Stubbon Algae Growth

[CM Media]

Can anyone help me on this!!![] They tend to grow with Java Moss & Christmas Moss. What should I do to get rid of these unsightly stuff in my tank....

[juggler]

Can't see clearly but looks like Hair Algae or BGA.
If Hair Algae, Yamatos eat them.
BGA - will be smelly.

[Simon]

use a toothbrush and remove them manually... wats yr tank parameter?

[bclee]

It will help if you can provide more details on your tank parameters(lights, pH, KH,...) and you fertilisation.

You can use the worksheet done up by Allen.

BC

[CM Media]

Beginners Info Sheet
Tank Dimensions (LxWxH): 120cm X 50cm X 50cm
Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) : 216 Watts
Type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : 4 X 36W PL, 2 X 36W FL
No. of Hours your light is on: 10 hrs
CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : 2bps
Type of CO2 (DIY/Liquid/Tank) : Tank
Method of Injection (e.g. Diffusor/Reactor): reactor
Substrate Used : normal plant gravel
How Thick is your base fert : 2cm
How thick is your gravel : 7cm
Liquid Fertilizers Used : Chelated Iron Fe-EDTA, LUSHGro-AQUA
Frequency of fertilization : twice a week
Tank Temperature : 27 - 29
Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister) : Canister
Filter media used : Filter floss, gravels and ceremic rings
How long has your tank been set up : 6 months


Chemical Properties (Fill what you can)
Carbonate Hardness (kh):
Total Hardness (gH):
PH :
NH4 (ppm):
NO2 (ppm):
NO3 (ppm):
PO4 (ppm):
Fe (ppm):

Bioload (Your Fish and Plants)
Apistogramma cacatuoides X 2
Apistogramma agassizii X 5
Nannostomus marginatus (dwarf pencilfish) X 5
Microgeophagus Ramirezi X 1
Malayan shrimps
SAE X 3
Otocinculus X 2
Cardinal Tetras X 5
Platty X 6

Blyxa japonica
Nymphaea lotus var_ rubra
Vesicularia sp (Christmas Moss)
Glossostigma elatinoides
Elatine triandra
Vesicularia dubyana
Hottonia inflate
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Vallisneria tortifolia
Hope that this will help. Will fill up the rest tomorrow got to go back to measure.

[FC]

CM,

Your information is limited. If you feed moderately, I need only your CO2 level or your KH and PH reading.

Your plant, Hy. Deformis, showed sign of fert deficiency. You may wish to try the followings for 3 weeks:
1) manually remove as much hair algae as possible
2) Change water weekly at 35%
3) keep KH at 3 and PH at 6.4
4) add only LushGroAqua 40ml once a week (do not split into 2 per week)
5) if you have K2SO4, add 10g (about 5 cm3 in volume) per week

You know you need patient for this, so, 3 weeks is not long.

[cyberjoe]

try a total black out! for 3 days no lights dont put any fert.

let the algae die. your plants may survive but the rest maybe will die.

works for me

[PeterGwee]

FC...pH of 6.4 and KH of 3 would be too dangerous (sort of to the edge...shrimps and fishes might die if the results of the kits are skewed). Aim for 20-25ppm is a much better choice...at least there is still some room for error.

[sherchoo]

Your plants look N deficient too. It would give you a better idea to know NO3 too. It may be something is limiting the N uptake. So I strongly suggest you dose K asap.

Manually remove the hair algae as much as you can with toothbrush. Most effective way to remove hair algae.

[FC]

"FC...pH of 6.4 and KH of 3 would be too dangerous"
PeterGwee, good point!

To counter that risk, you should add some Ca too, like coral chips in the filter or better but costlier source, Seachem Equilibrium. Raise it at/above 5 GH, this would avoid shell/scales of shrimp and fish from errosion.

[CK Yeo]

how does addition of Ca counter the risk of ph 6.4 and KH3? And what is the risk anyway? and care to elaborate a bit on the shell/scale erosion?

ck

[juggler]

----------------
Your plant, Hy. Deformis, showed sign of fert deficiency.
----------------

I think that plant could be a Ceratopteris thalictroides


or Ceratopteris cornuta

[Plantbrain]

Go in and remove as much of the algae as you can now.
Add amano shrimps en mass.
Raise your CO2 to 20-30ppm(see pH/KH chart)
Make certain the CO2 is in this range for the entire light period, beginning to end. This is the only time plkants will use CO2 and also the only part they care about(not some specific pH etc)
Double check your measurements.

Next consider getting a few nutrients:

KNO3(for NO3)
K2SO4(for K+)
KH2PO4(for PO4)
and a decent trace mix.

If your GH is 3 or higher then that is good. If not, add a GH builder or 4:1 CaCl2:MgSO4 to rasie to 3 degrees/50ppm or higher.
KH should also about 3 or higher(add baking soda to increase).

For each 80 liters of tank water add:
2 grams(about 1/3 teaspoon of K2SO4)once a week.
Add the traces at around 5mls 2x a week
Add the KNO3 at 1/4 teaspoon(1.67 grams)2x aweek
Add KH2PO4 at 2 rice grain's worth(say 250 mg) 2x a week.

Do weekly 50% water changes.

If you do this, the algae will not come back as long as you have some more plants in there. You will need to add some plants, the tank is very sparse looking. More plants = less algae. Healthy plant growth = less algae growth. So grow the plants well.

For more info, see the Dallas Fort Worth plant club's Estimative index article

http://www.aquatic-plants.org/fert/e...st_index1.html

Takes the testing and guessing out of much of this. Still need to test for KH/pH for CO2 though. Water changes don't take too long on plant tanks etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[CM Media]

Hi Pals,

I'm using another tank's picture. My 4ft tank is also having the same algae. Please don't be mislead my the plants behind the images. I just want to know what type of algae are they and how to get rid on them....Sorry of the confusion.

[PeterGwee]

Hi Tom, do you add all those stuff in dry form or do you add them in mixed with water? Was asking this as I found that 1/4 tsp of K2SO4 mixed in 500ml of water would give 20ppm to a 10gallon tank using chucks calculator (Each ml would give 0.04ppm of K..0.04 X 500 = 20ppm of K).. dosage in dry form which means the amount of water to mix with in chuck's calculator should be 1 which only give 17.79ppm of K??? Did I make any mistakes?

[piggy]

How long have you been using your lightnings, when you last change your FL and PL? It happen to me too, after I change my FL tubes, within a week, all clear. Of course, need to manual remove some.

[sherchoo]

I dun know how much you're dosing the chelated Fe-EDTA, but if I'm not wrong Lushgro Aqua is already rich in Fe. Maybe you could look into that.