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Thread: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

  1. #1
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    Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

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    I reset my 2ft tank a week ago bse of BGA bloom. Currently in cycle stage. Have some fishes inside, with Crypts, Staurogyne Repens, Monte Carlo and Alternanthera Reineckii. Did 3 wc so far.

    At the end of the week (2 days ago), I realised algae was growing on all 4 screens, blurring the view. Did water change today and scrapped off the algae. Prior to doing this, I added 10ml of H2O2 for my estimated 10 gallon tank, and let it simmer for awhile. Turned off the filter during this process.

    I enriched the tank with 1ml Excel alternate days, co2 dose and lighting daily. My light come so at 1pm, co2 1.30pm and goes off at 9pm. My tank is near a balcony, so light sunlight from 7.30am. Can't move away from that.

    Now my tank is settling down. Fishes and snails seem ok.

    Need advise.

    1. Are my enrichment SOP correct? I'm just thinking I might be overdosing co2 bse I don't have thick flora.

    2. Does anyone dose H2O2 with Excel together and as standard conditioners during WC? If yes, what's the dosage for a 2ft tank? And what's the frequency?

    3. And when I add H2O2 + Excel during my WC or daily supplements, do I need to stop my filter? Knowing there are good bacteria there.

    4. Is it normal for algae to appear on all 4 screens in a week after tank reset. During reset, I added all new hardscape and cleaned the entire tank with H2O2. Even changed new filter. Only thing brought from old tank was fishes.

    Thanks for the advise!

    (Added pic of tank current state)

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  2. #2
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    hi, first of all, you might want to let us know what kind of algae? green or brown? what soil are you using?
    dosing excel is ok but you dont have to dose h2o2.
    algae is very common if you use ada amazonia without daily water change. also your filter is still new, it will need some time to mature. monitor the fishes just to make sure they dont get ammonia poisoning.

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

  3. #3
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    Quote Originally Posted by Everlance View Post
    hi, first of all, you might want to let us know what kind of algae? green or brown? what soil are you using?
    dosing excel is ok but you dont have to dose h2o2.
    algae is very common if you use ada amazonia without daily water change. also your filter is still new, it will need some time to mature. monitor the fishes just to make sure they dont get ammonia poisoning.

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
    Algae looks green. I'm using Tropica Powder Soil. I've been changing water constantly and everytime it's still cloudy. Also, I noticed a layer of wood dust everytime I WC. The drift wood is new and I rinse it with boiling water before scaping.

    The fishes are doing ok, although every other day they'll start going to the surface to breath.

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  4. #4
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    How much Excel to dose btw? My tank is about 10-12 gallons.

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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    @Everlance this is after a WC last night. Around noon time this appear. Could it be that my previous BGA bloom wasn't terminated thoroughly?

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  6. #6
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    That is Green Dust Algae. Not BGA. BGA usually grows on substrate and on mature, neglected tanks. BGA don't grow this fast after treatment.
    But GDA does.

    GDA occurs usually due to too much light and too long a duration. Since you just reset your tank, just 4hrs of light should be enough for now. Or you can split your lighting duration with 2-4hrs off lights off in between. This light of period is called a siesta. I can only suggest, you need to experiment. The sunlight in the morning might also be a problem, maybe.

    Try these first and see if GDA outbreak stop or slow down. With regards to scrapping the GDA, some expert aquarist suggest to let it grow out covering your tank glass fully for 3-4 weeks until thick enough that it dislodge itself before clearing as it has a growth cycle. Scrapping it now will release spores that will continue to grow back on the glass. Or you can drain out tank, spray H2O2 on glass, and refill tank. H2O2 in the water will dissipate in 24hrs.

    Reasons for the GDA in your case is new tank setup, bio bacteria still in cycling, new plants, "long" light duration for the amount of plant mass, that cause GDA to consume the excess nutrient faster than your plants can since it is still establishing.

    I did 4hrs on, 4hrs off, follow by 4hrs on during my tank reset to prevent GDA outbreak. I even reduce my light brightness temporary to further minimise GDA. Finally, scrape whatever that still grow and treat it as tank routine maintenance.

  7. #7
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    Quote Originally Posted by greenie View Post
    That is Green Dust Algae. Not BGA. BGA usually grows on substrate and on mature, neglected tanks. BGA don't grow this fast after treatment.
    But GDA does.

    GDA occurs usually due to too much light and too long a duration. Since you just reset your tank, just 4hrs of light should be enough for now. Or you can split your lighting duration with 2-4hrs off lights off in between. This light of period is called a siesta. I can only suggest, you need to experiment. The sunlight in the morning might also be a problem, maybe.

    Try these first and see if GDA outbreak stop or slow down. With regards to scrapping the GDA, some expert aquarist suggest to let it grow out covering your tank glass fully for 3-4 weeks until thick enough that it dislodge itself before clearing as it has a growth cycle. Scrapping it now will release spores that will continue to grow back on the glass. Or you can drain out tank, spray H2O2 on glass, and refill tank. H2O2 in the water will dissipate in 24hrs.

    Reasons for the GDA in your case is new tank setup, bio bacteria still in cycling, new plants, "long" light duration for the amount of plant mass, that cause GDA to consume the excess nutrient faster than your plants can since it is still establishing.

    I did 4hrs on, 4hrs off, follow by 4hrs on during my tank reset to prevent GDA outbreak. I even reduce my light brightness temporary to further minimise GDA. Finally, scrape whatever that still grow and treat it as tank routine maintenance.
    @greenie I've started to lower my lighting and reduce the duration to 4 hrs from 5.30-9.30pm (get home 9pm, want to see my tank lite up )

    I've also blocked off the glass panel that faces my window. That panel has the longest sunshine and that's the one with the most DGA growing.

    I've also stopped diffusing co2, only dose Excel every day.

    Will continue to WC every 1-2 days. I'll monitor this routine for a few days and see.

    Also, my fishes are always on the surface trying to breath. The Corys are ok. After WC, they'll swim normally for a day and then back to the surface. Is this bse my tank have not completed cycling yet?

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  8. #8
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    "I've also stopped diffusing co2, only dose Excel every day." ~ You should continue CO2 no matter what.

    To successfully grow out plants, a combination of CO2 fertilization AND surface water agitation is important. Purpose of surface agitation is what many aquarist missed out. It is important to prevent your CO2 from accumulating to lethal levels by reintroducing oxygen into to water through surface agitation. That's why experts uses those lily outlet pipes. Not only for aesthetics but for that function. If you don't have that, a airstone/air pump can be used to supplement the O2 until you setup your surface agitation. You can just angle your filter outlet towards surface to create surface agitation too.

    So provide unlimited CO2 access to your plants while getting rid of the GDA problem. I worry you create another type of algae bloom by stopping the CO2 supply.

  9. #9
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    Quote Originally Posted by greenie View Post
    "I've also stopped diffusing co2, only dose Excel every day." ~ You should continue CO2 no matter what.

    To successfully grow out plants, a combination of CO2 fertilization AND surface water agitation is important. Purpose of surface agitation is what many aquarist missed out. It is important to prevent your CO2 from accumulating to lethal levels by reintroducing oxygen into to water through surface agitation. That's why experts uses those lily outlet pipes. Not only for aesthetics but for that function. If you don't have that, a airstone/air pump can be used to supplement the O2 until you setup your surface agitation. You can just angle your filter outlet towards surface to create surface agitation too.

    So provide unlimited CO2 access to your plants while getting rid of the GDA problem. I worry you create another type of algae bloom by stopping the CO2 supply.
    @greenie I'm currently using Dooa Stream Pipe Arc lily pipe. I'm sure if this is correct type to use, as it doesn't really stir the water surface. It has movements slightly below the surface and I can see my tank water is circulating. The water comes out at the outflow end tip. Does this help with the agitation? Or should I get the Orb looking type?

    I've turned on my co2 diffuser timer again on 2 hrs intervals starting from 11.30am till 9pm. My lighting will come on/off 30mins after the co2 timing.

    For your other option of removing the water and applying H2O2 on the DGA, I'll have to remove my fishes for this?

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

  10. #10
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    Carcraze, of course remove your fishes when emptying the water. Ha..ha..ha.. Re introduce after a few hours. Nerite snails can help scrape the GDA.

    But they are notorious to "escape" from tank, especially for braceless tank. One piece is about $0.5. 1 or 2 is enough for your tank.

    Try to readjust the outlet until the surface is agitated. Unlike marine setup, water flow is less important as compared to surface agitation for planted tank.

  11. #11
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    Re: Seeking advise on co2 & Algae

    Quote Originally Posted by greenie View Post
    Carcraze, of course remove your fishes when emptying the water. Ha..ha..ha.. Re introduce after a few hours. Nerite snails can help scrape the GDA.

    But they are notorious to "escape" from tank, especially for braceless tank. One piece is about $0.5. 1 or 2 is enough for your tank.

    Try to readjust the outlet until the surface is agitated. Unlike marine setup, water flow is less important as compared to surface agitation for planted tank.
    @greenie hahaha... Thought the fishes should also spa a bit with the H2O2. I have 4 nerites in the tank. So far no escape.

    I'll need to look for another lily pipe that can aim at surface to agitate the water. Now really the one I have is only flow.

    Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

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