hair algae help !!!!!!

[tcy81]

hi i have 3ftx18x18 tank wif 4x24w pl and 1x20w fl light ........
its new setup abt 2wks......
hair algae (i guess) those hairy slimy aglae on my moss wall , tank wall, on gravel and some plants .........
anyone can give mi advice wat to do ???

i did 50% change of water than put azoo algae teater,
then going to shut off my co2 and light for a day
then going to reduce co2 count to 1-2count per sec than reduce my lighting to 4x24w pl light ........

can someone give mi advice

[PeterGwee]

1)Remove as much algae as you could from plants affected by trimming and bleach equipment if affected as well.
2)Do a large 50%-75% water change and do a 3-5 day blackout depending on how bad things are.
3)After blackout, do another large water change.
4)Add more fast growing plants if tank is lightly planted.
5)Get the CO2 concentration to the 20-30ppm range throughout the entire light period. (Get this fixed or else other stuff don't really work well)
6)Add fresh nutrients back (N,P,K,GH,traces and PO4) and dose another 1-2 more times during the week to prevent deficiency and large water change at the end of the week to prevent buildup.
7)Keep up with the routine of trimming away algae, large water change after that and dosing fresh nutrients back and 1-2 times more during the week should help the plants back to their former glory and get rid of algae.

[tcy81]

wat u mean by 20-30ppm ???
and how to get these nutrients ??by adding trace elements, PSB or liquid fert ??

i am still new in planted tank

[PeterGwee]

CO2 concentration in parts per million...
Do some reading here...
CO2 calculator with explanation of pH/KH/CO2 relationship

[tcy81]

so how do i adjust to 20-30 ppm ???
reduce bubble count ? or reduce ph / kh ??

[PeterGwee]

Did you read the stuff I linked for you? It explains everything.....I sure don't like folks to come here and expect to be spoon fed though.

KH- Get it up to 3 or above for enough buffering. (Use baking soda..very cheap)

pH- Use the calculator and input the KH of tank water being raise to with addition of baking soda. Find the pH that will give you 20-30ppm of CO2...inject CO2 to get the pH down to that pH that will give you 20-30ppm and keep it in that range through the entire photoperiod.

Test kits needed: KH test kit, pH test kit or test pen..(I prefer test pen myself)

[tcy81]

yup i jus read finish it , does adding baking soda disturb the kh/ph/co2 link ??
em how much do i need to add ?
can recommend wat brand of kh test kind to use ? and the test pen ?
wher is cheaper ?

[vinz]

Peter, Actually that article does not explain what to use to raise the KH and it isn't exactly an "how to" article.

tcy81, The article does explain that you need to raise to get the CO2 you need. Do read it again and understand the concept. The chart merely shows you the relation between pH-KH-CO2.

So, as Peter said, raise the KH using Baking soda. Go look in AQ's Aqautic FAQ forum. There's a thread there titled something like "Raising KH using baking soda".

Put it simply:
1. Decide your target KH and pH from the chart.
2. Raise KH.
3. Adjust CO2 until you get the correct pH. Raising CO2 lowers pH, lowering CO2 raises pH. You need to give time for the CO2 to dissolve into the water, so it's a long-drawn process. Measure the pH about an hour after adjusting the CO2.