Can't kick GSA!!!!

[flitabout]

I have been trying to get rid of GSA for the last month and now it's spread to some of my other plants. I have kept the phosphate at no less than 2ppm since I found the GSA. In the last week I have cut the lights back to 6 hours a day at 3 on, 3 off, 3 on, siesta. I already high dose glut so I just don't know what I am missing to get this under control.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

What size tank and what is the stock? What is the filtration? Are your parameters good? Is the tank getting sunlight?

 

[misterc007]

I cut down macro dosing and mine went away. I realize that many people will disagree with me but it worked and I've done it 3 times. I read this in the method of controlled imbalances. It basically says that you dose kno3 untill you see GSA then cut back to figure out how much your plants can uptake. ie 2 times a week, 3 times a week and so on. You should read it. I was able to replicate it. I don't want to get bashed for being on the limiting side of things but what I've been doing has been working for me.

 

[Old Scales]

GSA Help.

Hi Flit,
Hope you were well my friend. I hope I can help you out here. We'll sure try. From your post, it looks like everything you're doing is excellent. How long have you been doing the six hour light period? What are your nitrates ranging from right after a water change until right before the next one? There is a recognized nitrate to phosphate ratio of 10 to 1. This is given by several university research reports and is also touted by many of the expert planters I have talked to. Many bump their phosphate level up a little more than this if they have a lot of red plants. Your 2 ppm phosphates is not that excessive. I'm thinking you may be letting the nitrates get too low to the amount of phosphates. Here is a link to some great information about the nitrate to phosphate ratio. Hope it will help you.
Good luck and God bless. OS.
Nitrate to phosphate ratio

 

[misterc007]

Hi Flit,
Hope you were well my friend. I hope I can help you out here. We'll sure try. From your post, it looks like everything you're doing is excellent. How long have you been doing the six hour light period? What are your nitrates ranging from right after a water change until right before the next one? There is a recognized nitrate to phosphate ratio of 10 to 1. This is given by several university research reports and is also touted by many of the expert planters I have talked to. Many bump their phosphate level up a little more than this if they have a lot of red plants. Your 2 ppm phosphates is not that excessive. I'm thinking you may be letting the nitrates get too low to the amount of phosphates. Here is a link to some great information about the nitrate to phosphate ratio. Hope it will help you.
Good luck and God bless. OS.
Nitrate to phosphate ratio

YES

and here is a link to the other one.

Method of Controlled Imbalances Summary - Algae - Aquatic Plant Central

 

[misterc007]

Here is the link

Method of Controlled Imbalances Summary - Algae - Aquatic Plant Central

 

[Old Scales]

Thank you Mister! Lengthy read but about as good of an analysis as you can get. I am saving this one and adding to my collection. I like the way he breaks it down into types of algae later in the article. OS.

 

[misterc007]

Here's another site with good info. this is the algae section. check the rest, his whole site is good.

my circumstance was with low PO4 yours is going to be the opposite unless you want to stop dosing that much PO4

James' Planted Tank - Algae Guide

 

[misterc007]

Thank you Mister! Lengthy read but about as good of an analysis as you can get. I am saving this one and adding to my collection. I like the way he breaks it down into types of algae later in the article. OS.

You get more and more out of that one every time you read it. But it's pretty cool because I (or you) can actually induce the algae and then make it go away.

 

[flitabout]

I haven't had a chance to read the links yet I will do that in a minute. Nitrates after a water change is 5ppm and after is 20+ppm. For a while I was doing really good keeping them down but then I took out a tun of fast growers like wisteria and water lettuce. Since then it has gone up consistently. This tank is overstocked. I lowered the photo period about a week ago. I got super sick in the last week and I haven't been great about dosing the tanks (I missed a couple of days) So I don't know if that makes a difference. I will get to reading now.