Planted tank issues with algae

[Bcuzimbatman]

Flooded my dsm and set up two DIY CO2 systems so I would have well more than enough c02 in the water for no melting. But the water has become really cloudy ever since I filled and hasn't cleared. The DHG is kinda turning yellow. And algae has bloomed all over the floor of the DHG area. What do I do?

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Well. What are you doing for ferts, substrate, and lighting?

A more involved planted tank is a balancing act of light, CO2, and plant nutrients. Any one of those is lacking or too much and you can have algal growth.

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

I have a quad t5 18w bulb lamp. And the substrate is Eco complete with a lot of root tabs. I dose API as the only other fert. And like I said I have 2 DIY c02 setups.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

What size tank?

 

[jondamon]

What size tank?

+1

I have 60w of T8 6700k light over my 50g tank.

I grow varieties of swords, Anubias, crypts and moss.

I dose micro nutrients and potassium every other day and try to maintain 10ppm of nitrates.

Initially I suffered from GSA, BBA and staghorn algae until I found my balance of nutrients. I did have pressurised Co2 but it was contributing to the algae as I didn't have enough light to make use of the extra Co2 I was adding.


Jon

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

Its all in a 10 gallon tank

 

[Rivercats]

First stop the CO2, when it's time in a 10 gallon one CO2 will be enough. As for the algae its hard to see what kind in the picture. If its cynobacteria (blue-green algae) then it will need to be treated differently than other algae. As for the cloudy water your tank is cycling, it will clear, water changes will help as will running your filter if you aren't already. The plants were being grown emersed (above water) and now they are immersed (growing under water), this means they have to go through a trasition period. This is normal and you will have to wait it out. Even if they look like they are dying, leave them alone and wait (hard I know). The algae problem is the cause of too much light, too much CO2, and probably too many nutrients in the water for the plants to use. What you need to do is finish planting the tank. More plants will help use up the excess nutrients. Once you get things under control then you can turn your CO2 back on. How many hours are you running your lights? On my big tank I run my high lights for only 6 hours (3x150watt HID metal halides) and 12 hours on low lights (4x39watt T5HO). Then I had to play with how much liquid carbon and nutrients the plants needed daily so as not to have an algae farm. It doesn't happen overnight so you have to work first to get algae under control and then work at finding your tanks balance between light, CO2, and ferts. It's frustrating but you will get there.

 

[Bcuzimbatman]

New update. Cycled down the lights to about 3 hours a day. Water still a bit cloudy but better. Started noticing an orange film like substance on the edge of the water. I don't currently have any carbon in my filter and also my filter is internal so there is no water c02 disruption

 

[aqua_chem]

You have four T5HO bulbs about your tank? That a TON of light, too much IMO for such a small tank. You probably have the CO2 for that, but you're going to need more ferts as well. IME, cyano (as well as many other algae) come from too few nutrients in the water (unhealthy ecosystem) rather than from too many. If your Lilaeopsis is turning yellow, it's agreeing with me. Do you have a nitrate reading on the tank? High light = high nutrient uptake, and no fish + no NO3 ferts = no nitrate, which might be what you're seeing.

 

[Pteronarcys]

If it is DIY yeast CO2, what can happen is sometimes yeast water can get into the tank, especially if it gets knocked over. Thus sugar water and yeast are now in the tank. It looks like blue green algae growing too. The cloudy water might be yeast growing in your tank and the algae might be from lack of oxygen. Though new set-ups can get cloudy water as the beneficial bacteria bloom then it goes away after several days.

If it's yeast, then doing a few large water changes will help get rid of it and check your DIY co2 cans to make sure liquid from them isn't getting into your tank (perhaps less water in them next time).
If it is just beneficial bacteria growing just let it go for several days and it will clear up.

You seem to have high lighting on the tank, so you will definitely have to dose nitrates ie flourish nitrogen. With high lighting and co2 plants will suck up the nitrates and leave you with none, thus cyanobacteria. Just had this issue myself in my 65 with lack of nitrates.