Algae problems 55g

[jrizza]

Hello. I'm fighting several types of algae.
Here's my setup
55g neons x10, cardinals x11, clown pleco X1,Oto x1, rcs, amano
Staurogyne Rapens, cryptocoryne undulata, Amazon sword, dwarf hairgrass, dwarf baby tears
36" current USA led+
8 hr Photoperiod
Pressurized Co2
Dose 10mL /day Excel + direct attack on bba with excel in a pipette

I recently moved my tank and also ran out of co2 and didn't notice for a week or so because the drop checker was still in the green/yellow and bubbles were coming out. This was about 10 weeks ago.

I have since been fighting with a ton of algae. Several types:


Amm 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5
Ph 6.6
Kh 2.5

I've been gravel cleaning and water changing once per week thinking there are extra phosphates in the gravel, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. I also did a blackout for 3 days- didn't seem to weaken it at all. I've been removing dying leaves and trimming unhealthy plants. Just not sure what to do from here. Any thoughts?







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[Fresh2o]

What is your fertilization regimen? Daily? Weekly? What are you using? Inadequate fertilization will affect plant growth. I've found that healthier plants harbor less algae.
What is your water change schedule like? Even though the nitrates are low, increased water changes reduces wastes and IME decrease incidents of BBA.


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[gemach7]

What is your fertilization regimen? Daily? Weekly? What are you using? Inadequate fertilization will affect plant growth. I've found that healthier plants harbor less algae.
What is your water change schedule like? Even though the nitrates are low, increased water changes reduces wastes and IME decrease incidents of BBA.


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+1 to increased water changes. Also what are your other parameters.
If out of balance or missing one key nutrient you can see algae on high tech planted tanks.
I personally use the El dosage schedule so as to avoid having to test constantly for each macro and micro nutrient.
Also to help with decreasing your algae abundance:
Turn the lights and Co2 off for about 48 hours. The effect on your plants will be minimal as they keep sugar reserves for respiration. Algae does not and can help decease the amount in your tank while you combat what nutrients are out of whack.



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[jrizza]

The only thing I'm dosing is excel, 10mL daily. I have no other fertilizer.

Water changes have been 50% for the last two weeks. Water change includes deep gravel vac when possible.

Before I moved- before I had any algae problems, I very rarely performed any water changes. I had a nice thick carpet of beautiful green Staurogyne Rapens. When the algae took over, I trimmed the snot out of it trying to get it out of my tank.

When I moved I also lost a bunch of shrimp. I retrieved most of dead ones, but I have a feeling some of the smaller ones settled into the gravel and the excess phosphates caused a lot of what I'm seeing. Although, I only have a standard api test kit plus kh and gh tests. I don't know if I have a phosphate problem for sure, and I don't know what nutrient the tank is missing if that is the case.




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[gemach7]

In the EL dosing method your not trying to find the nutrient imbalance. Instead you are dosing each macro nutrient daily and performing a large pwc every week. I do not go crazy with micro nutrients in my tank. About once a week I add half a dose of micro nutrients.
The decaying matter if enough will add to your nutrient load, if this is your problem I doubt you would find enough debris to make a dent. Other options could be.
Running something like chempure or purigen in your filter.
Reducing your light schedule or adding a break In between say 2-4 no lights.
Adding a phosphate reactor.
Just ideas.
If keep up with your water changes you will eventually have gotten rid of the excess nutrients.


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[Fresh2o]

I dose PPS Pro daily but honestly don't test nitrates/phosphates very often. I over dose phosphates (last time I checked they were at 5-10 ppm). I don't vacuum. 30-40% weekly PWCs. CO2 injected. Lots of light. Very little algae. Spot treat BBA with H2O2 or Glut.
Excel is a carbon source and does not contribute to the macro and micro nutrients needed by the plants. Plants suffering from nutrient deficiencies IME become algae magnets.
PPS Pro and EI are not expensive. I purchased the PPS Pro pack from Green Leaf Aquatics for $30 over two years ago and still have quite a bit remaining.


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[gemach7]

Also flow could be another cheap thing to add that could help. If algae spores stay suspended less chance to anchor onto your plants and instead picked up by your filter.
With your tank size a power head of say 550 gph give or take, some of these are quite inaccurate(hydor is about 100 gph below what is says on the label imo anyway). And would be 20-30 dollars.


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[jrizza]

Thanks for the help on this- really good information. I ordered some frets online and will begin doing EI

Thanks again, I'll update this thread in a couple weeks to let you know how it goes.


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[ThePlantedMedic]

can you post once you have started the EI regimen and let us know how its working? I just started with EI and am curious how this will work. The only comment I have is I had that almost purple "algae" that is on your drift wood there when I first started my tank. People told me it was a sap that leaked from the root. I removed it a couple of times and it never returned.

 

[jrizza]

Yes. Glad to hear I'm not the only one suffering from this stuff.

It seems to be some angry black brush algae, dying in spots and turning reddish purple. I will be away from the house for a few days next week and will start strict EI when I get back.



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[fishenthusiast]

I think PPS-Pro could also work with your tank. It's just less ferts added to the water column with less water changes needed (i.e. No need for a 50% water change--30% would be acceptable). If your tank starts to develop green water, slim down on the EI or go to PPS-Pro. I didn't like EI when I had it; I felt like it made my tank dirtier and not as healthy.


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[jrizza]

I have been dosing for about one week now. Everything looks about the same- When should I expect to see a change?


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[gemach7]

Process can be slow. You can speed up the process a little by trimming the leaves hit the worst. And cleaning any decor that's badly covered. Most algae blooms I've encountered average was 4 weeks to see remission. Algae is harder hit by shorter light periods than plants. You can remove light during the water change days. Or reduce lighting to say 6 hours. Till you see a reduction in algae than increase 20-30 minutes a day till back to 8 if algae returns during this maybe 8 hours is too long for your setup.


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[jrizza]

3 week update.

Plants overall seem perky and green. Not really showing a slow-down in algae, although it might just need more time. And- I'm either getting a new weird blue-green spot algae or my Oto is finally making a dent in the diatoms on the crypts (see picture).

What do you guys think?


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[Caliban07]

I'm not sure how fertilisation is the answer when all was well before the co2 ran out. Sounds like the lost co2 was the cause here.

Op I'm curious, your Kh is quite low. Are those measurements that you posted after the co2 ran out or whilst injecting co2? Do you measure ph at different times of the day? Do you switch co2 on before the lights come on?

The reason I ask is that this problem sounds like the exact same thing that has just happened to me recently. If you could answer those questions o may be able to expand a bit more.


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[jrizza]

Measurements are after co2 was replaced. Co2 was currently being injected- I think this check occurred in the evening.

Co2 is turned on about an hour before lights.


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[gemach7]

If the algae you are experiencing is diatoms. Easiest way to remove is using ro/di. They need silicates to build their "shells" no silicates no diatoms.

Short of this the day you do your water change this week, cover the tank, no ferts, and leave the lights off for 48 hours.

- Water change reduces the algae nutrients (returning to homeostasis)
- Lights off, kills the algae. Plants keep sugar stores to survive through: seasons, long storms, etc. algae have no food stores. No light they start to die.

After the lights are back on.
Test your ph in hour increments.
Test before lights and co2 come on to get your end range.(so not testing all night long too)

Very Wide ph changes may help the algae compete against the plants.

Also what is the total plant mass of the tank?

If not enough plants for the amount of nutrients in the tank; fertilizing won't help nearly as well. Find an aquarium club near you. Most do plants swaps or auctions. Can get plants at like 1/5 the store cost sometimes free.
More plants more things to take the place of algae.


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[Caliban07]

I think we have to distinguish here between algal causal and algal support. It may not be (probably isn't) that excess nutrients cause algae. We know this because of high light tanks running EI methods but the excess nutrients will support algae just as they do plants. It's unlikely that algae will disappear by reducing nutrients without affecting the plants too since algae require much less nourishment. So if we use this logic one might see that light is the driving force for algae.

What we have to figure out is what triggered the algae bloom in the first place. My guess, would be the abrupt end to the carbon supply. There are many hypothesis why algae is triggered, one of which is ammonia which is strongly supported by Tom Barr and others alike. Maybe excess ammonia, coupled with dissolved organics, light and fluctuating co2 levels caused the algae. Bottom line is it needs to be manually removed and/or killed. Then focus on growing plants. Healthy plants seem to be the driving force behind algae limitation.


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[jrizza]

What we have to figure out is what triggered the algae bloom in the first place. My guess, would be the abrupt end to the carbon supply...Maybe excess ammonia, coupled with dissolved organics, light and fluctuating co2 levels caused the algae.

CO2 ran out the same time I moved the tank. When I got a new canister, i also had trouble with my diffuser- but I fixed that some time ago. CO2 has now been steady for about two months. Lighting is on a timer and is exactly the same every day- I mentioned in the original post it was an 8 hour photoperiod. It's actually closer to 7 hours: 2 in the morning, 5 in the afternoon. CO2 kicks on an hour before lights and turns of 30 minutes before blackout.

When I moved I also lost a bunch of shrimp. I retrieved most of dead ones, but I have a feeling some of the smaller ones settled into the gravel and the excess phosphates caused a lot of what I'm seeing.

This was some time ago now. I've been using the gravel vac weekly.

 

[jrizza]

Also what is the total plant mass of the tank?

How do I measure this? Haha. Want a full tank shot?