Recently been having a problem with brush algae and discovered a rather strange 30 gallon setup:
http://www.petfish.net/gallery/TOTM-..._Gallon_121505
Says in the stats that it has 192watts!!!! Why doesn't this guy have algae soup? The tank's only been setup for four months and he says he does alot of maintenance on it. But still...
My setup is 29gal, DIY CO2, 130watt (I have cheap auto window tinting beneath the lights which supposedly reduces the light by 25% - got a good deal on a Current fixture which uses 2 compact flourescent 65w 50/50 bulbs), PMDD is used as well. I try to keep the pH at 6.8. I've been pretty successful in keeping plants, am trying to get some grass species going but that brush algae is tough to beat. I have driftwood and taller plants of which the algae grows on (again, near the top of the tank closest to the light) and I'm afraid if I removed the window tinting to get more light to reach the bottom I'd end up with even more algae.
Secondly, I'm looking to get some giant danios. Will they eat my plants? And for that matter, what about a redtail "shark" and swordtails? I don't want anything eating my plants of course. Oh, and while I'm at it, do any of the above fish eat snails (the little pesky ones)? I have a clown loach, but he seems disinterested in the snail eating. Wish I could fast him but he eats a little of everyone's food.
A few questions...
What kind of plants do you keep in that tank?
What kind of filtration do you have for the tank? What is the flow rate and the circulation like?
What is the CO2 level in the tank? 35 ppm?
What kind of substrate are you using? Any base fertilisers?
What is the color temperature of the light? 6500K to 8000K? 50/50 is half actnic right?
I'm sure answers to the above questions will get you a more effective answer to your query.
Cheers,
I have dwarf cichlids in my tanks! Do you?
Besides Benny's question, I usually suggest people not to have high light tanks with DIY co2, as in the long run, the DIY has problems with stable flow and maintaining a specific CO2 level in the tank.
Lower your lighting to 2-3 WPG while check your CO2 level.
Imho, there are a couple of key reasons.Originally Posted by cdelucia
1) His CO2 dissolution and dispersion is very good. Tom Barr has stated that most algae problems arise from poor CO2.
2) His layout is consisted mainly of stemmed plants, which take up light and nutrients like a black hole. Having lots of plant growth presence will disallow algae to grow. Take Takashi Amano's tanks, they have a lot of light too!
The main problem that I see is your CO2. Increase your CO2 (one more DIY bottle, or seriously consider going into a pressurised setup) and maybe take a look at how efficient you're dissolving and dispersing (water flow) your CO2 as well. You'll find that BBA will stop growing after that, but the present algae will have to be manually removed.
Folks need to know that more light isn't better. The more light, the more demand for both nutrients and CO2. Nutrients are easily addressed via the estimative index method but CO2 isn't. Having low light can get you away with lesser CO2 levels but targetting 30ppm at that amount of light will give you more room for error.
Regards
Peter Gwee
What kind of plants do you keep in that tank?
Rotalia Indica, Baby's Tears, Giant Hydro, Micro Sword, Glossigma Grass, Dwarf Onion, Red Wendtii.
What kind of filtration do you have for the tank? What is the flow rate and the circulation like?
I have a Fluval 204. I keep the return nozzle about 1/3 below the surface so as not have too much surface disturbance. As for flow rate, I'm really not sure how to measure that. This type of canister filter is either on or off. It's not cheap but then it's not like some of the higher models I've seen.
What is the CO2 level in the tank? 35 ppm?
I try to keep the CO2 to 25ppm and almost achieve that with two DIY bottles.
What kind of substrate are you using? Any base fertilisers?
I use a flourite base substrate at the bottom and for cover I use some black sand but mainly black gravel. I'm also using plant tabs in the fertilizer.
What is the color temperature of the light? 6500K to 8000K? 50/50 is half actnic right?
65 watt Dual Daylight 6,700k/10,000k
Last edited by cdelucia; 9th Jan 2006 at 10:12.
I guess I'll bump this....
You can have as mutch light as you want as long everything is well set up for that mutch light.
Like someone said on that post, DIY CO2 is realy bad with that mutch light. of cours you can maintain it to 25ppm put DIY CO2 is instable and algae just like that.
You said you use PMDD methode? That methode was not bad 10 years ago when people still tought PO4 was responsible for algae and the earth was flat. Try to get info about the EI methode. I use that methode and let me tell you the results are fantastic and I dont need my test kit anymore.
When you deal with fertiliser and algae, stability and good routine is your only salut. Light only help to get the algae bloom faster.
If it can help, here is one of my set-up
tank size: 25g
light: 130W power compac 6700k
CO2 30ppm
NO3 30ppm
po4 2-3 ppm
K+ 50
about no3, po4 and k, this is what the tank eat in a weak so I add a part of it every day or so.
Fe .25 to .5
You need to add PO4 but not to mutch. I try to have about one part of po4 for 10 part of NO3.
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