GSA - Green sludge algue

Well i don't know if it exists, but i seem to be having problems that not BGA related. I wanted to start this topic to provide you with as much information as i currently have.

First of all, the tank:
350 liters of water, filtrated by a 180 liter sump. Return is done by a Red Dragon pump, rated at 4500 liters/hour. I direct approx. 1500 liters/hour of this return through my Aquamedic co2 reactor which is in the last compartment of my sump.

Nutrition:
I have been using EI for about 5 weeks now, consistently changing > 50% water with 100% tap water every saturday. Dosing is done using peristaltic pumps which have set intervals. I dose 3 times a week 40ml NO3, 40ml PO4 and Tropica Plant Nutrition. My water parameters are: PH 6.7, KH 7.5, NO3: 20ppm, PO4: 0.5-1ppm

Method: 2 day blackout (i left ferts and co2 turned on)
Results: Yes, but not everything died

Method: Cyanocell
Results: Yes, but not everything died

Method: Changed lights
Results: Not sure, i removed 1 blue-ish bulb and replaced it with a more yellow-ish bulb.

I am still having troubles with algue. Not BGA, Not hair, thread, green etc. It is a new kind of algue which Tom thinks is coming from asia. A quote he made to me in PM:

And this one is really interesting:

I totally agree with him, since cyanocell won't kill it!

After inspecting my plants today, i noticed that this algue has the strange habit to attach itself only to the edges of leaves. With my Limnophila Aromatica, this means that it attaches itself to everything, since the leaves are so thin. But on for instance the Lobelia Cardinalis, i see a very thin edging around the leaves which is clearly this algue.

So i think it feeds not on nutrients in the water, but nutrients which are leaked back into the water by the plants. I am not sure if this is even possible with algue, but it seems the case in my particular tank.

I wonder what it is, but i don't have anybody near who can make microscopic pictures of the algue. I want to call it Green Sludge Algue for now

 

No and no Only on the edges of leaves that are 1-2 days old.

However; status report:


I investigated a lot on how to get my water clear, since i was convinced that it was the BGA/GSA which was blooming into the tank once it let go of the leaves. After all, as long as the water is cloudy, the plants do not get the chance to grow since a lot of light is absorbed. So i went on a quest and got my tank 100% clear in 24 hours. I am absolutely impressed! I did 3 things of which 2 need to be done at thesame time.

1) I added a (in dutch) called Gaff sack to the tank, wich is a sack made out of very dense fibers. 25 micron to be precise. Normal filter cloth (the white ones) tend to get very very dirty and when you remove them they seep a lot of dirt back in the tank.

2) I added Kusuri Clay to the tank. Normally used in KOI ponds; (some marketing stuff at the bottom of this post). This clouded my water as to be expected. It binds all floating dust to the clay particles and it sinks to the tank or gets absorbed by the filter.

3) I added 20ml of bacto-pure; tested in a renound KOI magazine to be the best product in the Netherlands, to help some bacteria growth.

Obviously, the last step was not needed; but it could not do any harm. This morning when i came by my tank, i heard water cluthering in my sump. The Gaff sack was allready completely full with algue-and-other-dirt, and to my big surprise, my tank was 100% clear without any traces left of cloudiness in the water.

So; i cleaned the sack, added 10 gallons of water which was evaporated in the last couple of days and cleaned the gaff sack and hung it back in.

I am still hoping that i don't have to do a blackout, so far so good..

-- Gilles

 

Well i found out what my problem was.. It took me some months but i think i nailed the source of the problems.

Turned out that i was adding Tropica Plant Nutrion Liquid + (as in: The one with added phosporus and nitrogens) besides that i was dosing nitrates and phosphates according to EI.

So; 35ml 3x a week with Tropica (and PO4/NO3) and also PO4/NO3 loose... I think you now agree that i was dosing a bit to much of all...

Now all i have to do is to let my tank settle, and then i'll post some new pictures.