Green hair/fuzz algae

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

SpeedEuphoria

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Jun 1, 2008
Messages
1,225
Location
BCM
Hey just looking for insight on this topic as I've been reading up on it all week.
Tank is 55G, ~100w T8 lighting(2x ODNO), newely setup w/ plants from a CO2 higher light seller, no CO2, light dosing of dry ferts, tank been running for ~1month. I have a high reading of Nitrite from the massive ammonia that showed up in the tank from an unknown source. I started w/ 6hrs of light for 1week w/ new plants and the ODNO lighting. I have bumped it up to 7hrs then 8hrs. I also did a 1 day blackout in there sometimes.

I'm getting fast growing green algae, hair/fuzz like. It starts on the driftwood near the center but also growing on the glass and now other places, like the flat rock I have. It is not GDA on the glass as when I look from the side I can see it waving in the current. This stuff pearls everyday all day and is obliviously loving the tank conditions, lol.

From what I've read it can be low CO2(which I'm not injecting) and also possible not enough macros.

The ferts regimen has been up in the air for me as I started w/ no fish in there. Then added 1 male Endler has been in there for ~3weeks. Recently I added more fauna, current stock list is: 3 male endlers, 3 RCS, 2 Oto's.

Some plants started off after the 1st week like they were doing OK, a couple were just standing still, and a few were looking like they were suffering(which now are perking up and looking better then some others).

I do plan on getting Excel to combat this, but more so for routine dosing. I also was planning on getting more Oto's and a BN Pleco for this tank, but was waiting for the water to get settled. I have been pressed by this algae issue so I decided to add the 2 oto's now and a couple shrimp and more fish to eat some algae. I'm now thinking about getting 3-5 baby BN plecs to help then trade all but 1 back in when things are settled. Are any snails good at eating algae, like Briggs or mystery?


Thanks in advance
 
What are your test results for Nitrate and Phosphate? If either is bottoming out, that would be the first place to start correcting.
 
Nitrate has been dosed to 10 but I added more to get it to 20. I dont have a phosphate test kit. I have dosed slightly(same as CSM+B) although since my water is liquid rock I'm not sure that this is needed.


I think its a combination of things, and I'm learning that you have to actually understand whats going on b/c as soon as you see algae you need to make some changes and its is still going to take some time to get rid of it.

I think part of it was the high ammonia at startup, then having no CO2 with plants that came from a CO2 injected tank. Basically I'm hoping to get through 6 weeks without the plants dying then I think I'll be OK. I plan to get excel, prob soon to hopefully help
 
If you're having to dose Nitrates, then in all probably you should also be dosing Phosphates, Potassium, and Traces at healthy rate as well. If any of these is also bottoming out it will result in Algae. Generally in lower light aquariums you only have to dose Potassium and Traces, but since you don't have fish providing Nitrates and Phosphates with their waste you need to dose them as well.
 
Back
Top Bottom