Algae on plants Dosing EI with CO2

[rs18alpha]

My tank has been running for a little more than 2 months. I still have some algae on my plants.
My water is clear and I do 50%WC every week.

Question. When I trim the tips of my plants the lower part of the plants have some algae and they don't look as good as the top portions of the plants. Is this normal? I would think so because they're not getting as much light as the tops of the plants. Did I just answer my own question?

My CO2 is 29ppm My light is a twinstar 900s I'm dosing at half the Ei amount for a 40 gal tank.
The light is on for 6.5hrs a day
The CO2 starts 1.5 hours before the lights turn on and it shuts off 1 hour before the lights turn off.
My amounts are as follows.
Macs
7.5 mil 3x week KNO3 = 3.7525ppm NO3 per dose.
7.5 mil 3x week KH2PO4 = 0.661 P ppm per dose.
From both of these the K = 3.193 ppm per dose. Question: Should I be adding K2SO4 to increase the K since I'm not dosing the full amounts?

Mics
10 mil 3x week CSM+B = fe 0.2002 ppm per dose. Question: I've read a couple of articles that say the target fe should be 0.5ppm?

If I've left any info out let me know.
Thanks every one..

 

[burr740]

Bottom leaves in poor condition isnt related to light. The plants arent as happy as they should be. Thats why those leaves have algae.

How do you know you have 29 ppm co2? It is impossible to nail it down that close unless you have a very high end instrument that measures co2.

 

[fablau]

I second what Burr is saying. Please, tell us your pH drop from right before Co2 starts and when Co2 stops. You should aim for 1 pH drop minimum, 1.2-1.3 better.

Also, if you perform 50% WC every week, I'd dose more nitrogen. I'd dose 7ppm KNO3 3x a week, just to be safe. P looks ok to me.

Also, please, give us more details such as:

1. Substrate
2. Open/close tank
3. Filter type

That'll help to understand how to dose micros correctly. Finally, if you have any pics, that'll help as well.

 

[VaughnH]

I assume your 40 gallon tank is about 900 mm long, since that is the length of the lights, so it must be a 40 breeder tank (40B). If that's true, it is a low height tank, and it is likely that two of those lights puts you in the very high light category. That makes it more difficult to avoid algae growths. You would probably want more than 30 ppm of CO2 for that tank. Like burr740 said, there is no CO2 measuring method that doesn't cost thousands of dollars that will give you enough accuracy to say it has 29 ppm, but you might have 25-35 ppm. That would not be what most people who succeed with that much light would use.

I just found some data for those lights: http://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5508/30808132042_0d53990f00_o.jpg Based on that I suspect you really do have very high light.

 

[rs18alpha]

Ok fablau, my substrate is Fluval stratum, it's an open tank, my filter is a Fluval 70 hob. I do have an Eheim canister that I'm going to use soon.

My ph is 7.5 then it drops to 6.4

As far as measuring the CO2 I'm just using the liquid test kits and that's what I come up with. I know that's not the best way to test it. But the numbers I'm getting have been consistent, if that means anything.

I also use a power haed and a in the tank filter.

 

[Greggz]

If I were you I would invest in pH meter. Even a cheap one works fine as long as you calibrate it often.

I've compared the liquid test to a calibrated meter, and the results can be wildly different, and it is only a little better than guessing. It's just too vague of a reading for something you are really trying to dial in.

 

[VaughnH]

Here is about the most accurate way to find out how much CO2 you have, without spending for more test kits, etc. https://barrreport.com/threads/the-...nk-in-lebanon-beirut.14834/page-2#post-148612

 

[rs18alpha]

Hey Greegz, I agree about the tester.

 

[rs18alpha]

I assume your 40 gallon tank is about 900 mm long, since that is the length of the lights, so it must be a 40 breeder tank (40B). If that's true, it is a low height tank, and it is likely that two of those lights puts you in the very high light category. That makes it more difficult to avoid algae growths. You would probably want more than 30 ppm of CO2 for that tank. Like burr740 said, there is no CO2 measuring method that doesn't cost thousands of dollars that will give you enough accuracy to say it has 29 ppm, but you might have 25-35 ppm. That would not be what most people who succeed with that much light would use.

I just found some data for those lights: http://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5508/30808132042_0d53990f00_o.jpg Based on that I suspect you really do have very high light.

I'm using 1 900s. If this is considered a high light then should I increase the ferts?

 

[VaughnH]

I'm sorry I misread your description of the lighting. One Twinstar 900ES will give you high light, probably around 100 PAR. The most critical "fert" to get right, with that much light, is CO2. Did you do the test for CO2 that I suggested in post #7? A lot of people use that much light successfully, so you can too.

 

[rs18alpha]

I'm sorry I misread your description of the lighting. One Twinstar 900ES will give you high light, probably around 100 PAR. The most critical "fert" to get right, with that much light, is CO2. Did you do the test for CO2 that I suggested in post #7? A lot of people use that much light successfully, so you can too.

I'm using the 900s which is brighter than the 900es. I think they said it was 50% brighter than the 900es

 

[VaughnH]

If that means you probably have 150 PAR at the substrate that is really a lot of light, and using that without algae problems will never be easy.

 

[Tom Barr]

My tank has been running for a little more than 2 months. I still have some algae on my plants.
My water is clear and I do 50%WC every week.

Question. When I trim the tips of my plants the lower part of the plants have some algae and they don't look as good as the top portions of the plants. Is this normal? I would think so because they're not getting as much light as the tops of the plants. Did I just answer my own question?

My CO2 is 29ppm My light is a twinstar 900s I'm dosing at half the Ei amount for a 40 gal tank.
The light is on for 6.5hrs a day
The CO2 starts 1.5 hours before the lights turn on and it shuts off 1 hour before the lights turn off.
My amounts are as follows.
Macs
7.5 mil 3x week KNO3 = 3.7525ppm NO3 per dose.
7.5 mil 3x week KH2PO4 = 0.661 P ppm per dose.
From both of these the K = 3.193 ppm per dose. Question: Should I be adding K2SO4 to increase the K since I'm not dosing the full amounts?

Mics
10 mil 3x week CSM+B = fe 0.2002 ppm per dose. Question: I've read a couple of articles that say the target fe should be 0.5ppm?

If I've left any info out let me know.
Thanks every one..

Trace FE should be .2 ppm I'd say. Those Calculators are messed up. You can add more, but it does not help, nor should it harm............
Even with the hardest high end plants, at high light etc...........you will not have any real growth issues related to limitations at 0.2 ppm doses say 3-4x a week.

 

[Tom Barr]

Ok fablau, my substrate is Fluval stratum, it's an open tank, my filter is a Fluval 70 hob. I do have an Eheim canister that I'm going to use soon.

My ph is 7.5 then it drops to 6.4

As far as measuring the CO2 I'm just using the liquid test kits and that's what I come up with. I know that's not the best way to test it. But the numbers I'm getting have been consistent, if that means anything.

I also use a power haed and a in the tank filter.

At this light, likely should go for 1.2 pH drop, this is about 45 ppm, might even be higher required. Reduce the light intensity. Dimmers can be bought for a few $ off Amazon that work with the TS ES, maybe 5-10$ tops.

 

[rs18alpha]

At this light, likely should go for 1.2 pH drop, this is about 45 ppm, might even be higher required. Reduce the light intensity. Dimmers can be bought for a few $ off Amazon that work with the TS ES, maybe 5-10$ tops.

Thanks, glad to here from you Tom. What is the most important thing when growing plants?

 

[rs18alpha]

I second what Burr is saying. Please, tell us your pH drop from right before Co2 starts and when Co2 stops. You should aim for 1 pH drop minimum, 1.2-1.3 better.

Also, if you perform 50% WC every week, I'd dose more nitrogen. I'd dose 7ppm KNO3 3x a week, just to be safe. P looks ok to me.

Also, please, give us more details such as:

1. Substrate
2. Open/close tank
3. Filter type

That'll help to understand how to dose micros correctly. Finally, if you have any pics, that'll help as well.

The ph was 7.2 right before the CO2 turn on and 6.4 just before the CO2 turns off.
My camera just died, so no pics for now. I have some algae on my Belem grass, mostly the older parts. I also have algae on my Alternanthera reineckii. And I can't seem to grow Staurogyne repens. They just melt away.

Also, if the light I have is a high out put led then why do I have problems growing any thing like carpeting plants or grasses?

As soon as I can get my camera fixed or buy a new one I send some pictures.
Thanks for the help every one..

 

[rs18alpha]

The ph was 7.2 right before the CO2 turn on and 6.4 just before the CO2 turns off.
My camera just died, so no pics for now. I have some algae on my Belem grass, mostly the older parts. I also have algae on my Alternanthera reineckii. And I can't seem to grow Staurogyne repens. They just melt away.

Also, if the light I have is a high out put led then why do I have problems growing any thing like carpeting plants or grasses?

As soon as I can get my camera fixed or buy a new one I send some pictures.
Thanks for the help every one..

Ok, I was able to fix my camera and these are a few pictures for you guys.
As I said before, you can see the algae on the Belem grass and the Reineckii mini. The algae on the lower leaves on the mini is what's left from the early stages of the set up. it doesn't seem to be getting any worse, but I can't seem to get rid of it.

 

[burr740]

Sounds like you need more co2. A .8 PH drop at the end of the photo period isnt enough for high light. What is the drop when the lights come on?

Id shoot for a full 1 point drop by lights on, or pretty soon after, 1.2 a couple hours later. Adjust it slowly and watch the livestock so you dont kill anything

 

[fablau]

Yeah, I agree with Burr. But be careful if you have a canister and low surface agitation. Also, what Tom suggested above to lower light (even just temporarily until algae is gone and plants recover). An easy option is to either raise your lights or put 1 or 2 layers of aluminum screen under them to reduce PAR (light intensity).

 

[Dennis Singh]

Sounds like you have way too much Par. I don't care how much co2 you put in, at a certain point PAR trumps that. anything over 100 par (from heard, from experience) it is really hard to outcompete algae. Take it from someone whose blasted co2 all their life...