Can you get algae with low planting in a high tech tank?

[rockhoe14er]

So i am dosing the EI fertz have pressurized co2 my two drop checkers (use 4dkh solution) confirm 30 ppm co2 in the tank My lights are dual t5HO on 8 hours a day.

I still have some algae in my tank and what i'm wondering is, could i be getting algae because i don't have enough plants in my tank?

right now my tank is set up with a high light high tech tank and would say that it's maybe med/med-low planted. I notice my fertz are pretty high my nitrates are close to 40 ppm and my phosphates are close to 10. Should i stop dosing them/ cut back until i get more plant mass or just keep everything the same. I don't have any fish in the tank currently.

The other thing i'm wondering is i think i have dead algae on my gravel it's kind of greyish and easy to remove but i'm not sure what it could be maybe fungus? i don't have pictures now but i will try to take some later.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

Without more detailed info it is hard to say

Can you please provide as much detail as possible such as :

Tank size and dimensions
dosing regimen - how much and how often
pictures
substrate type
how mature is the setup
what type of T5ho fixture and how high is it above the water surface

I would bet that you do not have sufficient c02 to match your light levels but that is simply a guess at this point w/o more data points.

Please provide some more detail and you will get some excellent advice from the forum members.

 

[rockhoe14er]

[attachment=746:name]

Tank is a standard 29 gallon.
I dose N P K and trace.
I follow this exactly. dosing macro's and micro's on alternate days.
1/4 tsp KNO3 3x a week
1/16 tsp KH2PO4 3x a week
1/16 tsp K2SO4 3x a week
1/16 tsp csm+b 3x a week

My substrate is an innert sand but i used root tabs to help provide my roots nutrients.
I have a T5HO 5000k and 10,000k bulbs 24 watts each 4 inches above the tank.

I just got the drop checker 2-3 weeks ago with 4dkh solution. The tank itself has been set up for two months.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

You could try nothing else but raise the lights 6" or use floating plants or cloth to help block some light.

IME/IMO you have too much light for your c02 levels.

How do you diffuse c02?

Lowering the light will reduce co2 demand by the plants. This is safer than increasing c02.

Try reducing the light to the tank and combine with trimming of any algae infested leaves and scrub your hardscape. Excel can be used as a spot treatment as well.

Wait 10-14 days after this to guage how things are progressing.

 

[rockhoe14er]

i use the co2 mist method. I have two drop checkers and both are green/light green. I have very fine bubbles in the tank. I also have the co2 turn on two hours before the lights come on and go off 1 hour before the lights go off.

Should i maybe just turn off one of my bulbs? if so which one the 5000k or the 10,000k? Once i get more plant growth then can i use both lights?

am i getting this algae because i don't have enough plants for this this high of light? what color should my drop checker be then?

I also don't have any fish in the tank.

 

[ismenio]

hi...

You don´t have any fish in the tank ?
No food in the tank to start the cycle ?
Have you used any product to help cycle the tank ?

Regards

 

[rockhoe14er]

The tank is cycled but i ended up taking out the fish because i wanted to deal with creating a good healthy planted tank before i put fish in their.

 

[Biollante]

How Many Fourteeners? 53 of 88 US 14ers Choose To Reside In Colorado...

Hi,

The direct answer to your thread question is emphatically, “yes!”:gw

The problem is CO2 and/or circulation.

Raising or reducing the light as Gerry recommends is one way to lessen CO2 demand.

Nothing wrong with level of fertz, no fish means less chance of hurting anyone while making changes.

Even without critters resist temptation to make large sudden changes, this is going to take a couple of weeks to remedy. Any thing that happens quickly is likely bad!

Without trying to make anyone angry, bubbles of CO2 that are visible are a waste of CO2, possible exception is for Ricca, such like.

Biollante

 

[rockhoe14er]

Hi,

The direct answer to your thread question is emphatically, “yes!”:gw

The problem is CO2 and/or circulation.

Raising or reducing the light as Gerry recommends is one way to lessen CO2 demand.

Nothing wrong with level of fertz, no fish means less chance of hurting anyone while making changes.

Even without critters resist temptation to make large sudden changes, this is going to take a couple of weeks to remedy. Any thing that happens quickly is likely bad!

Without trying to make anyone angry, bubbles of CO2 that are visible are a waste of CO2, possible exception is for Ricca, such like.

Biollante

I have hiked 38 of colorado's 14ers.

So I should just slowly increase my co2 and wait a week is what i should do? i use the co2 mist method. I have a micro air stone feeding inside of my maxi 900 powerhead. The bubbles come out looking like a mist floating all around the tank.

 

[rockhoe14er]

I would also like to note that i have a HOB and a rio pump (120 gph) and a maxi jet 400 (104gph) in the tank to increase the water movement.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

Using just one bulb will work as well to reduce the light. You may lose some spread so keep an eye out for that. Raising the light will give more spread and reduce light. Your choice on which bulb to use. Plants do not really care about kelvin temp...that is for us..

An hob filter may outgass some c02, so be cognizant of that.

If no fish and shrimp or any critters, you can also increase your c02 a bit. Wait a few days to a week between changes to assess conditions.

Your plants will tell you when the c02 is adequate. A drop checker only shows what the c02 may have been in one section of the tank up to 2 hours in the past. Doesn't matter the color if plants are doing poorly.......

 

[rockhoe14er]

So should i increase the co2 first then wait a week if that doesn't work then should i decrease the light? or should i do these at the same time?

Also i have two drop checkers on both sides of the tank.

 

[Gerryd]

I would always opt to reduce light first, then see about increasing c02. Since no fish you can do in conjunction, but that now has two things changing that could result in improvement.. Which was it???

Move your DC around the tank as well....

 

[rockhoe14er]

Also here is a future question when i get more plant growth and the algae goes away then can i increase my light?

So if this is the problem what can i expect to see? will the algae just slowly go away? or will it just stay the same and not change? will their be dead algae on my substrate?

Also my drop checkers are on opposite sides of the tank. Is that not sufficient?

 

[jonny_ftm]

Hi,

I second above options and would reduce the light by any mean. Planting the tank more densely would only help. I'm also a fan of fishless start up. You can put CO2 as high as you like and backup up later once plants are fine. An army of snails can help once CO2 is a bit on the "life" side.

Hi,
Without trying to make anyone angry, bubbles of CO2 that are visible are a waste of CO2, possible exception is for Ricca, such like.
Biollante

Hi Biollante,

I was thinking like you until I tried that CO2 external atomizer. My 45L (12 gal) only needs 30 bpm (0.5 bps) using this mist way. From what I saw on nano tanks, it's rather a low count. I know tank is small, my light is low and that we can't compare bubble count unless using the same device (bubble size), but I find it really a low count I get there. Also many reports on forums talk about an immediate need to lower bubble count when moving to this device.

I really wanted to compare the atomizer with AM1000 on my 60 gal, but sadely, moving house made me stop the amazonian tank and now I'm starting it fishless and lightless for a Malawi setup.

Would be great if someone can compare both devices on a stable high tech healthy setup for a 4 weeks period.

Also here is a future question when i get more plant growth and the algae goes away then can i increase my light?

So if this is the problem what can i expect to see? will the algae just slowly go away? or will it just stay the same and not change? will their be dead algae on my substrate?

Also my drop checkers are on opposite sides of the tank. Is that not sufficient?

Yes, you could increase light if you need it only. If plants do fine, then why? Also, you need really time to get rid of algae, even when conditions are optimal, 3 weeks is a minimum. Multiply high volume WC during that period while compensating EI for added WC in the week. Most algae in my expierience go easily by their own once you get good conditions. BBA and cyano often need some chemicals helps (antibiotics, excel...)

 

[rockhoe14er]

Yeah i turned off one of the lights and so far it looks to be improving a bit. I also increased the co2 just a touch. Right now i'm also trying to switch to a canister filter so i have a canister filter running with spray bar and my HOB on the lowest setting. Both drop checkers are yellow. My tank pH is 6.2 and the kH of my tank is 4dkh. According to the pH co2 chart i'm close to 75 ppm. ( i realize this isn't 100% accurate)

 

[Tug]

Hi all,
In the future when the plants grow in fully, you will need to adjust/increase your CO2 (keep the lower levels of light) and look at water flow issues.

Also here is a future question when i get more plant growth and the algae goes away then can i increase my light?

The high light requirement myth
http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/7503-The-high-light-requirement-myth
CO2 and Light Stimulate Growth, - Tropica
http://www.tropica.com/advising/technical-articles/biology-of-aquatic-plants/co2-and-light.aspx
All You Ever Wanted To Know About CO2 But Were Afraid To Ask
http://aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/Co2/co2_faq.htm

At some point no drop checker is sufficient.
http://www.barrreport.com/showthrea...wo-are-better.-(or-wet-killed-a-bunch-of-fish.)

Also my drop checkers are on opposite sides of the tank. Is that not sufficient?

 

[rockhoe14er]

Hi all,
In the future when the plants grow in fully, you will need to adjust/increase your CO2 (keep the lower levels of light) and look at water flow issues.
The high light requirement myth
http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/7503-The-high-light-requirement-myth
CO2 and Light Stimulate Growth, - Tropica
http://www.tropica.com/advising/technical-articles/biology-of-aquatic-plants/co2-and-light.aspx
All You Ever Wanted To Know About CO2 But Were Afraid To Ask
http://aquaticconcepts.thekrib.com/Co2/co2_faq.htm

At some point no drop checker is sufficient.
http://www.barrreport.com/showthrea...wo-are-better.-(or-wet-killed-a-bunch-of-fish.)

Great links thank you for these. So you don't think i should ever use my 48 watts of T5HO on my 29 gallon tank? Even after reading the light article this seems to be what people reduce their lighting demands to around 1.6 wpg of T5HO. I will say for know with the lower light things are looking much much better. My one goal in the future is to get my HC to pearl (i know pearling isn't a must) because i really like the pearling effect.

 

[Tug]

Bikini Bottom

Some plants only flower under bright light conditions, but don't need it to grow out fully otherwise. Mostly, bright light means nothing to a plant without sufficient carbon.

Keep using one bulb over your plants or raise the hood another 8-12 inches, if you want to try two bulbs. Watch for algae. But first, fool around improving CO2 levels and the plant will adapt to the lower light. Slower growth, improved photosynthesis, high efficient nutrient uptake, etc. Once you see that good stuff, bring on the flowering season. Try more light, adjust your CO2, keep the water well oxygenated and you might find your Graceland.

Pearling is as much about O2, as it is CO2. Good luck trying to see pearling using canister filters. Wet/dry filters, and HOB filters might provide the O2 saturation needed, but they often gas off more CO2 too.
Anyway, good luck - everyone likes pearling.

Hoppy made this (I think).

 

[rockhoe14er]

Thanks Tug. So far with the lower lighting my HC is doing better and my tank is looking a lot better. I just built a dual stage victor regulator and switched out my milwakee regulator so my co2 should be really consistent.