600 Litre Planted - Algae Issues

Kshitij

Junior Poster
Mar 23, 2012
6
0
1
Dear All,
I have been a regular reader of the forum from many years, first of all I would like to thank you all for such good knowledge and sharing your experience.

Following are my setup specifications:

Tank:
60'' x 36'' x 19'' (inches)

Filteration:
Sump with Filter socks, ceramic rings (about 5 kgs), bio balls (about 100 pcs) Mechanical pads (12 pcs) other biological media.

Pump:
Sicce multi 4000 gives about 3800L/H

Surface skimmer:
Ocean free surface skimmer

Substrate:
ADA NEW Amazonia + ADA Super 4 + JBL River sand

Layout:
Golden Root (Thats what we call it here)
Ryuh Stones

Flora:
Christmass moss
Anubias Nana
Anubias Nana Petite
Bucephalandra

(Quantity you can get a reference in the picture)

Fauna:
Amano shrimps x 15
Otto x 6
Golden algae eater x 8
Neon Tetra x 50
Discus x 1

Fert:
ADA Green Brightly Nitrogen x 10 ml/Day
ADA Step 1 x 10 ml/Day
ADA Brightly K x 10ml/day

I did read all the Fert articles and I would go with PMDD after the lockdown, I had these bottles lying around and wanted to get over with, with my hours of reading and going through Tom Barr's article over ADA ferts i came to the conclusion that ADA step 1 + ADA Brightly L gives all the essentials except nitrogen, and I only started to add nitrogen recently last week.

The setup is about 8-9 months old today.


Co2:
Co2 is via Up aqua Co2 atomiser, I don't know the bubble count, as per my JBL Co2 checker its ranges between 10-20 mg 24/7

I starting injecting co2 via atomiser about 15 days before, before that I was using glass diffuser, and my co2 checker was giving a wrong ready, which I threw and changed.


Lights:
Aquaillumination Prime HD Freshwater x 2 @ 7 hours per day from 1 pm to 10 pm, the lights come on and off slowly as sunset and sunrise hence the minus 1 hour.
DIY LED in between to cover the small areas in between, run via timer


Now my issues:
Brown algae , I am literally frustrated, I have tried everything to remove it, from manually to h2o2 (70% water change after it), to tried to psh it via my hands, siphoning daily to filter socks and then cleaning the filter sock ever day, I have been cleaning the pads 3 Times a week (just the pads top 2 layer)

Today I even noticed some green algae strings, its taking a toll on me.

I have created many successful tanks, but but all were high tech with stem plants, hence never had a problem. Even with low tech anubias it works great, but I am not able to grow moss in this tank with hardscape.

TDS 180 (Mostly Calcium and magnesium) hence hardness, as for the KH I did not check as my meter is on the way due to lockdown.

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Stefan35

New Member
Mar 18, 2019
4
1
3
14
london
Nice Scape...By the way...Braun algea is creating when is low light in a fish tank or new set up..I wouldnt worry much...I will sugest increase the lights and algea will die...But be carefull by increasing lights plants maeby will need more nutrition and co2...
 

Kshitij

Junior Poster
Mar 23, 2012
6
0
1
Nice Scape...By the way...Braun algea is creating when is low light in a fish tank or new set up..I wouldnt worry much...I will sugest increase the lights and algea will die...But be carefull by increasing lights plants maeby will need more nutrition and co2...
Thank you, I have increased the light, from past week. I have a JBL co2 checker i have placed it at the bottom right corner near the substrate, since the tank is 3 feet in height, and a bit large so I think I am having issues reaching the desired level. I am pumping I don't know how much BPS 24/7 via Co2 inline atomiser.

Dose Seachem Iron. Mosses and ferns love iron.
I'm not sure if thats brown algae or dying moss leaves..but either way,the iron is one cure I know of.
Moss unlike stem plants take a bit longer to green up on iron..but it will.
I have stopped all dosing from past 10 days or soo, I got fed up actually. Now I am making dry Ferts and going to use all RO water, TDS about 60-70. KH GH unknown as my test kits are stuck. I have decided to dose seachem Iron and Seachem Micro with Macro, I will also add some magnesium and calcium, since there is no harm even if there is extra in the water column but should not be less.

It is surely brown algae, I see it everyday algae algae ! :rolleyes:
 

bshenanagins

Junior Poster
Mar 3, 2017
211
112
43
Sounds and looks like diatoms. Just an FYI, my tank was setup 2/14 and diatoms have only ceased within the past 2 weeks or so. I also have been HORRIBLE with maintenance. Give it time, keep up with your maintenance and it will fade.
 

Kshitij

Junior Poster
Mar 23, 2012
6
0
1
On the right path. Also certain lighting will enhance brown algae. Shop Light LED or flourescents with cool white spectra bulbs will do that.
I don't want to change the spectrum now, I have studied a lot of spectrums in Prime HD and the mosses are growing well. Yes, have increased.

Sounds and looks like diatoms. Just an FYI, my tank was setup 2/14 and diatoms have only ceased within the past 2 weeks or so. I also have been HORRIBLE with maintenance. Give it time, keep up with your maintenance and it will fade.
Yeah new tanks true, but this tank has been set up 9 months age, although moved the tank once, that disturbed the scape a bit.



Todays update, I have added Ro water did 40% water change, added the following:
Potassium (K) 18 ppm
Nitrates (NO3) 10 ppm
Phosphates (PO4) 2 ppm
Magnesium (Mg) 5 ppm

Iron (Fe) 0.05~0.6 ADA, thats all I had in stock now.

Seachem Flourish 10 ml.

I know I have a lot of Calcium In water. Increase the Co2 little.