Algae ID and help needed

gpontis

Junior Poster
Jan 24, 2005
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This algae growth is alarming. Long strands of the filamentous stuff are attached to all the plants and from time to time they break off and clog filter inlets. I need to clean the inlets every day without fail. Until recently I thought BGA only formed a slimy film, but now I learn that is not the only form it takes. I am beginning to suspect that this could be BGA:

http://www.barrreport.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=268&c=12

The algae looks grayish in the water but once removed it looks quite dark and, might I say, bluish-green. It is not hard to remove it from plant leaves.

The tank has 100G actual capacity, is well stocked with Malawi cichlids and some larger clown loaches. It has plenty of biological filtration. I am doing EI for macronutrients and add Flourish Trace to recommended level, and iron to test. Nitrate tends to run around 25ppm according to a Tetra kit.
 

Tom Barr

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Staff member
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Jan 23, 2005
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Re: Algae ID and help needed

BBA, CO2 related.
If you do EI and do 50% weekly, then it's all CO2 related.

If you do not use CO2, then don't use eI, do the water changes etc, but you'll need much less and balance the tank by lowering the fish load.

You do not get good plant growth+ high fish bioload+ water changes without CO2/Excel etc.


Regards,
Tom Barr
 

gpontis

Junior Poster
Jan 24, 2005
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0
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Re: Algae ID and help needed

Thank you for the ID. I forgot to mention that I do use CO2 but so far have only maintained 15-20ppm. I am using a little Hagen bubble ladder in a big tank and it can only do so much. At one time I bought an AquaMedic CO2 reactor but some reading on this site made me think that it would be problematic. It sits in a box.
 

Tom Barr

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Jan 23, 2005
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Re: Algae ID and help needed

Try the internal DIY reactor, easy to use.
Will solve the issue fairly easily, the ladder is fine for 10-20 gal maybe, I'd still use an active method.

Shoot for 30ppm all day.
Most of your algae issue will decline over a couple of weeks.

Regards,
Tom Barr