Fighting several Algae types

tnnlynch

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I was talking about some issues I have been fighting in my tank on another forum and thought I would post it here for feedback. I have Green Dust that I am currently fighting by cleaning with paper towels every water change, green spot and some thread algae. Most of the thread algae was eaten by a new fish addition to my tank (puntiu denisonii) though a bit remains. The green spot I have been removing mechanically or by pruning the plants but it never really goes away. I have seen a small amount of what may be BBA.

I have been trying to raise my NO3 level in my tank over the last two weeks and have had very little success. My test kit reads correctly when I used a test solution but my tank never tests above 5 ppm. I have raised my addition of ferts to 2 tsp of KNO3 3 times per week and yet see no real change when I test. My PO4 has ranged from 1-2ppm but since my kit only tests to 2ppm I am not sure if that is the limit. My CO2 from the KH & PH chart is in the 25ppm range. Is the BBA a counter point telling me I have too little CO2?

My 120 tank (3330W of light) is densely planted on one side with Bacopa & Ludwigia, a more open area in the middle with micro sword grass, becketti, and Red spot Ozelot and the remainind end is densely planted with Undulatus. Could the plant just be pulling all the nitrates from the water? Maybe the plants and the algae together leave no extra nitrates?

I do pretty large water changes (40-50%) each week and tend to top off with a quart of ro water every day or so now that the hot weather is here. Could the RO water be having an impact on the test readings?

Tom
 

groovyfishguy

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Re: Fighting several Algae types

I am sure someone with more experience will chime in but let me take a few stabs....
tnnlynch said:
I was talking about some issues I have been fighting in my tank on another forum and thought I would post it here for feedback. I have Green Dust that I am currently fighting by cleaning with paper towels every water change, green spot and some thread algae. Most of the thread algae was eaten by a new fish addition to my tank (puntiu denisonii) though a bit remains. The green spot I have been removing mechanically or by pruning the plants but it never really goes away. I have seen a small amount of what may be BBA.

Tom is likely to say dont trust your test kit trust the algae Green spot should be attacked by raising PO4

I have been trying to raise my NO3 level in my tank over the last two weeks and have had very little success. My test kit reads correctly when I used a test solution but my tank never tests above 5 ppm. I have raised my addition of ferts to 2 tsp of KNO3 3 times per week and yet see no real change when I test. My PO4 has ranged from 1-2ppm but since my kit only tests to 2ppm I am not sure if that is the limit. My CO2 from the KH & PH chart is in the 25ppm range. Is the BBA a counter point telling me I have too little CO2?

Raise the CO@ a bit to 30ppm should deal with the BBA. Try to get the NO3 up to between 10-20. IMHO 5 is to low and you could bottom out real easy. Oh and Tom Might say don't trust the kit

My 120 tank (3330W of light) is densely planted on one side with Bacopa & Ludwigia, a more open area in the middle with micro sword grass, becketti, and Red spot Ozelot and the remainind end is densely planted with Undulatus. Could the plant just be pulling all the nitrates from the water? Maybe the plants and the algae together leave no extra nitrates?

I hope you meant 330w of light and not 3330W??? My guess is the plants are sucking up all the NO3

I do pretty large water changes (40-50%) each week and tend to top off with a quart of ro water every day or so now that the hot weather is here. Could the RO water be having an impact on the test readings?

I doubt it but dont know for sure.

Tom
 

Tom Barr

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Re: Fighting several Algae types

tnnlynch said:
My 120 tank (330W of light) is densely planted on one side with Bacopa & Ludwigia, a more open area in the middle with micro sword grass, becketti, and Red spot Ozelot and the remainind end is densely planted with Undulatus. Could the plant just be pulling all the nitrates from the water? Maybe the plants and the algae together leave no extra nitrates?

I do pretty large water changes (40-50%) each week and tend to top off with a quart of ro water every day or so now that the hot weather is here. Could the RO water be having an impact on the test readings?

Tom

Green spot with high PO4 means CO2.
BBA here and there also suggest CO2.

I'd add a bit more, target 30ppm.
Your NO3 test kit is wrong.

For now, use 220w of light(10 hours day), not all 330w.
After 2 weeks, when things are better, add the 110 for 10 hours, 220w for 8, 330 for 4 hours in staggered pattern.

220w is enough light though....

I'd add:
1 teaspoon KNO3 3x a week
1/8 of KH2PO4 3x a week
20-25mls of traces, 3x a week

Clean the tank well, Prune and Preen the plants and work a section each time you work on the tank, what you cannot rub or pick off the plant, trim off.

Vacuum the tank's gravel in 1/4 sections each week for a month, clean filter.
Green dust: Scrub off fast and then do a fast quick large water change. this will remove what is floating after you scrube.

Now wait about 2 hours, then scrub glass again, whether it appears to need it or not and do another quick large water change.

Pull lights back from front of glass if possible, bend reflectors etc.

Blackout might help for 3 days after you do this.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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Re: Fighting several Algae types

Doa full blackoutm don't just turn the lights off, cover the tank with trash bags etc so no light at all gets in.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

tnnlynch

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Re: Fighting several Algae types

Sorry about the extra 3 in the lighting before. Thanks for the replys.
I have seen a lot of this suggested before in other threads but I guess I just kept getting hung up on my test kit. It is hard for an engineer not to trust a test kit. :) That and being scared of upping the CO2.

I'll push the CO2 more and lower my ferts. I can turn off the front bank of lighing which should have some impact on the dust. I had already started to wipe the tank (with paper towels) every few days to up the harassment of the green dust. I'll up the severity of the pruning as well.

As the tank has grown in I have not been vacuming the tank during water changes. With a large number of shrimp and MTS snails and no visble waste in the few narrowing bare spots I just started changing the water while pruning. Maybe that unintentional slacking off has had an impact.

Once I have cleaned it all I will do a blackout. I assume their is no issue with feeding the fish once a day durning the blackout (i.e. 5 minutes of indirect room light).

Thanks again
Tom
 

groovyfishguy

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Re: Fighting several Algae types

I think for 3 days the fish would be fine without feeding. Actually they can go a lot longer they are just like most of us and eat more than we should :cool:
 

tnnlynch

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Re: Fighting several Algae types

True. I'm not too worried about the fish though. I'm more concerned if they are too hungry I'll lose some shrimp. I can always drop in some food before bed.

I normally run led's for part of the night (like the moonlight effect). Would that actually be useful light for algae?