Algae-infested plants

[macfisto]

Hello,

I have had my 55-gallon tank set up for about 7 months now, and have had some algae issues for quite a while. My tank is low-light and I have the light on for about 13 hours per day (I have two 15-watt bulbs). The dark green or black hair-like algae is mostly on my live plants and driftwood, as I do a good job of keeping it off the tank walls. There is also what looks like black splotches on my anubias leaves that I am unable to remove even with heavy scrubbing. I add the recommended dosage of Leaf Zone every week and I mixed Laterite with the gravel when I initially set up the tank. Any ideas on how I can solve this problem? Should I not use the fertilizer or maybe reduce the hours of light per day? I definitely don't want to inhibit the health and growth of my plants however, which incidently are growing and doing quite well in my low-light situation. I appreciate any help.

Thanks!
Rob

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I've heard mixed things, but for some reason I keep remembering whether correctly or in Err. that Iron excess causes BBA, it's not required to sustain it tho. (if your iron peeks, then falls you may be susceptable).. No point in stopping with your dosing (the laterite is huge in iron BTW)

Best thing I can recommend would be Flourish Excel and DIY Co2. Also you may consider upping your light if you can, .65WPG is a bit low.

As for the Anubias leaves getting algae (my problem too), I think this has to do with either 2 conditions.

1) Old lightbulbs, they no longer output what was intended as a spectrum.

2) Nutrient imbalance. (Co2 will help here, as will your nitrAte reading and what your current PO4 reading is)

I know my PO4 is low compared to nitrates, but my nitrates are excessive.. (should be 1 PO4 : 10-20 NO3 )

hover over abbreviations to see what they are.

 

[czcz]

Fwiw, with such low light, I think you should stop dosing Leaf Zone and see what happens. If your plants are growing but not fast enough to keep algae down, increasing water changes or the number of plants usually helps.

Should you want to increase plant mass with variety, consider adding 30 watts or so -- say, a 36" NO light from HD or one of the options here -- to reach ~1wpg, which Jchillin has shown can grow many types of plants. HTH

 

[sherry]

when I had my 13 watts over a 12 galllon eclipse I stopped getting any algae on my anubias nana when I

1- dosed excel
2- got amano shrimp.

the shrimp cleaned off the plant and the excel I belive kept the algae from coming back.

When I got Ludwiga in that tank, I started dosing literally one drop of cms + b + fe a day... for the ludwiga which seemed to need it. The anubias remained algae free for the life of the tank

It is now in my 3wpg 35 gallon cube and it is crowded into the side (I have too much of it)... and it is still agae free with co2 inject and some excel supplementation and ferts for my higher light plants.

 

[Simpte]

Excel would help a great deal. BBA is not cause by excess iron. As for the green spot, I recommend not doing waterchanges. Your plants need N,P, & K. Let the waste build up a bit to provide them the little they will need. Prune infected leaves and scrub your driftwood.

 

[macfisto]

Thanks for the replies. Will the Excel actually get rid of the algae or will it just prevent future growth? Should I stop using Leaf Zone and replace it with the Excel? Dumb question....what is BBA? The algae that is on my anubias will not come off even when I scrub it vigourously with my fingers. Would the shrimp be able to remove this? I wonder too if the shrimp would be harassed by my other fish....they are all peaceful community fish. And Simpte, you suggest stopping water changes. Do you mean forever? If so, wouldn't that be harmful to the fish? Thanks again for all the help.

 

[BlazerFRS]

i have heard excell is actually toxic to BBA when used in about 3x the reccomended concentration.

It will also help prevent it's return by providing the plants with cabon

 

[Purrbox]

Excel is a source of carbon that can be used instead of or in conjunction with CO2 injection. It's not a replacement for Leaf Zone, which is a source of trace ferts. However you may not need to be dosing traces in your tank, or it may be that Leaf Zone isn't a good balance for your tank's needs. I've often read about people having algae problems while using Leaf Zone, but I don't know if this a coincidence or not.

BBA = Black Brush Algae or Black Beard Algae
It's the kind of algae that you're describing in your tank, very dark coloration and nearly impossible to remove from plants without damaging them.

Some shrimp may be able to deal with BBA, however I don't know which ones would be best to try in targeting it. Amano Shrimp and Red Cherry Shrimp are good algae eaters, but may not have a taste for that particular kind.

I don't think that Simpte is recommending stopping waterchanges altogether, but rather reducing the frequency. This is a method that many people have used with success on Low Light Low Maintenance tanks. Not a setup I've ever attempted, so I don't know the details. You might want to check out Steve Hampton's Article which touches on this subject.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Thanks for clearing that up simpte, I wasn't sure if it was true or not, so I mentioned that I couldn't remember if it was correct or not.

 

[macfisto]

Thank you Purrbox for your detailed response. According to Steve Hampton's article, one dose per week of Seachem Flourish should be sufficient for a low-light tank. Is this the same thing as Excel, or is it a different product? Thanks......

 

[rich311k]

Flourish is a fertilizer. Flourish Excel is a carbon supplement. Two different products.

 

[macfisto]

OK, thanks. Which one would be best suited to clear up and prevent the algae problem that I have described? Thanks.....

 

[rich311k]

I would try the excel. It will help give your plants a boost to out compete the algae. It is like injecting CO2 in to your tank.

The other suggestion made, which makes sense to me is to not put any other fert in to the tank and see how your plants and the algae do with just the excel supplement. Since you are under 1 watt you probably dont need any other fets.

 

[macfisto]

Cool......thanks so much to everyone for their advice. I will try the Excel and see what happens!

 

[macfisto]

Well, I administered my first dose of Excel on Wednesday. I did the recommended initial dose (1 capful per 10 gallons). When I returned home from work last night, my tank was noticeably cloudy. My tank has been crystal clear for months. Would the Excel have anything to do with this? Is it maybe a side-effect? If so, will it go away? I really prefer my water to be crystal clear. Thanks!