Before the algae gets out of hand

[BrianNY]

I'm such a newbie at this plant thing that I really need some more feedback and advice. The problem is algae. Long green strands and a kind of green carpet on the substrate. I don't believe it's cyano because there is no foul odor.

The tank: 125 gal. Eco-Complete subtrate. 2 large cannister filters with just mechanical and biofiltration. 330 watts of light for 10 hours a day( 6,700K bulbs).

The plants: Heavily planted with Annubias, Java Fern, Crypts, Amazon swords, Micro swords, and a wide variety of red stem plants.

The fish: 20 black neons, 2 very large Congo tetras, 2 clown loaches, 12 Otos.

The water parameters: Temp 79, PH 7.4, KH 4, GH 4, Nitrates under 12.5, Fe 0 (?), CO2 6ppm, awaiting my phosphate test kit.

I've been advised by the plant distributer to use the Flourish line of products. Potassium, Iron and trace elements.

I realize the CO2 is very low. Will the use of Flourish XL help in this situation or must I go with a pressurized system? Are there any other nutrients that I should be measuring for, and or adding? Should I cut back the hours of lighting, and if so to what?

Thanks,
Brian (Green with algae)

 

[malkore]

Flourish excel will work, but you'd go through it so quickly you'd quickly have paid for a pressurized setup.
Do NOT buy Flourish Trace. It's literally mineral water from a very hard spring somewhere.
I use normal Flourish like a trace, dosing .5 to 1mL every day around noon. I add potassium nitrate to keep my nitrates up, and am going to be getting a phosphate source soon enough.
Your Kh is just high enough to make pressurized CO2 'foolproof', but I'd look at getting a pH controller as part of the system.
My recommendation is to check out www.aquatic-store.com - the Milwaukee all in one regulator (should be back in stock soon), a Milwaukee pH controller, then go to a welding supply shop or a fire extinguisher store, and get a 10lb CO2 tank. Don't pay more than $100 for it, and if you can just 'lease' a tank with a deposit, I suggest that. Then you don't have to pay for annual testing of the tank to ensure it's safe, plus you can get your deposit back if you give up on CO2.
Then you only need to buy, make, or otherwise inject CO2 into the watter column: diffusers, reactors, in-line with the intake (bottom impeller mounted canisters ONLY)

did that help?

For my 220watts over 75, I run 110watts for 11 hours, and the other 110 watts is on for 5-6 hrs in between...so its' about 110w for 3 hours, 220w for 6 hours, 110w for 2hrs, then blackout. I'm experimenting with morning-noon-evening-night cycle, and t he interesting thing is my plants don't pearl in the a.m., but do under 220, and still pearl under the evening 110w. They seem to be growing well, but not too quickly. i'm only seeing small amounts of diatom algae right now, the tanks been up a month.

 

[BrianNY]

25 kudos to you Gregg. Thanks for input.

 

[Madame_X]

Brian, I notice that all the plants you have listed are very slow growing (well, except the swords but they're root feeders). I would add some fast-growing stem plants of some sort to the mix to help consume any excess nutrients that the slower-growing ones can't.

Since all your current plants are slow growers, the algae is able to compete fairly well for nutrients.

Hope that helps!

 

[TankGirl]

I agree with Malkore that your money would be well spent on a pressurized CO2 system. Once you get over 2.5wpg it really helps, and though you will have to lay out some money for the initial setup, the maintenance costs are very low and you have so much more control over the CO2.

I also agree with MadameX about getting some fast growing algae competitors, like hygro and watersprite, and even anacharis to use up those nutrients.

For myself, the algae problem was impacted the most when I interrupted my light cycle in the middle of the day, with 5 hours on, 2 hours off, 5 hours on. I too no longer get pearling in the AM, but do in the later afternoon. I am still tweaking my nutrients, but it takes SOOOO much time and patience. I will get there eventually...

 

[BrianNY]

Thanks for all the input. I have plenty of stem plants. All red ones. I'll use the XL til I get back from vacation. Then I'll bite the bullet and order the CO2 system .
TankGirl.....you mean you controlled the algae by interrupting the lights?

 

[betowess]

Hey Brian,
I think you might have one of the kinds of algae I am dealing with. The one I won't go into is BBA (Black Brush Algae) I am new at this game as well so take my feedback with a boulder sized grain of salt... In my next tank all the plants get the acid test (19 parts H20 to one part Bleach dip)

I don't know the name, but my green algae is feathery light and started on glass, and is wispy and can grow to quite a few inches long rolling in the current off the glass... and it is very easy to wipe off. Some have called it "film algae" I think on the Krib. Not a sign of bad water, very normal in our brightly lit planted tanks, but can develop into a full green water bloom. Often caused by messing with the tank... especially replanting. My other two tanks I rarely mess with have no algae other than a little spot here or there. I might be my own worse enemy.

Only real cure is too many plants taking up the organics and (I think) a micron or diatom filtration will wipe out the symptoms. I'm going to use my new diatom that just arrived tonight or tomorrow. Tired of all these water changes. All my parameters are good save my PH is a little too high sometimes at 7.5 and algae like alkalinity more than acid.

I think my real culprit is too long of light ( and maybe too bright) and a little over fert on my part and replanting stuff fighting the BBA. And I am really very heavily planted. HTH

 

[TankGirl]

Brian- I do believe I controlled the algae by interrupting the light cycle. I read somewhere a while back that algae has trouble sustaining itself with that interruption in photosynthesis, and higher plants do not. It has certainly seemed to be the case for me, though I am making other minor changes, but it takes quite a while to get things just so, at least in my case. At any rate, it is working and I am happy! It was starting to get so out of hand that I was ready to tear the tank down. 8O

 

[malkore]

Yes, there are many who think that an afternoon 'siesta' without lights for 3-4 hours can really screw up the algae's life cycle.

I myself am trying something else (the 4 hrs -3hrs - 4hrs that I mentioned in my first post).

 

[TankGirl]

Since I am home all day with my tanks, that 2 hours of darkness 'bout kills my soul!

 

[betowess]

My prob. is that I want to turn them on when I get home late after a long day at my work. Discipline Not.

Update on the D1 diatom filter: WOW, squeaky clean in a couple of hours. Major clean in 20 minutes on my 26 gallon bow. But I think the Magnum 350 is probably easier to charge with the powder than the D1. Of course I am a newbie to these things. Check out CC's post from Aquabotanics (http://aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=13431) on using a Magnum 350 with a diatomaceous earth powder. It wipes out Green water algae bigtime!!!

 

[BrianNY]

A timer would be good for that Bob . My lights will now come on at 10AM-3PM, and then 5PM-10PM. Let's see if this helps.

Here's what I do with the diatom. After filling with powder and water, I connect intake and outflow together, run the filter till the powder is no longer suspended, and detach under water. No spills of powder this way