Good co2 and still algae??

[sallyjano]

I think my CO2 is pretty decent levels. By the end of the CO2 period the drop checking is showing a mix of green and yellow. PH7.2 KH7 which puts me in the middle of the ideal range on the ph/kh chart.

So I'm assuming my co2 levels are decent yet I am still seeing the beginnings of some staghorn algae on my sword leaves. The weird thing is that it's on the leaves closest to the co2 diffuser so I'd have thought it would have the best co2 levels in the tank!

Any ideas why I'd be seeing staghorn even with good co2 levels?

FYI I use PPS PRO dosing 10ml of micro 7.5 of macro daily plus 2.5 ml of metricide. 50% PWC weekly.

 

[Brookster123]

Stag horn is usually flow related, what's moving water up in there?

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[sallyjano]

Stag horn is usually flow related, what's moving water up in there?

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I have a powerhead but actually only just added that a few days ago so maybe it started before then. I will remove it and see if it comes back.

Thanks!

 

[Brookster123]

Remove what you can with a sword! Or scissors and than scorch the rest with dragon fire!! Or h202...

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[sallyjano]

Remove what you can with a sword! Or scissors and than scorch the rest with dragon fire!! Or h202...

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Goodness have you been watching Game of Thrones or something?!!

 

[Brookster123]

Goodness have you been watching Game of Thrones or something?!!

What would give you that idea?? And.. yes.. yes I have! But seriously, try that stuff..

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[sallyjano]

What would give you that idea?? And.. yes.. yes I have! But seriously, try that stuff..

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Well I'm running a little short on swords and dragons (I lent them all to Khalissi) but scissors and h2o2 I can do.

Thanks!

 

[aqua_chem]

You can also sometimes get staghorn with too much flow, or poor water conditions, especially ammonia. Could also not be staghorn, so you could post a picture for us to double check if you wanted to.

 

[sallyjano]

You can also sometimes get staghorn with too much flow, or poor water conditions, especially ammonia. Could also not be staghorn, so you could post a picture for us to double check if you wanted to.

Don't think it's too much flow as the p head is new. Water params are good so not ammonia. You could be right that maybe I got the type of algae wrong though!! Here is a picture. Not sure if the CO2 bubbles make it hard to see.

Also new question! Forgot to say that I also have horrible algae in my Java miss. I thought it would go with co2 but nope. Here's a pic of that too.


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[sallyjano]

Can anyone confirm what these algae types are and why I have them when I have OK co2 levels?


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[bcarl_10gal]

Honestly having algae is almost always a sign of too little co2


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[bcarl_10gal]

Whats your pH before you inject Co2? Take some water out of the tank and let it sit for a few hours and measure pH


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[coralbandit]

Honestly having algae is almost always a sign of too little co2


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This is not always the case.
Once adding co2 lighting and ferts need to balanced(tweeked) to allow for even use of all the extras we are adding.
How long are you lighting for?
Best bet says lower lighting time and allow co2 and ferts to catch up?
Algae in the Planted Aquarium-- Guitarfish
An oldy but a goody.

 

[Sk3lly]

Just going to throw this out there...

A lime green drop checker worth of co2 does not guarantee no algae.

It does not work that way.

Algae is generally a sign of too much light. Intensity or duration may be the cause.

Tank cleanliness is also a huge help. Detritus and decomposing plant matter will release ammonia which feeds the algae. This will not show up on your liquid test kit.

A clean filter is also recommended. People say not to clean a filter often but i clean mine weekly religiously. A filter is designed to COLLECT tank rubbish as well as giving a place for bacteria to colonise. Still needs the detritus manually removing from the filter.

Different algaes have different causes and cures. A clean tank goes a long way to helping


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[sallyjano]

Before the co2 goes on I"m around ph7.4 (FYI I didn't let it sit for a few hours though....is that necessary?) and kh8. At the end of the period ph7.2 and kh7. On some charts that shows me inside the ideal range but the low end of ideal, other charts seem to show that as being slightly outside ideal so maybe I do need to crank it up a bit more.

Re lighting I have a Ray2 on a 60g long. I have the lights on around 7 hours.

Thanks for all the input.......a few questions based on the posts above.

1. Re keeping the tank clean - I used to thoroughly vacuum the gravel every week but now that the tank is mostly covered with plants that's really hard. Where I've got lots of pygmy chain you just can't really get to the gravel at all, where I have stem plants I try and do lit lightly but then I end up getting the root tabs from below. (Maybe I don't have them deep enough?). Thoughts on how to keep it clean when you have lots of plants?

2. I have an aquatek regulator and I don't like it at all because it's really hard to turn it up just a little. The teeniest of turn and it goes up a lot. Anyone got this regulator and is there any trick you've learned so you can turn it up small amounts?

 

[Sk3lly]

If your going to use pH as a guide to co2, then you need to be dropping pH by a 1point value at least.

My pH before co2 on is 7.5. At lights on my pH is 6.5. At co2 off my pH has dropped further to 6.3.

As for gravel vac well you dont. You still need to clean detritus though. Waft your hand over the plants and try to stir the detritus up into the water column. You can then syphon it out.


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[bcarl_10gal]

+1 my tank has a KH of 4. Degassed has a pH of 7.6. Its about 6.4 when lights come on, 6.3 when the photoperiod is over.


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[Delapool]

Same almost, mine starts at say 7.4 and gets down to 6.8 by end but big tank. Getting better growth and less algae since increasing co2.

 

[coralbandit]

Turn up co2 a little.
Just my opinion but with only 7 hours light I would.
Have you considered a pH controller for another redundant control feature?
I send my 180G(with sump) from 7.6 to 6.3 and my drop checker says I can push more!

 

[Brookster123]

How many bps you at? if youre going to dose glut, 1.25ml will not cut it, you're looking at 20ml daily to make any difference..

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