Hi Dudes & Dudettes,
Bout 6 months ago I set up my big tank, 115 UK Gall (plus 15 in the sump)
Everything was perfect, nice growth, minimal algae.
Just this last 3-4 weeks though I've been suffering some hair algae and it's getting a little prolific. At first it was just a few strands on some crypts, now it's getting onto most things; long strands upto a foot or more long
In an effort to knock it back, I've been removing it manually and then doing thrice weekly w/cs, dosing 60ml of Excel after each w/c. However, it keeps coming back so I've obviously not bottomed the cause. As always, there's lots of contrary advice on the net about it's cause, so:
I've got three 70w 5200k MHs above the tank, 6' x 2' x 2', raised about 18" of the surface.
I inject CO2 via a Mazzei injector attached to a 2500 lph pump, which feeds into the return pump, a 3500 lph Aqua Medic unit. I get a nice steady mist of CO2 thoughout the tank. Moving the drop checker around shows it to be nice and evenly spread. The water is returned to the tank via a spray bar made out of 3/4" pipe with holes drilled to drive water down into the tank. There are also two down legs with spray holes to drive water round the tank.
The substrate is a thin layer of pond compost, bout ½" deep, then 2" of Aqua Medic Volcanit and then a topping of some fine black gravel, about 1mm grain.
I'm dosing EI. However, my tap water has quite a bit of N (average 25ppm) & P (1-2ppm) already in it so (on my normal schedule) I tend to dose just a bit of K2SO4 (3.5 gms) after a w/c on Sunday, then 8.5 gms KNO3 & 1.6 gms KH2PO4 on Tues & Thurs. I'm using Aqua Essentials trace mix.
Stocking isn't too dense, I think;
7 Discus, ranging from 2" to 4",
2 Elephant nose,
20 Neons
10 Black Neons
10 White Clouds
1 Farrowella
I put a dozen shrimp in but I don't know how many are left!
There's also 2 or 3 Nerite snails.
At first I thought it might be overcrowding but I don't think so. I feed them quite lean and anything going in is cleared in no time. They get live or frozen bloodworm, daphnia or brine shrimp, along with some Tetra Prima or cichlid pellets, or sometimes some dried tubifex which they go nuts for.
The only problem I have is vacuuming the substrate. I use an Eheim Gravel Vac which is quite good, if a little slow. I tend to do a third of the bottom at each w/c but it's so heavily planted I have trouble getting amongst the base of the plants so I'm thinking there's detritus building up there.
The tank is very heavily planted with a range of plants, notably three large swords, some groups of hygrophila (a big Corymbosa and lots of Difformis which I keep potted to avoid disturbing the substrate) Loads of Crypts and two big bits of bogwood with lots of cover with Java Ferns, Anubias & Bolbitis. I also have a good group of Ludwigia Glandulosa and Alternanthera which have now broken the surface and grown out of the tank.
Any suggestions coz I'm at a loss. There's been no trouble with the tank 'til now and I'm surprised that the 3x weekly w/cs & Excel dosing hasn't touched it. I can't think of anything I have done though after six months the substrate has obviously matured.
Bout 6 months ago I set up my big tank, 115 UK Gall (plus 15 in the sump)
Everything was perfect, nice growth, minimal algae.
Just this last 3-4 weeks though I've been suffering some hair algae and it's getting a little prolific. At first it was just a few strands on some crypts, now it's getting onto most things; long strands upto a foot or more long
In an effort to knock it back, I've been removing it manually and then doing thrice weekly w/cs, dosing 60ml of Excel after each w/c. However, it keeps coming back so I've obviously not bottomed the cause. As always, there's lots of contrary advice on the net about it's cause, so:
I've got three 70w 5200k MHs above the tank, 6' x 2' x 2', raised about 18" of the surface.
I inject CO2 via a Mazzei injector attached to a 2500 lph pump, which feeds into the return pump, a 3500 lph Aqua Medic unit. I get a nice steady mist of CO2 thoughout the tank. Moving the drop checker around shows it to be nice and evenly spread. The water is returned to the tank via a spray bar made out of 3/4" pipe with holes drilled to drive water down into the tank. There are also two down legs with spray holes to drive water round the tank.
The substrate is a thin layer of pond compost, bout ½" deep, then 2" of Aqua Medic Volcanit and then a topping of some fine black gravel, about 1mm grain.
I'm dosing EI. However, my tap water has quite a bit of N (average 25ppm) & P (1-2ppm) already in it so (on my normal schedule) I tend to dose just a bit of K2SO4 (3.5 gms) after a w/c on Sunday, then 8.5 gms KNO3 & 1.6 gms KH2PO4 on Tues & Thurs. I'm using Aqua Essentials trace mix.
Stocking isn't too dense, I think;
7 Discus, ranging from 2" to 4",
2 Elephant nose,
20 Neons
10 Black Neons
10 White Clouds
1 Farrowella
I put a dozen shrimp in but I don't know how many are left!
There's also 2 or 3 Nerite snails.
At first I thought it might be overcrowding but I don't think so. I feed them quite lean and anything going in is cleared in no time. They get live or frozen bloodworm, daphnia or brine shrimp, along with some Tetra Prima or cichlid pellets, or sometimes some dried tubifex which they go nuts for.
The only problem I have is vacuuming the substrate. I use an Eheim Gravel Vac which is quite good, if a little slow. I tend to do a third of the bottom at each w/c but it's so heavily planted I have trouble getting amongst the base of the plants so I'm thinking there's detritus building up there.
The tank is very heavily planted with a range of plants, notably three large swords, some groups of hygrophila (a big Corymbosa and lots of Difformis which I keep potted to avoid disturbing the substrate) Loads of Crypts and two big bits of bogwood with lots of cover with Java Ferns, Anubias & Bolbitis. I also have a good group of Ludwigia Glandulosa and Alternanthera which have now broken the surface and grown out of the tank.
Any suggestions coz I'm at a loss. There's been no trouble with the tank 'til now and I'm surprised that the 3x weekly w/cs & Excel dosing hasn't touched it. I can't think of anything I have done though after six months the substrate has obviously matured.