouldn't loose sleep over diatoms. Like snails to me its a good thing. Tank is maturing.

I'm not losing sleep over it, im ocd about my tank and I want my plants lush green not covered in brown algae

 

[flchamp89]

Tank is probably not mature enough to support 3 or more ottos. If you have the pond snails left they will knock it out.

No tank isnt balanced yet. Takes a good while for that to happen.

I get it...im ocd as well but some things are what they are. Silicates are the most common element on earth. Hard to avoid.

 

[Potluck]

Tanks been set up for over 3 years

 

[flchamp89]

But you've stated before plants are newer. And isn't the fixture too?

 

[Potluck]

No the only plants that are new are the fire leaf, sagitaria, anubias Nana, my amazons, other anubias are about a year, the fixture about 1.5 years

 

[flchamp89]

Diatoms just now showing up? Has sand and rock been in since day one?

 

[Potluck]

Yes they are just now showing up, I just changed my gravel everything else in the tank is at least a year old - the plants i listed (fire leaf,sagitaria and anubias nana)

 

[flchamp89]

Changing the substrate can do it. Overall the tank looks good. You have to consider. Low par not much macro/micro no co2. I think you said you use some comprehensive. You dont have anything that typically grows super fast.

 

[Potluck]

I did add more root tabs when I put in the new plants as well, my nitrates are about 30

 

[flchamp89]

Root tabs are not likely the issue. Plants would be a more likely cause imo.

 

[Delapool]

Something has to be out of balance either to much light, not the right ferts, I never go fully dark when it's lights out I turn the blues on, so I don't know if that's still considered a light cycle so that's why I went full dark going to do it for a few days and see if it helps, as per the thread I linked he sent no blues and after 3 days he had no more brown algae, I could throw otos in there but I am not fond of them

I've only lately been thinking about this and my thought is it wouldn't be the blue lights themselves but that as blue light penetrates so well, it is easy to get an excess. Possibly an excess also relative to red light which doesn't penetrate well.

Something I find amazing though is the plants must adapt to the changing light as they grow upwards. Not sure if plant is limited by lowest useable spectrum or different parts of plant use different parts of spectrum.

I have run very high lights for 12 hours and got no brown algae. So high lights by themselves will not set it off (although I'd imagine it could drive an imbalance worse).

 

[flchamp89]

I've only lately been thinking about this and my thought is it wouldn't be the blue lights themselves but that as blue light penetrates so well, it is easy to get an excess. Possibly an excess also relative to red light which doesn't penetrate well.

Something I find amazing though is the plants must adapt to the changing light as they grow upwards. Not sure if plant is limited by lowest useable spectrum or different parts of plant use different parts of spectrum.

I have run very high lights for 12 hours and got no brown algae. So high lights by themselves will not set it off (although I'd imagine it could drive an imbalance worse).

Yes I believe low par is a factor. I believe sand substrate and soft rock would increase severity as well.

 

[Potluck]

I don't have sand, I have super naturals small pebble, my rock is Texas holey rock

 

[Caliban07]

I had bad diatoms in my first 60L tank with gravel and plastic ornaments. They lasted a few days.

On the flip side many people use cat litter and sand without issues.

One should also be able to induce diatoms readily just by adding sand or clay products such as cat litter but this doesn't happen with enough regularity to make any kind of scientific connection.

Ultimately I'm not sure what causes them.

Edit: My hunch would be swapping out the substrate causing some kind of system imbalance.

 

[Potluck]

I had bad diatoms in my first 60L tank with gravel and plastic ornaments. They lasted a few days.

On the flip side many people use cat litter and sand without issues.

One should also be able to induce diatoms readily just by adding sand or clay products such as cat litter but this doesn't happen with enough regularity to make any kind of scientific connection.

Ultimately I'm not sure what causes them.

Edit: My hunch would be swapping out the substrate causing some kind of system imbalance.

That's what I'm thinking as well even though I never cycled I did lower my nitrates by removing the big course gravel I did have to a super small pebble substrate, I do have one fake plant which my fish live cause it's provides cover, other than that I have not a clue I just want them gone lol

 

[Autumnsky]

Up the pwc frequency and less light, no blue night lights left on over night and lighten feeding for a few days to a week.

Kick up flow by a small/appropriate sized powerhead.

You might also try to up the oxygen.

Likely a combination of the change of substrate needing more pwc due to a mini cycle, higher nitrates and phosphates and need to get the extra stuff in the water out of the tank.

My 2 cents. Also a few doses of Excel as directed.

 

[Potluck]

Up the pwc frequency and less light, no blue night lights left on over night and lighten feeding for a few days to a week.

Kick up flow by a small/appropriate sized powerhead.

You might also try to up the oxygen.

Likely a combination of the change of substrate needing more pwc due to a mini cycle, higher nitrates and phosphates and need to get the extra stuff in the water out of the tank.

My 2 cents. Also a few doses of Excel as directed.

I never had a mini cycle from changing the gravel I tested my water twice a day for a week, i have been leaving the blue lights off all together none at night none on with mains, but now I have what looks like white fuzzy cotton growing on a piece of my drift wood, I'll have to take a pic but it brings back bad bad memories because this has happened before and I lost half of my stock when people on here said it was harmless and to just scrape it off. I can't say that's why I lost the fish but it just brings back memories of when I did.

Maybe cause of all the bacteria I added when I changed my gravel I've siphoned this piece of drift wood 4 times now to get 4 pieces off and it just comes back it other places

 

[flchamp89]

Sugars and starches in some wood when submerged create a temporary harmless fungus .