Algae wont reduce

[doubleace]

Hi Guys

I have a planted tank and it is effected with those dark green like moss ball algae. I've introduce oto, yamato and malayan to clear them. But the problem does not solve and the algae is getting more. This is not a new planted tank as i have been planting stem plant last time and doesn't had this problem and last few months just converted into a crypt tank and I face this problem. I've also hornwort for floating plant to clear my nitrate. My co2 check is green. Where goes wrong?


I'm using a 4 x 54W T5 lighting on for 10 hrs intervert
EI dosing with WonderGro

[juggler]

Is it BBA? SAE would eat them.

Also, examine your fertilising since Crypts are slow growing compared to stem plants. Give some time for your hornwort to absorb excess nutrients.

[doubleace]

Is it BBA? SAE would eat them.

Also, examine your fertilising since Crypts are slow growing compared to stem plants. Give some time for your hornwort to absorb excess nutrients.

Yup i have SAE in it too. But it seem like not doing work...

[uklau]

Any picture of the algae? Does the algae grow everywhere or just certain spot? So far, I have no luck with 10 hours of photoperiod. Always ran into algae issue but when I reduce it to 8-9 hours, everything is under control.

Perhaps give us your tank parameter & dosing regime to simplify the troubleshooting process.

[Aquaculture]

The problem with SAE is when they're adults, they tend not to eat algae.

[doubleace]

I will post a pic of the algae once i've taken it.

My tank spec
Dimension: 4x2x2
Lighting: 4 x 54W T5HO (9-10hrs interver)
Fertilizer: Wonder-Gro (EI dosing twice a week)
Filtration: 1 x Eheim 2028 and 1 x Fluval 404
1 x Co2 tank (timing same as lighting)

[medicineman]

Sounds to me those are stray cladophora. They might look nice when growing at the right places, but not so when growing just all over, esp on plants.

Crypts are more of those plants better at taking nutrients from the roots. When you dose your fertilizer to such tank exactly as the way you dose a more generic dutch style tank, there would be excess nutrients left unprocessed by the plants, hence allowing algae to make good use of it. Another factor is fish waste (this is even easier food to be harnessed by all sorts of algae), which is now not as quickly absorbed/processed by existing plant load.

Steps you may want to try out :
- Reduce a tad bit of your photoperiod, or try less lighting intensity for half of the time (2hrs 2x54W, 5hrs 4x54W, 2hrs 2x54W)
- Reduce your liquid fertilizer dosing and compensate the loss by substrate fertilizer instead (try the WG root+, generally works well on crypts)
- Add small amount of active carbon to take care of excess ammonia.

[blue33]

Agree with Medicineman. You have reset your system due to changing different plants, but the ferts regime is still the same as crypts consume mostly through roots. When the lights are on, stem plants are fighting for nutrients with the algae but since you change to crypts, the crypts slowly intake the nutrients and this gives chance for the algae to attack.

[torque6]

Definitely cause by change of plants. Its difficult to substitute fast growers > slow growers, even the uptake of nutrients comes into play. Btw, introducing additional bioload to eat algae and stuff has never been my style. Good plant growth = no algae, guaranteed. My current 1FT is time stamped with proof of "purchase" !

[doubleace]

Hi Guys

This are the algae that I face in my 4ft planted tank.
What algae are these?

[blue33]

Black Beard Algae(BBA)

[doubleace]

Black Beard Algae(BBA)

Bro,
anything that can clear them?

[blue33]

As what Juggler said. Only SAE(get those small one, big one are lazy) will eat this type of algae, another fastest way is using Seachem Excel direct inject on those plant(this you'll waste alot of excel, good for less BBA attack), or take the plant out use a mixture of excel(2/3) and water on small container and quick soak of the plant and place it back to the tank, this way the BBA will either turn white or red, SAE and Yamato will eat them fast.

Hope it helps! Do you have a full view tank pic?

Note: Using Seachem Excel, some plant may die or melt.

[Quincy]

Try dosing excel directly on them. The crypt parva looks really bad. I believed the leaves of the crypt would melt when comes into contact with excel but no worries they would just sprout new leaves. Or maybe you can just snip the leaves away

[doubleace]

Here's my full view of the tank..
Measurement:
GH - 60
KH - 0
PH - 7
NO2 - 0.5
NO3 - 20

I've 1 SAE before but then it just wont eat the BBA maybe its big and lazy but die already. I've also introduce some yamato into the tank but they either die and turn red or disappear. For seachem excel if i dose into the tank should i turn off the co2? Will it harm the rest of my plants?

[doubleace]

Try dosing excel directly on them. The crypt parva looks really bad. I believed the leaves of the crypt would melt when comes into contact with excel but no worries they would just sprout new leaves. Or maybe you can just snip the leaves away

Quincy,
if i dose excel in do i need to off my co2? since you say when dosing excel the leaves of crypt will melt. Will it affect my other plants?

[Quincy]

Usually when I dose excel i do not turn off my CO2. Don't think there is a need to. Usually plants like crypts and vallisneria would melt. BBA is due to poor circulation for your case since you said CO2 checker is green. Maybe you can install another powerhead to improve circulation

[blue33]

Try using syringe inject Excel on the infected plant, dont just dose to the tank, BBA will get away with it. Use double dosage of recommended each day. Seems to me you have poor CO2 and circulation.

You need to starve your SAE, but they will also target your moss there also. For your tank size you most likely need about at least 3-5 SAE to deal with the BBA.

[doubleace]

Usually when I dose excel i do not turn off my CO2. Don't think there is a need to. Usually plants like crypts and vallisneria would melt. BBA is due to poor circulation for your case since you said CO2 checker is green. Maybe you can install another powerhead to improve circulation

Quincy,
ok noted... I already position the outlet of the tube to blow in a circulation method but its still wont help.

Try using syringe inject Excel on the infected plant, dont just dose to the tank, BBA will get away with it. Use double dosage of recommended each day. Seems to me you have poor CO2 and circulation.

You need to starve your SAE, but they will also target your moss there also. For your tank size you most likely need about at least 3-5 SAE to deal with the BBA.

blue33,
just syringe on them or just follow the instruction to dose? ok then i will get the SAE from C328 tomorrow. How about those chinese algae eater are they good seem they so hardworking than SAE.

[blue33]

Use double dosage of recommended and inject on the plant. Only SAE will eat BBA, no others fauna will eat cause they taste bad, but once you inject on BBA, they die then shrimps or other fauna will eat.