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Thread: Another Algae Attack

  1. #1
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    Another Algae Attack

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    Arrgh! The bane of Aquarium keeping!

    Here are my water parameters, please advise!

    pH: 6.8
    KH: 9 dkh
    CO2: 43 ppm (DIY)
    NH3: 0.1 mg/l
    NO2: 0.5 mg/l
    NO3: 10 mg/l
    Temp: 26 - 28 dC

    (don't have any other test kits)

    Fertilizers:
    Undergravel
    -> Some Japanese Brand, granule form look like fish food from NA
    Liquids
    -> Weekly K2SO4 + MG
    -> Bi-Weekly Sera Florena
    -> Monthly Flourish Excel

    Check out the bloody algae:

    As you can see, my Rotala wallichii has turned green [] cos its covered by green algae... and the BBA [] looking like cobwebs...
    -----------------------------
    Clarence Hoe

  2. #2
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    Another Algae Attack

    Arrgh! The bane of Aquarium keeping!

    Here are my water parameters, please advise!

    pH: 6.8
    KH: 9 dkh
    CO2: 43 ppm (DIY)
    NH3: 0.1 mg/l
    NO2: 0.5 mg/l
    NO3: 10 mg/l
    Temp: 26 - 28 dC

    (don't have any other test kits)

    Fertilizers:
    Undergravel
    -> Some Japanese Brand, granule form look like fish food from NA
    Liquids
    -> Weekly K2SO4 + MG
    -> Bi-Weekly Sera Florena
    -> Monthly Flourish Excel

    Check out the bloody algae:

    As you can see, my Rotala wallichii has turned green [] cos its covered by green algae... and the BBA [] looking like cobwebs...
    -----------------------------
    Clarence Hoe

  3. #3
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    Another Algae Attack

    Arrgh! The bane of Aquarium keeping!

    Here are my water parameters, please advise!

    pH: 6.8
    KH: 9 dkh
    CO2: 43 ppm (DIY)
    NH3: 0.1 mg/l
    NO2: 0.5 mg/l
    NO3: 10 mg/l
    Temp: 26 - 28 dC

    (don't have any other test kits)

    Fertilizers:
    Undergravel
    -> Some Japanese Brand, granule form look like fish food from NA
    Liquids
    -> Weekly K2SO4 + MG
    -> Bi-Weekly Sera Florena
    -> Monthly Flourish Excel

    Check out the bloody algae:

    As you can see, my Rotala wallichii has turned green [] cos its covered by green algae... and the BBA [] looking like cobwebs...
    -----------------------------
    Clarence Hoe

  4. #4
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    Another Algae Attack

    Arrgh! The bane of Aquarium keeping!

    Here are my water parameters, please advise!

    pH: 6.8
    KH: 9 dkh
    CO2: 43 ppm (DIY)
    NH3: 0.1 mg/l
    NO2: 0.5 mg/l
    NO3: 10 mg/l
    Temp: 26 - 28 dC

    (don't have any other test kits)

    Fertilizers:
    Undergravel
    -> Some Japanese Brand, granule form look like fish food from NA
    Liquids
    -> Weekly K2SO4 + MG
    -> Bi-Weekly Sera Florena
    -> Monthly Flourish Excel

    Check out the bloody algae:

    As you can see, my Rotala wallichii has turned green [] cos its covered by green algae... and the BBA [] looking like cobwebs...
    -----------------------------
    Clarence Hoe

  5. #5
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    Firstly, did you measure the CO2 level with a kit or are you just extrapolating from the charts? I'm asking cuz your CO2 levels are very high! They are at levels which would certainly be stressful to many fish.

    Also whats your lighting used? how many hours?

    As for your fertilization, why are you adding K2SO4 and whats MG? Magnesium sulphate? What levels are you dosing?

    Flourish Excel? With your level of CO2 you probably can stop your flourish excel....
    Allen

  6. #6
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    BBA don't form cobwebs. Can't really tell from the pic. I had 2 occasion when I had "cobwebs". Once, from adding Dennerle PF gold 7. The other from too much decaying stuff.

    I did not figured what was the cobweb. My suspicion was bacteria or stuff like that... not algae.

    How about your lighting and tank size?

    BC

  7. #7
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    Looks more like hair algae to me...... or I could be wrong
    Cheers!!

    Sherwin Choo
    [email protected]

  8. #8
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    That's not BBA.

    Have u disturb the substrate or do some major rescaping recently? those are debris from decaying plants and other organic matters. wallichii and cabomba tends to attract all these loose particles floating in the water. Have u been too busy and neglect yr water change.

    I suggest you trim off those plants infested. Give yr substrate a good vacuum and the glass a good scrub. Reduce lighting to 6 hrs for a wks. Maintain weekly wc and reduce feeding. Your problem should be resolved in 2 weeks time.

  9. #9
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    they r dark green and sticks on the leave blade?... oso from the pix, looks like u got a circulation prob? with that much Co2, yr KH is still that high at 9?

    ya, agree with chrissia, remove them ASAP.. oso need more tank details

  10. #10
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    May I know, did you in anyway up the kH? If not, I think you should retest it... it's rather high and normally won't be this high with our water supply.
    Cheers!!

    Sherwin Choo
    [email protected]

  11. #11
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    ----------------
    On 11/19/2002 3:28:11 PM

    they r dark green and sticks on the leave blade?... oso from the pix, looks like u got a circulation prob? with that much Co2, yr KH is still that high at 9?
    ----------------
    Actually if you use a KH/PH/CO2 calculator, his values are right on the dot. i.e. 6.8PH +9dKH = 43ppm CO2... which is why I asked whether he measured the value of whether he just extrapolated this from the chart.

    At 43ppm I would expect at least some of his fish to be gasping for air.

    Allen
    Allen

  12. #12
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    Wow, am getting far more and prompter responses here than in the Marine forum[]

    Anyway, here are the answers to some of your questions:

    - Lights: 2 X 36W PL for 10hrs/day (one of them 10000K Aqualux, the other 6500K Osram)

    - Tank Size, 2 X 1 X 1.25 ft (Set up for about 6 weeks now)

    - I didn't measure CO2. Just used the site someone posted. So, yeah, quite on the dot.

    - I NEVER up the KH in anyway. Errrm... the KH test kit I used says to add one drop each time, shake and check colour. Repeat until water turns yellow. I stopped counting immediately when the colour turned pale yellow (from blue). Could be inaccurate.
    I'll test again and post new result in 30 mins or so.

    - I did some minor rescaping the last few days... stirred up the gravel a little. Charissma mentioned vacuuming the gravel? How? Won't it uproot the plants and stuff?

    - Fish load a little high. Got 20 Cardinals, 10 Rummy-Noses, 3 Bumble Bees, 2 SAE, 2 Oto and about 40 very very young Shrimps[] ?
    -----------------------------
    Clarence Hoe

  13. #13
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    Judging from your tank dimensions, you have roughly 20Gs... and you have 72W... meaning you have 3.6W/G... A bit on the strong side. Is your tank heavily planted? If not, your light will really make the algae happy.

    Your tank has been up 6 weeks, but has the entire fish load you mentioned been in there 6 weeks or just recently?

    If you haven't increased your KH in anyway, then likely your KH readings are off, and also your CO2 (by association). Remember to shake the solution a bit... I think you are using JBL test kit? it works well for me... make sure you use 5ml and not more of your tank water and rinse the container a couple of times with your tank water as well

    If you did minor rescaping, try retaking your NH3/NO2/NO3 again when your tank is more settled, it could have contributed somewhat, although most likely its due to your fish load.

    Vacuuming your gravel should not uproot your plants. Go buy a gravel cleaner and just take a little care as you siphon.

    Overall, my suggestions are

    1) Reduce your lighting hours, or switch of one lamp for now
    2) Check your KH again
    3) Reduce fish load or increase plant load
    4) Do a nice big water change 50% at least (Don't stir up your gravel when you top up water!)
    5) Clean your gravel (during the water change)
    6) Reduce Feeding (How often and how much you feed?)
    7) Cut off your ferts with the exception of maybe your sera florena (though personally I dunno how good that is - never liked sera products)
    Allen

  14. #14
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    I did a 35% water change just before my previous post. I also did some cleaning up and trimming off the heavily infested plants. So here are the new readings which I made AFTER my previous post:

    pH: 6.6
    KH: 6 dkh
    CO2: By association still a bit high right? 45.2 ppm
    NH3: 0.1 mg/l
    NO2: 0.1 mg/l
    NO3: 0 mg/l

    The other readings seem better now (other than the KH), the previous set of readings taken a couple of days ago. Is the water too hard? Why is it so? My tap water reading is only 3 dkh with pH=7.6 .

    Yes, MG was meant to be Magnesium Sulphate... forgot to put in the rest. I just started dosing it a week back. Just slightly less than 1/4 of a 2.5ml teaspoon each. Once only so far.

    Here's how it looks now...



    CORRECTIVE ACTION IMMEDIATELY:
    -Reduce Lighting (Off 1 for 1 week)
    -Reduce CO2 (How? Its DIY)
    -Reduce feeding (Currently 2 times a day so reduce to once?)
    -Have just planted heaps of Riccia a week ago, should blow out in a couple of weeks.
    -Cut Ferts!
    -----------------------------
    Clarence Hoe

  15. #15
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    10000k lights are algae magnets.
    Cheers!!

    Sherwin Choo
    [email protected]

  16. #16
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    If your fishes are not complaining, no need to reduce CO2. Probably just some error in your pH/KH kits. CO2 in fact is good for plants and algae reduction.

    BC

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    ----------------
    On 11/19/2002 4:41:06 PM

    7) Cut off your ferts with the exception of maybe your sera florena (though personally I dunno how good that is - never liked sera products)
    ----------------
    Read some good feedback on Sera Florena, in particular, from the APD guru Tom Barr.

    I on the other hand love Sera products. I use Sera test kits, fish food, medicine(untouched for almost 1 year) & water conditioner.[]

    BC

  18. #18
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    ----------------
    On 11/19/2002 5:02:02 PM

    10000k lights are algae magnets.
    ----------------
    are you sure about that sherwin? I would have thought that it would be the actual composition of the spectrum which mattered more rather than the color temperature....

    Eprouve,

    Just to be safe though, if you have to turn off a light, cut your 10K tube. and as bclee says, you should be able to retain your CO2 level if your fish are not complaining... The method of calculation makes some assumptions which in your case probably do not apply... as such I would suggest buying a kit to measure CO2 instead (if you are really concerned)...

    bclee,

    Dunno leh, I never had a good impression of sera... their test kits seemed to be of poorer quality compared to JBL, and in general I stick with meds from interpet or waterlife... well, I guess to each his own []
    Allen

  19. #19
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    CO2 test or CO2 indicator? Is there any difference?
    -----------------------------
    Clarence Hoe

  20. #20
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    there are 2 types... you can get a CO2 indicator which is basically something you stick inside your tank... typically gives you a general idea of your CO2 level... there are also kits which you can get that test the CO2 level and give you a more specific reading like the kits you use for NH3/NO2/NO3
    Allen

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