What is this stuff and how do I fix it?

archangelvk

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Feb 19, 2017
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This is my first time posting here so my apologies if I put this in the wrong section. I have a 45G with the following spec.


Ammonia and Nitrite obviously o


Nitrate: 0.5


PH : 7.8


GH: 6 Degrees


KH: 3 Degrees


Phosphorous : 0.5-1 ppm (using API test kit and it was hard to tell exactly which it was)


Using a Finnex Planted + with 8 hours of lighting a day (2 on, 4 off, 3 on, 3 off, 3 on,) Yes I know some of you think staggering lights wont reduce algae but Im just scared of algae


No Co2


5 ml of excel EVERYDAY when lights are off


5 ml of Seachem Flourish ONCE per week after water changes


1/4 spoon of Bacter AE once a week


3 Otocinclus


~50 cherry shrimp


1 Siamese Algae Eater


4 German Blue Rams


I cant seem for the life of me get rid of this dark green spots on my leaves. They arent on all the leaves but some of them. I THINK its Green Spot Algae but I hear that if your keep your phosphate levels at a 10:1 ratio with nitrate then it should be okay, which mine are. I also have a bit of BBA growth on some of my java fern. Nothing crazy, just really small tidy specs. Id LOVE for all my plants to be lush and green like the new Anubias leaves that are in the picture. Do any of you know why some of my leaves are such a nasty dark green and how to get rid of it? Does Bacter AE create this stuff Green Spot Algae?


Thanks so much for your help
 

gsjmia

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Based on my experience, clean everything as best you can, change the water and increase your phosphates, try doubling. I keep mine at around 4ppm with very high light and no gsa. I lowered the phosphates to about 1ppm and got gsa.
 

archangelvk

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Feb 19, 2017
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gsjmia said:
Based on my experience, clean everything as best you can, change the water and increase your phosphates, try doubling. I keep mine at around 4ppm with very high light and no gsa. I lowered the phosphates to about 1ppm and got gsa.


Do you use CO2? Im just afraid if I boost my Phosphate without CO2 Im going to get BBA or something
 

gsjmia

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Ah, good question. I use co2. Sorry no experience in non-co2. You can try the increased phosphate, what's the worst that would happen? Have you tried lowering light?
 

archangelvk

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Feb 19, 2017
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gsjmia said:
Ah, good question. I use co2. Sorry no experience in non-co2. You can try the increased phosphate, what's the worst that would happen? Have you tried lowering light?

Well it use to be at 12 hrs straght. But now its 8 and staggered. Should I lower to 6 ?
 

gsjmia

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8 hours is not excessive. How many inches is the light from substrate and is it running at 100% (I have never had a Finnerex but assume it is controllable by channel)?


You really need a par meter to know how strong.


But, as I said earlier, I have run 130 par at substrate with no gsa algae while the phosphate was 4ppm. I lowered to 1 ppm and got gsa.


Too much light for too long, poor nutrients, poor circulation (nutrients not being circulated) are some general causes.
 

fablau

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Yes, low-tech tanks are totally different, mostly due to usually lower light. That depends by the light you are using.


Have you measured your nitrates? I have a low-tech 20gl tank and I must be sure to increase nitrates as well if I increase P, otherwise I get string algae around. If you plan increasing P, you must be sure NOT to run out of N otherwise you may get into trouble. With my tank, I found the right dosing after a lot of trial and error, and I am currently dosing 2.6 ppm KNO3 plus 2.3 ppm K plus 0.2 ppm P a week (just one dose of that a week), I do water change every 6 weeks, tanks is low light (about 20 PAR at the substrate, 2 T8 tubes, about 2W per gallon) and lights are on 8 hours a day. By doing that, I have no algae around.
 

archangelvk

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Feb 19, 2017
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gsjmia said:
8 hours is not excessive. How many inches is the light from substrate and is it running at 100% (I have never had a Finnerex but assume it is controllable by channel)?
You really need a par meter to know how strong.


But, as I said earlier, I have run 130 par at substrate with no gsa algae while the phosphate was 4ppm. I lowered to 1 ppm and got gsa.


Too much light for too long, poor nutrients, poor circulation (nutrients not being circulated) are some general causes.

The distance from my substrate to my light is 17". Im using a Current USA Satellite + which according to their own website gives off 28 PAR at 18". So if anything I have around that. It is running at 100% however when I do run the lights.


In response to Fablau, My Nitrate is around 10. My Phosphate I just bumped it to around 2ppm. I need to keep my Nitrate low because I am keeping German Blue Rams. I seem to have the problem of either getting GSA and/or BBA.


Its weird cuz my tap water I tested has phosphate of 2.0 ppm but when I test my 45G tank, it tests only 0.5ppm
 

fablau

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archangelvk said:
The distance from my substrate to my light is 17". Im using a Current USA Satellite + which according to their own website gives off 28 PAR at 18". So if anything I have around that. It is running at 100% however when I do run the lights.


In response to Fablau, My Nitrate is around 10. My Phosphate I just bumped it to around 2ppm. I need to keep my Nitrate low because I am keeping German Blue Rams. I seem to have the problem of either getting GSA and/or BBA.


Its weird cuz my tap water I tested has phosphate of 2.0 ppm but when I test my 45G tank, it tests only 0.5ppm

That's pretty normal if you have growing plants, they consume phosphates... Unless you lose phosphates via any other means (precipitation, binding with other stuff, filter media that remove phosphates, etc)


Good move to increase P dosing though.
 

gsjmia

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My Phosphate I just bumped it to around 2ppm.

Does this mean you increased the dose to 2 or that is what the tank tests at?

Its weird cuz my tap water I tested has phosphate of 2.0 ppm but when I test my 45G tank, it tests only 0.5ppm

So, your tank is at .5ppm for P?


That seems like a lot of uptake for P, but in any event .5 is low if you want to get rid of green algae.


BBA, as you will hear numerous times here, is Co2 and flow, although I have found that numerous and consistent water change cures a lot.
 

archangelvk

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Feb 19, 2017
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gsjmia said:
Does this mean you increased the dose to 2 or that is what the tank tests at?


So, your tank is at .5ppm for P?


That seems like a lot of uptake for P, but in any event .5 is low if you want to get rid of green algae.


BBA, as you will hear numerous times here, is Co2 and flow, although I have found that numerous and consistent water change cures a lot.

Sorry let me clarify. I tested my tap water and it has 2 ppm Phosphate. However 2 days after my weekly water change, I usually test my water and the tank water tested only 0.5 ppm for Phosphate. My tank isnt CRAZY planted but id say it is quite planted. Is it possible that my plants use THAT much phosphate? Im not running any phosphate remover or anything. Should I still be dosing additional phosphates to up it?


I dont want to get into Co2 right now as I just had another kid and dont think I'll have the time for it. As for flow, Ive got 2 HoB running on my 45G. One is a Fluval C4 rated for a 70G tank and one is a Auqaclear 20. So I dont think flow is really the problem ? Its probably Co2. I didnt know frequent water changes could solve it so im going to stick with my weekly Saturday 30% WC and probably throw in two more 15% ones in the middle of the week. Hopefully that will help the BBA and maybe add more Phosphate from the tap water?
 

gsjmia

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Sorry, I keep forgetting that you are non-co2. What you propose sounds like a reasonable plan for co2, but I think Fablau's advice might be more on point for your situation.


The problem with this hobby is that everyone's tank is similar yet very different, and as a result you get (seemingly) confusing and even conflicting advice.


I think you are at the point where you need to try different things and find what works for you. It helps to keep a log and report once a week as to any changes. Its really easy to forget what you did or didn't do.