Algae problem=prime?

F1 VET

THE serrasalmus rhom
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Nov 3, 2011
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Have had my tank setup for over a year. And I've always had a bit of algae here and there which imo is somewhat natural and normal in a planted tank. But recently what I think is bba grows on New leafs on my cryps and old leafs on my stems but even some sub and dw which isn't in the light has got algae spots.

Could prime dechlorinator take out metals that are in micro ferts like csm b?

Tank- 40b med/high light, EI dosing, 5lbs bottle of c02 run to rexx grigg inline reactor attached to a xp3, hydor 1150gph. Medium bio load, old flourite, pfs and some small pebbles. Lights 8.5 hours a day and 50-60% weekly wc. Water 76 77°

I've tweaked every variable to counter or starve the nuisance. More c02, less lighting, more n03 and potassium, less phosphates etc. Mind you each variable was independently changed over 10-14 days and not much has changed. My tap is very hard and kh very high also, ph about 7.4/7.6

I can grow and maintain a lace leaf But get these algae problems without even trying. A lot of times I get a thin tan coating on front glass. No sunlight.

uploadfromtaptalk1411434907301.jpguploadfromtaptalk1411435014905.jpguploadfromtaptalk1411435098219.jpguploadfromtaptalk1411435325806.jpguploadfromtaptalk1411435387862.jpg

So is there less micro in my tank due to Prime used with wc? Any ideas or suggestions? Levels are usually 10-20ppm no3/ 3-5ppm P/ assuming 25-30ppm c02 with 2-3bps including high current.

I have sae's, ottos, mts, assassins, various shrimps and I've tried the peroxide dipping and excel regimin. So it would be nice to get to the root.

Thx

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F1 VET

THE serrasalmus rhom
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Also here are shots of the lighting. 1x 65watt industrial florescent floodlight@6500k (used to have 2) and a 18watt cfl @6000k. Given the plants could it be too much even with decent c02?

uploadfromtaptalk1411437366684.jpguploadfromtaptalk1411437390777.jpguploadfromtaptalk1411437407259.jpguploadfromtaptalk1411437418564.jpguploadfromtaptalk1411437433469.jpg

I'm by no means a vet with planted setups so I'm sure there is an element or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 I'm missing. I'm trying to focus on plant growth and not algae but its not easy.


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HybridHerp

Fire Eel
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May 18, 2012
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I would feed less often and maybe get ottos or bristle nose...if the piraña is chill with that.

Personally I do think amano shrimp and, more importantly, nerite snails are the best things ever for tank cleaning though.

As far as algae on the plants, its an imbalance of one kind or another, I'm still struggling with algae in my 75 (but my 10 and my 5.5 are spotless (shrug)). Spraying h202 around when doing water changes helps kill algae that is there, but it is a balance thing. You have a limiting factor of some sort (most likely a fert or co2) that means the rest of the nutrients can't be used since that one element is used, meaning the algae is free to use it.
 

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THE serrasalmus rhom
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Diatoms. Buy some otocinculus. Feed less often, watch nitrate levels.

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So it could be organic buildup? I feed about 12 med nls pellets a day. Vacuuming more may help?

I would feed less often and maybe get ottos or bristle nose...if the piraña is chill with that.

Personally I do think amano shrimp and, more importantly, nerite snails are the best things ever for tank cleaning though.

As far as algae on the plants, its an imbalance of one kind or another, I'm still struggling with algae in my 75 (but my 10 and my 5.5 are spotless (shrug)). Spraying h202 around when doing water changes helps kill algae that is there, but it is a balance thing. You have a limiting factor of some sort (most likely a fert or co2) that means the rest of the nutrients can't be used since that one element is used, meaning the algae is free to use it.
Right I understand the imbalance thing but fertz are on point and tested and I would think c02 is fine given the setup and flow. The only thing I can think of is lights or waste like said above.



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ChrisM101

Jack Dempsey
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Feb 5, 2014
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One thing I will say and im sure people will hotly debate it, I have more algae when im trying to have perfect water. I probably tend to clean my canister too thoroughly and kill too much good bacteria. I also get algae with large water changes so ive been changing 30 to 40 percent every two weeks or if nitrates get very elevated. So look at increasing the biomedia surface area if possible. More bio balls ceramics etc.

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rodger

Polypterus
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Apr 29, 2008
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As far as your question about Prime removing heavy metals, they no longer make that claim. I think I read that in a sticky about dechlorinators. It will oxidize very small amounts, but so will any dechlor.

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F1 VET

THE serrasalmus rhom
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Nov 3, 2011
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One thing I will say and im sure people will hotly debate it, I have more algae when im trying to have perfect water. I probably tend to clean my canister too thoroughly and kill too much good bacteria. I also get algae with large water changes so ive been changing 30 to 40 percent every two weeks or if nitrates get very elevated. So look at increasing the biomedia surface area if possible. More bio balls ceramics etc.

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I do 50% once a week with EI fert dosing and have plenty of bio. The only way to kill you bb is to rinse it in untreated tap water or leave it sitting dry to long. You can rinse bio in tank water and it will be fine.

As far as your question about Prime removing heavy metals, they no longer make that claim. I think I read that in a sticky about dechlorinators. It will oxidize very small amounts, but so will any dechlor.

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Thanks cuz I thought possibly it was removing iron and all the micro stuff and which caused the gap in my nutrients thus algae.



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F1 VET

THE serrasalmus rhom
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Nov 3, 2011
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So I cleaned my filter and forgot to plug it back in for about 36 hours which meant no c02 since its plumbed into my canister via rexx grigg reactor and I got alot of this coating on my plants. This leads me to believe its got to be organic matter some where because the bio filter wasnt converting and levels must have gone up quick. Surely no c02 for a day and a half wouldnt create this much algae

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HybridHerp

Fire Eel
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May 18, 2012
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Pic? It might, but I do want to bet its some form of organics building up. Maybe diatoms? Or an algae of some sort. I don't think its possible to ever 100% have an algae free tank, not unless you went super psychotic on the maintenance or something. But I'd assume most "algae-less" tanks are really just 90% algae less....like its always present but it might just be super minute and essentially invisible to the naked eye.
 
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