Algae issue or not....Please vote!!

[dan518]

Only had one out break of bba, caused by my wife over feeding when I was away. Cut back feeding, good water change schedule and it disappeared on its own accord.
As for algae in general I like it, hair or green. I deliberately have my tank lights on for 11 hrs a day to encourage its growth and only clean it of the front viewing panel, not that much grows on the glass it's mainly concentrated on my rock work and a few bits of wood. I like the look, I like the benefits on water quality it provides.

 

[Chefken]

Put the wrong dose and you can wipe out your entire tank for the sake of some BBA. You're only treating the aftermath by the way. Prevention is removing the source of organic build up as above.

I was not going to dose the water!! I have reduced my feeding to 5 days per week from 6. My water parameters are steady 0 AMM 0 Nitrite and 40 Nitrate....The plants do help keep the Nitrates down. I will add a 1/3 water change to my weekly 50-60% and see what happens. Winter is tough for Filter maintenance as I really prefer my outside space to hose out my cannisters and my wife freaks out when I use the kitchen sink.....Both filters on tank have been running 5 months and I replaced the pads once on each along with cleaning. Tank has been running 5 months. Fish are vibrant and healthy. The Chocolate Cichlids spawning every few weeks. The light I run is extremely powerful and I need to back it off a bit however the tank is only lit for plants on one end. The LED on the large pc of wood is not a plant light......I run only half of it at 80 LED watts and the algae flourishes along with Java moss which I added.

 

[Chefken]

BBA is very much related to high organic load. Normally reducing stock levels is the only thing that works but in your case it seems to be attracted to the driftwood and my guess is the driftwood is decomposing and leaching organics. You may want to replace it.

I would think those same organics are healthy for SA friends....The large pc has only been in water for 5 months. I has just begun the process.....I will reduce feeding to effect Bio-load. And add more plants!!

 

[Coryloach]

I would think those same organics are healthy for SA friends....The large pc has only been in water for 5 months. I has just begun the process.....I will reduce feeding to effect Bio-load. And add more plants!!

The tannins yes. But it seems there is decomposition going on as well. I've had newly put driftwood developing tuffs of BBA here and there but nothing major like that.

Both filters on tank have been running 5 months and I replaced the pads once on each along with cleaning.

No need to replace pads unless they're falling apart. To spread times between filter maintenance you can use a block of sponge to place on the intake as a pre-filter and then wash just that, in the bathroom or wherever the wife allows I will prevent the main media from getting dirty and overwhelming the system.

Something like that:

 

[Zanzag]

Id just treat the plants as needed and let the wood grow. Better for organica to be taken up by algae then to be left to accumulate

 

[Chefken]

Results conflicted like me!! I decided to try Peroxide and changing some parameters to see if I can control. If it fails I will let it grow long and prosperous.....It is the "most attractive" algae and I do believe it is actually beneficial to the health of the tank.

 

[Chefken]

I pulled the wood out of the tank and treated with peroxide....I did not want to put the amount required to soak the wood in my tank. The other issue is getting the water low enough to dose it all. I do not do 85% water changes....hard on my well. Just look at the pretty pink algae!!!

 

[Chefken]

So the battle goes on....progress report. i have most of the algae under control with Peroxide treatments outside the tank. I pull plants and trim some and treat some to remove the Beard algae. I seem to be getting it under control but I do not yet have balance in tank despite cutting on feedings and light. I am thinking it will be a labor of love.....weekly maintenance.