Algae Owning My Tank - Please Help

[The sea monkeys Rock]

Dear All,

I am having some problem with algae, its a tough stringy type of algae. My tank is 26G, I run x1 Giessman Aquaflora and x1 Giessman Midday 6000 bulbs about 5 hours a day. Very highly recommend bulbs apparently.

I run CO2 3.5 hours a day. The light and CO2 are on timers. Both were running about 7 hours a day previously (about 3 weeks ago) but cut down to reduce algae.

The tank is pure RO, GH6, KH5 aprox (supplemented of course). PH 7.2 - 7.6.

Temp 24C.

Its very lightly stocked, only six very small fish (like embers). However algae is growing hardcore in my Hemianthus callitrichoides (HC). I add liquid ferts once a week.

I have to dose PO4 as it drops to 0ppm otherwise, likewise my FE drops to 0 in no time and I get bored and just leave it at 0. Maybe a problem no idea, I have Macrandra which love iron. I only dose to max 0.8ppm for PO4 at any given time. I keep my Nitrates at about 5PPM.

I use profito which the LFS use, they are professional level and have no issues in their tanks. I think its a good liquid ferts.

Why the hell is there algae! Do I need to quite my job and do a degree in biology to figure out how to keep my tank algae free

Any advice would be happily received.

Thanks

 

[Rivercats]

It looks like you have a couple different types of algae. The grayish branching one appears to be Staghorn algae and I can't tell for sure as the picture is blurry up close but the other might be Hair algae.

Low nutrient levels and not enough CO2 can cause issues. Also do you have much current in your tank as Staghorn doesn't like much current. You need to keep your phosphate levels consistent. Also nitrate are alittle low and you need to try to keep them at 10ppms. I rarely dose iron as I use a micro mix that contains it. Also I keep tons of non green plants including Macrandra, Variegated Macrandra, and Japan Red Macrandra and they actually color up with low nitrates and high phosphates with normal dosing of micro nutrients. I actually keep phosphates at 5-10ppm. Your nutrient levels being inconsistent could be a lot of your problem. You also might want to increase circulation in the tank so that all your plants sway gently.

You can also spot treat your algae with Hydrogen Peroxide 3%. Pull up in a syringe 1-3ml of Peroxide per 1 gallon of tank water, hold syringe as close to the algae as you can and slowly squirt. Be sure to turn you filters off before treating and leave them off for 20 minutes. If you have a lot you'll have to treat an area a day.

 

[The sea monkeys Rock]

Hello,

My nitrates are actually 10ppm, not 5ppm. I mis-read. I am now starting to add 10ml of PO4 everyday, this takes PO4 to about 1ppm. I will make that more constant and see how it goes.

I am using pure RO, and then adding my GH and KH with a JBL product. Something is defeintely not right, as the algae is growing, and the plants look unhealthy really. The Rotala look awful. Considering its high quality water, and CO2 is dosed well I think.

I have adjsuted my pump to make the macrandra sway, but the HC are never going to sway as they are at the bottom.

The Macrandra are pale green, despite extra FE dosing, and the HC arent really spreading as much as I'd hoped.

Could it be a Potassium and Magnesium deficiency? Without these iron cannot be used, and photosynthesis stalled?

Thanks

 

[Rivercats]

If your re-mineralizing your RO water you should have proper levels of magnesium. A potassium deficiency usually results in pin head size holes in leaves. I would not add a a lot of iron and would raise my phosphate level to at least 3ppm. You can add more potassium as it will not hurt.

Is the plant in the picture what your calling Rotala Macrandra? That doesn't look like Macrandra. It appears you have leaves with green tops and pink bottoms. Am I seeing it right? Look at this picture of some of my Macrandra, it's the pink plant on the far right, and notice how different yours looks.... Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Rivercats's Album: 220g update 12/18/12 - Picture.

 

[Billbug68]

Question... Why is the co2 only running 3.5 hours and the lights 5? Typically it's suggested that you have your co2 turn on an hour before lights on, and turn off an hour before lights out. Depending on how long it takes to saturate the tank to the desired level, of course.

 

[20cc]

Question... Why is the co2 only running 3.5 hours and the lights 5? Typically it's suggested that you have your co2 turn on an hour before lights on, and turn off an hour before lights out. Depending on how long it takes to saturate the tank to the desired level, of course.

 

[The sea monkeys Rock]

Question... Why is the co2 only running 3.5 hours and the lights 5? Typically it's suggested that you have your co2 turn on an hour before lights on, and turn off an hour before lights out. Depending on how long it takes to saturate the tank to the desired level, of course.

Hi,

I was experimenting. I have adjusted it now so that co2 comes on an hour before the lights, and an hour before they go off. Lighting is now at 7 hours. The algae is growing much stronger now though. I am baffled.

 

[The sea monkeys Rock]

If your re-mineralizing your RO water you should have proper levels of magnesium. A potassium deficiency usually results in pin head size holes in leaves. I would not add a a lot of iron and would raise my phosphate level to at least 3ppm. You can add more potassium as it will not hurt. The frustration is that the product I use is supposed to be excellent, and it is supposed to be complete!! Well, apart from Nitrate and PO4 which you can add manually if you wish (well I add PO4 as you know). So it should be plant heaven.

Is the plant in the picture what your calling Rotala Macrandra? That doesn't look like Macrandra. It appears you have leaves with green tops and pink bottoms. Am I seeing it right? Look at this picture of some of my Macrandra, it's the pink plant on the far right, and notice how different yours looks.... Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Rivercats's Album: 220g update 12/18/12 - Picture.

Hello, I am buying some K (potassium) and see if that helps. I do have tiny brown pin marks on the plants. Iron always reads 0ppm. I read elsewhere to keep dosing until the plants saturate with FE, then you only need to add to keep FE at a sensible level. HOwever you with your 30 years experience disagree which concerns me lol

Maybe they arent Macrandra then. It's what the shop ordered in, it had a very professional looking lable on it saying it was Macrandra. Perhaps it is not though. Yes pink under the leaves, green, well pale crappy green on the top.

My feeling is that there is probably ONE thing that is deficient that is stopping the plants from using up the other nutrients that are available. Then the algae can flourish, and believe me it is! It's got much worse now.

I have a pump rated 750 litres an hour, and the tank had 90 litres of water. So its a good pump for the tank. There is some swaying, but very mild indeed. Shall I take a video of the tank so you can see?

I am trying to keep my phosphates level like you said, thing is though, the more I add, the worse the algae seems to get :-( I hope that adding potassium, helps. I dont feel very hopeful though

THanks for your help

 

[Billbug68]

Hi,

I was experimenting. I have adjusted it now so that co2 comes on an hour before the lights, and an hour before they go off. Lighting is now at 7 hours. The algae is growing much stronger now though. I am baffled.

I'd leave the lights at 5 hours and adjust the co2 like I said. Try spot treating the algae with excel or hydrogen peroxide. Keep the tank clean, add enough fertilizers and co2, and keep up on weekly water changes.

 

[Rivercats]

Hello, I am buying some K (potassium) and see if that helps. I do have tiny brown pin marks on the plants. Iron always reads 0ppm. I read elsewhere to keep dosing until the plants saturate with FE, then you only need to add to keep FE at a sensible level. HOwever you with your 30 years experience disagree which concerns me lol

Maybe they arent Macrandra then. It's what the shop ordered in, it had a very professional looking lable on it saying it was Macrandra. Perhaps it is not though. Yes pink under the leaves, green, well pale crappy green on the top.

My feeling is that there is probably ONE thing that is deficient that is stopping the plants from using up the other nutrients that are available. Then the algae can flourish, and believe me it is! It's got much worse now.

I have a pump rated 750 litres an hour, and the tank had 90 litres of water. So its a good pump for the tank. There is some swaying, but very mild indeed. Shall I take a video of the tank so you can see?

I am trying to keep my phosphates level like you said, thing is though, the more I add, the worse the algae seems to get :-( I hope that adding potassium, helps. I dont feel very hopeful though

THanks for your help

The plant you described sounds exactly like Alternanthera reineckii. Pink under leaves and what is described as bronzy green on the upper leaf.

You need potassium for the plants to use the phosphates. And from my understanding over the years iron tests aren't very good at all. I use a micro mix daily that has iron in it and I get good color on my non green plants. PM Ian086, he's in Ireland and we went back and forth looking for dry ferts that he could use that were close to what we have in the US. Ask him for the names of the ones he found and is using and at what levels. This might be a big help for you in trying to get your fert levels balanced out.

Are you having a particular type of algae that causing problems?