So does that mean with higher temps brown algae grows more? I am asking because I have seen alot lately on my plants and glass?
Best temp for Amazon Sword?
- Thread starter Alex562
- Start date
No. There is no correlation between temperature and diatomic "brown" algae growth. In newer tanks, brown algae usually shows up between 2 weeks - 3 months. It often runs its course and dies back on its own. If/when it shows up on an established tank, it's usually a result of high levels of dissolved organics, lack of water changes and/or recent filter adjustments/cleanings. I will often get a little bit of it after I change a filter cartridge or clean equipment. It then disappears after a few days. Also, Oto Catfish are well known for their ability to consume brown algae. A small group of them will completely rid a tank of brown algae in a matter of days (assuming they're healthy specimens). They're readily available and pretty cheap (around $2).
This makes sense. I have my setup almost cycled it's been almost a month so hopefully the brown algae goes away soon. I bought a couple small siamese algae eaters but my jack dempsey and texas got them already. I'm going to turn my temp down to 76 to see if my swords do any better. I kept my temp at 82 so I don't get any outbreaks of ick.
When you bought your A. Sword was it in the submersed or emersed form? Many LFS get aquatic plants in that have been grown emersed. It often takes these plants 1-3 weeks before they begin to grow in their submersed forms. Amazon Swords are very hardy plants, but do require readily available nutrients. Like most other aquatic plants, they can draw nutrients from both the water column and the substrate. Providing root tabs + column dosing will ensure that the plant(s) get plenty of nutrients.
The first thing I'd do is remove it from it's pot and burry it in the substrate. Those pots are used simply for transport/holding, and not intended for long term growth. A. Swords have massive root systems and need space to spread out and anchor the plant down. As for column dosing, you just need to ensure that macros/micros are present in the water. You can buy dry ferts online, or use Seachem's plant product line (high quality, but also expensive).
Again, this will depend entirely on your lighting, photoperiod, fish load, plant stock, etc. I'll assume you're going to run a low light tank. If that's the case, Flourish Comprehensive is a great starting product for planted tanks. It contains a wide range of micros/trace elements. As for your macros (NO3, PO4, K), your fish will provide most of it via waste. I ran a low-tech tank a few years back (see below) and used nothing but root tabs, Flourish Comp and Flourish Excel. The plants thrived and required little fertilization outside of 2 x weekly Flourish comp and fish waste. As you'll quickly learn, it's all about balance. In my experience, the more plants the better. You just have to be patient and let everything acclimate after it goes into the tank. Once things get going, it's truly a pleasure to watch.
