Green Algae Problem, is it possible too much c02?

s0ulcommited

Junior Poster
Jul 1, 2009
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I have a 55g setup, currently with Echinodorus T., Hairgrass, and H.C. I have two 54 t5's running, and i can't count how many bubbles the c02 is releases, but alot. I have really good flow too. I'm also dosing EI, (I use the EI light chart, using the 40-60 Gallon). I also add FE.

Now my situation is that I planted the entire tank with alot of HC, but as always it died off a bit in the beginning and is starting to grow back now, but it sort of hanging in there. New growth looks great, but the old growth tends to die off because of algae on it. But, this green algae on the rocks/plants/glass keeps appearing, and It's sort of a wild guess but maybe i have too much c02/nutrients that the algae is taking advantage off and there aren't enough plants to consume everything? I am currently going to try the 3 day off and on blackout to get rid of the algae but I know that's a temp solution.. should I plant more to get ahead of the algae and wait for it to die off?

Also, the Echinorus T, (this is the kind that is small and turns red in higher light, but mine is green) also has leaves that are turning clear. This again is old growth.

Any ideas?
 
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shoggoth43

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Your bubble count seems far too high. How are you getting the CO2 into the aquariumt? Where are the lights mounted? On the tank or suspended? Old growth on the swords tends to follow that pattern of algae on the old leaves followed by holes in them. If the CO2 is off they'll cannibalize the older leaves and turn them to mush in short order.

Can you throw in some fast growing stems or floating plants to get the biomass up?

-
S


s0ulcommited;47709 said:
I have a 55g setup, currently with Echinodorus T., Hairgrass, and H.C. I have two 54 t5's running, and i can't count how many bubbles the c02 is releases, but alot. I have really good flow too. I'm also dosing EI, (I use the EI light chart, using the 40-60 Gallon). I also add FE.

Now my situation is that I planted the entire tank with alot of HC, but as always it died off a bit in the beginning and is starting to grow back now, but it sort of hanging in there. New growth looks great, but the old growth tends to die off because of algae on it. But, this green algae on the rocks/plants/glass keeps appearing, and It's sort of a wild guess but maybe i have too much c02/nutrients that the algae is taking advantage off and there aren't enough plants to consume everything? I am currently going to try the 3 day off and on blackout to get rid of the algae but I know that's a temp solution.. should I plant more to get ahead of the algae and wait for it to die off?

Also, the Echinorus T, (this is the kind that is small and turns red in higher light, but mine is green) also has leaves that are turning clear. This again is old growth.

Any ideas?
 

s0ulcommited

Junior Poster
Jul 1, 2009
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The light is about 5/6 inches from surface, i'll turn the c02 down and see how that works. I'm using an ADA beetle diffuser for the c02, along with a powerhead to move the bubbles. I initially turned it up because HC wasn't fairing too well, but I can tinker it down see what happens. Yeah, i'm gonna try and put some rotala in there for the time being and try to up the bio mass. thanks for the input! That's exactly what's happening to my swords..
 

Biollante

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Low Or Fluctuating CO2

Hi,

You do not mention how your critters are doing. If you have critters in the tank and they are not dying, gasping at the surface, then the CO2 is simply not entering solution. Bubbles in the aquarium have little to do CO2 in solution. :gw

Your problem, assuming the critters are okay, is low and/or fluctuating CO2 in solute.

Turning up the gas is only going to but more CO2 in the air, your houseplants might appreciate that but the algae will simply continue.

It would, I think, be a good idea to raise those lights another 10 or 12 inches or provide a shade cloth or screen.

Biollante
 

jonny_ftm

Guru Class Expert
Mar 5, 2009
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+1 for light raising. I have 2x54W on my 60 gal too, but at 12in. I had 4x54W once, no algae, but hard to deal with

As of your question if CO2 drives algae, then answer is NO, neither nutrients in excess. That's all the essence of EI

In dry started tanks, once flooded, we overdose CO2. I didn't have any algae issues when CO2 was in excess during th eflooding period: a red cherry put in there was sedated in few seconds (back alive once put back in my second tank)

A lack of CO2, on the other hand, can trigger algae, and that's something we can reproduce
 

Tug

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Follow the yellow brick road.

I'm not sure it's the lack of CO2 as much as maintaining a consistent amount in relationship to the amount of light and biomass. Just like the other nutrients we add. Slowly reducing the light and working with your CO2 to improve efficacy is the yellow brick road. Hairgrass is a good CO2 indicator. It doesn't seam to need much light if CO2 levels are stable. Listen to shoggoth43, Biollante and johny - they're pretty darn smart.
Biollante; said:
It would, I think, be a good idea to raise those lights another 10 or 12 inches or provide a shade cloth or screen.
jonny_ftm; said:
As of your question if CO2 drives algae, then answer is NO, neither nutrients in excess. That's all the essence of EI
It may take a few weeks to see any real improvements.

Keep at it and good luck
 

shoggoth43

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This is perhaps the hardest part of the process. Much like reef tanks, anything that happens quickly in a planted tank is usually BAD.

You can have everything spot on and... nothing. Still looks terrible. Then one day you look and there's a couple of new leaves and such and within a few days things "suddenly" change for the better. Not always mind you, but it happens often enough to be very frustrating.

That 29 that I tore all that stuff out of, still not much changing with the blyxa or the micro or the chain sword. I expect to not really see much while the plants recover. But once they do, it's going to happen relatively quickly. Patience and consistency is key.

-
S

"It may take a few weeks to see any real improvements.

Keep at it and good luck "
 

s0ulcommited

Junior Poster
Jul 1, 2009
14
0
1
yea

For surrrre. Thanks guys, a lot of help. I'm do my best to wait it out haha. I've been into planted tanks for 3 years now, I always used alot of stem plants that grew fast so I've never really experienced much algae issues before, but hey gotta learn sometime. Thanks again
 

s0ulcommited

Junior Poster
Jul 1, 2009
14
0
1
Ok, so I put window screen on top of the aquarium and I measured the c02, and i'm at 4bps. Time to wait.. yay! loll. I'm going to go to aqua forest this weekend and get some rotala and glosso to up the bio mass as well.