Algae Issues On New Heavily Planted Tank

[ricardo48]

I have recently undergone an established tank bacterial bloom after adding laterite substrate to my existing tank and then heavily planting it with root tabs and liquid fertiliser.

I have 2x24 watt flora glo lighting on my 15 gallon tank.

I have

2 sparkling gourami
4 harlequin
5 cardinal tetra
3 platys - 1 is baby I raised in tank
5 octocinclus
5 algae shrimp
1 clown loach


The bloom cleared up and my water is fantastically clear, but I am now experiencing problems with dark green algae growing all other my plant leaves... I have trimmed back worse affected areas but its happening to the new leaves also but at this rate I will end up cutting all the leaves off!!

My worse affected plants are the brazilian pennywort and dracaena.

I have my lights on for 10 hours a day and inject Tetra Optimat co2 and diy yeast co2 from 2ltr bottle


My water test results were the following

PH = 7.5
GH = 18 dk
KH = 10 dk
CO2 = 9 ppm
Nitrite = 0.3mg/g
Ammonia = 0mg/l


Any ideas how to control the algae and so i dont have to keep doing heavy pruning?

Also any ideas why my co2 ppm reading wont go up. I diffuse the co2 using a powerhead through a micro bubbler airstone.

 

[Ruadh]

Have you got an HOB filter, if so, that's the trouble.
An HOB disturbs the water too much to run CO2 with it, causing the CO2 to gas off. The air curtain would also drive off the gas.

A lot of times an algae outbreak can be traced to a fert imbalance.
Read up on the Estimative Index method of fertilizing on Tom Barr's site. I use Chuck's Calculator to dose my tank. You don't show a nitrAte level, what's it at? How about phosphates? Those are the two big contributors to algae trouble.

 

[ricardo48]

Yes I have a HOB filter but it only runs at night to help gas off the co2. During the day I have a standard internal filter. I dont have an air curtain.

Nitrate is also at under 0.5mg/l and I dont know about phosphates but I use Tetra Easy balance to help with this and with the heavily planted tank they should be absorbing most of the nutrients?

 

[timwag2001]

if you bottom out on nutrients (ie: if you have no nitrate) you can get algae growth. everything needs to be in balance.
is it green spot algae? do you have pics? you can get algae on slow groing leaves, and your dracaena could be called a slow groing leave in your tank
considering that its not a true aquatic plant. you should pull that one out and put it in a pot, try returning it or throw it away.
here is a table that explains what your co2 levels are in your tank Tropica
it's kinda influenced by your kh and ph. if you really want to measure your co2 you should get a drop checker.

 

[ricardo48]

My dracaena is growing really fast and shooting some nice roots from each node up the stem. Will definetly not be removing.

My cabomba is dark green in colour except for the tip of each stem which is a nice green. also my wheat plant is covered in algae. Its more like brown algae all over the leaves.

Everything else seems fine, the Wisterii and Amazon sword are nice and bright green as are my new Pygmy chainsword leaves.

 

[timwag2001]

just letting you know that it doesnt belong submerged in your tank and will rot away on you. what you do with it is obviously your choice

 

[ricardo48]

Im confused here. I bought this from an Aquarium store.

It is an aquarium plant so will not rot away otherwise why would they sell it and grow it in the water?!

 

[Yellow Eye Tang]

I also bought a plant that was non aquatic from PetCo. I went back there a month later and they had it all over under water in their tanks. I told them it was non aquatic and they simply said they would tell management. 3 months later I went back and the same stuff was in there. If you look at the roots you will see them going black... and it WILL eventually rot.

 

[timwag2001]

hey dont hate the messanger! just trying to help.
they sold it to you because they want your money. i made the same mistake. just because you can swim under the water doesnt make you aquatic does it?

here is a link of other non aquatic plants so you dont get burned in the future.
http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list.php?category=11

 

[timwag2001]

we should get a sticky for non aquatics

 

[JustOneMore20]

Is the dark green algae slimy? Is it easily removed from stuff? If so, it sounds like cyanobacteria aka blue-green algae. It can be anywhere from really dark green to blue-green to gray in color IME. From the looks of your nitrates, it seems this may be what you have.

If that is the case, you can do 1 of 2 things. Either do a blackout for a few days....turn the lights out, don't feed, wrap a towel or blanket around the tank. Or you can get some Erythromycin (sold as Maracyn) and dose it for a few days. Either way I'd try to siphon out any algae you can and then do it again after the treatment.

I've used the Erythromycin for several days without any effects on the biofilter and it does get rid of the algae.

More water flow and increasing nitrates usually prevents BGA/cyano from returning. You can dose nitrates (for the plants) via liquid Nitrogen by Seachem or with KNO3 which is a dry fertilzer.

I agree^, the dracaena is not an aquatic plant, but aquarium stores do sell it sometimes. It will be making new leaves and growing taller, trying to get above the water. I'd pot it and it should continue to grow.

 

[FishEggs]

you were also sold a clown loach even though you only have a 15 gallon tank. you should have at least a 75 gallon tank if not bigger for that fish. here is a link for some info on the fish. most places will sell whatever they can to keep money flowing in. whatever looks good and dazzles uninformed ppl. i too had some clown loaches for a while in my 40gal and learned my lesson to research the fish i see at the lfs before i buy.

 

[ricardo48]

no he is not a clown loach I got it wrong. He is a pleco with the same clown colors. He is only 2 inches long and wont get any bigger I was told.