Algae Problems any pointers??

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donaldastwood

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 10, 2007
110
0
0
New York
Hi,
I have a semi heavy planted tank with a variation of swords, Java ferns, Java Moss, Moss balls and micro swords, but i am having an algae problem.. Check out the pic.

My setup is a 50Gal long Hex tank with eco complete substrate, diy CO2 system attached to a power head pretty near the bottom that directs the bubbles towards the intaks of my fluval 404. I do dose with ferts once a week and supplement with root tabs for the swords. I also religiously do weekly 1/2 tank water changes and declorinate the water. Ohh and lighting I have a 150 watt/ 15000 lumen metal halide which cycles off with moonlight for 4hrs after the halide goes off. (8-10hrs Halide/ 4hrs moon light on timers)

I know that the green algae on the plant pots is supposed to be a good thing, but the stuff is taking over... it grows on everythng, even the sword leaves!! I have been cutting back the ferts..but when i do the darker green algae starts to flourish??

Any pointers would be appreciated

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The algae in the first pic can be attributed to your dosing of nutrients, with the lack of fast growing systemic plants. Your lighting level is WAY to high for the plants listed, and is by far overkill. You really need to get a regulator kit, and a co2 bottle. With as much light as you have, the DiY CO2 is doing you very little good. The algae in the second picture is black beard algae, which is most likely due to the eco-complete you have. Eco is very high is phosphate, and the balance is thrown off the longer you have it. Flourish excel dosing on the BBA will help to rid you of it.
 
Thanks for the reply.
I will look into getting a bonified CO2 system with bubble counter etc. and i do see what you mean by faster growing plants to absorb surplus phosphates and its kinda ironic as i have been looking at restructuring the plant life that i currently have...so thanks for confirming that for me.
With regard to the Eco complete... are you telling me that the stuff has a half life?!?!? Does that mean that i should look at replacing my substrate? if so any recommendations as to what to replace it with.
Infact as an out there idea...would it be a good idea to use the eco complete as a sub-layer and put sand over the top of it..say 1-2 inches. I read that layering with a lesser nutrient rich substrate as the top layer may slow any nutrient leeching.
and finally... what do you mean by "BBA"? I know about flourish excel but i have no idea what BBW means.. Thanks
 
All plant substrates run out of nutrients, they are producing the nutrients. The plants will use up the nutrients. Generally it takes 6-8 months for eco complete, and 1.5-2 years for flourite.
 
Thats amazing.. I didnt even realise that was the case. I have had the batch i got now for about a year now... so that means that i need to change it out... but that means breaking down almost the whole tank, taking everything out and re-starting.... thats an insane amount of work.

Is there any way to curb this... or is it just a case of buying and replacing the substrate every 6-8 months for eco complete, and 1.5-2 years for flourite.

I ask as there are people here that use just sand and eventhought they would have to substitute with root tabs, that is by far a cheaper alternative to buying new bags of substrate every 6 month to 2year and ripping your tank apart.
 
Don't rip your tank apart, just replace with it by pulling some out here and there, and then replacing it. It isn't too bad, I substitute nutrients in the water, which maintains the levels much longer.
 
Ok, that seems like a much more fesable option... I will start the process immediately..

I am always dubious of dosing ferts into the water colum, almsot every time i start the dosing something seems to go wrong...like algae blooms, or the water itself seems to get a almost slimey texture..

Do you know of any set schedules or routines of dosing with liquid ferts? Because all the bottles ever say is... 1 cap/teaspoon to every 10 Gals. But when using DIY CO2 and 10K lighting... how often are you supposed to replenish the ferts?? Every weekly water change? or more often because of the high light output??
 
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