SteveM
Aquarium Advice Activist
I have been slowly converting from silk to real plants over the past month or so, and after reading all I could find on algae, it seemed that I might have excess phosphates. So now I have procured a Hagen PO4 test kit, and I measure a big fat 0ppm. Is this likely to be correct or do I have a bad test kit? I have performed the test twice, with the same result - I'm not an idiot, so be assured I followed the directions
The tank is 75G, with 4 GF (2" to 4"), a BN plec (2.5") and a Black Mystery Snail. There are 5-6 small aponogetons (Wal-Mart bulbs), all of which are sending leaves to the water surface, a Red Melon Sword, and a few bunches of Hornwort which I have placed in the gravel (not floating). I generally perform a 20-25% water change every 1-2 weeks. Lighting is Coralife 2x65 freshwater aqualight, mounted on those little legs. No CO2 injection - I'm not ready to go quite that far on this yet.
Water params are:
PO4 = 0ppm ???
NO3 = 7.5ppm (between 5 and 10)
pH = 7.1
GH = 2
Alkalinity = 40ppm
Temp = 70F
The algae is not really bad, but it is a constant presence. The BN plec takes care of it for the most part on the leafy plants, but the hornwort seems to get a permanent algae coating after 2-3 weeks in the tank. I guess he's not interested in cleaning bristle by bristle.
So I guess my question is really what should I be doing next? I hadn't expected to find low phosphate levels, but if that is actually the case, I guess I need to start dosing phosphate? From what I can gather my Nitrate levels are even a little low for the plants - should I be adding some of that as well? Anything else I should be pouring into the tank?
Maybe I just need more fish?
The tank is 75G, with 4 GF (2" to 4"), a BN plec (2.5") and a Black Mystery Snail. There are 5-6 small aponogetons (Wal-Mart bulbs), all of which are sending leaves to the water surface, a Red Melon Sword, and a few bunches of Hornwort which I have placed in the gravel (not floating). I generally perform a 20-25% water change every 1-2 weeks. Lighting is Coralife 2x65 freshwater aqualight, mounted on those little legs. No CO2 injection - I'm not ready to go quite that far on this yet.
Water params are:
PO4 = 0ppm ???
NO3 = 7.5ppm (between 5 and 10)
pH = 7.1
GH = 2
Alkalinity = 40ppm
Temp = 70F
The algae is not really bad, but it is a constant presence. The BN plec takes care of it for the most part on the leafy plants, but the hornwort seems to get a permanent algae coating after 2-3 weeks in the tank. I guess he's not interested in cleaning bristle by bristle.
So I guess my question is really what should I be doing next? I hadn't expected to find low phosphate levels, but if that is actually the case, I guess I need to start dosing phosphate? From what I can gather my Nitrate levels are even a little low for the plants - should I be adding some of that as well? Anything else I should be pouring into the tank?
Maybe I just need more fish?