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Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

Discussion in 'Algae Control' started by Woodstock, Apr 10, 2005.

  1. Woodstock

    Woodstock Junior Poster

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    Hi

    I am into my fourth day of EI but I can see plenty of fuzz algae is already collecting on my tank's walls, plants and gravel. What could have caused this and what should I do to remedy this problem?

    Tank: 5ftx2ftx2ft
    Lighting: Metal Halide 2x 150W(total:300W)
    Photoperiod: 8 Hrs with 2 Hrs break inbetween
    CO2: 30ppm
    pH:6.6
    KH:4 degrees
    Temp: 26-27 degrees celcius

    EI regime:
    Mon, Wed, Fri: Traces Dosing
    Tue, Thur, Sat, Sun(w/c;50%): KNO3 & KH2PO4 Dosing

    KNO3:slightly more than 1.5tsp
    KH2PO4: slightly less than 0.25tsp
    Traces: As stated in it's instruction
     
    #1 Woodstock, Apr 10, 2005
  2. Tom Barr

    Tom Barr Founder
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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Stop doing the light split, do 10 hours of light.
    Add a bit more CO2 (drop pH to 6.5 and measure the pH only when the lights and equipment are off if you use a pH meter).

    Do you have enough plant biomass?
    Have algae eaters?
    I think you can add 1 teaspoon of KNO3 for now but do the same for the KH2PO4.
    What trace brand are you using?
    What is your GH?

    Regards,
    Tom Barr
     
    #2 Tom Barr, Apr 10, 2005
  3. Woodstock

    Woodstock Junior Poster

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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Hi Tom

    Thanks for the reply. I am using a pH pen, currently my CO2 concentration is already at 30ppm during photoperiod. Isn't it got to be higher(harmful to the fishes) if I got to increase my CO2 and measured a pH of 6.5 during the non-photoperiod?

    1) Plant biomass: 12 stalks of similar kind to Eusteralis stellata plants, hairgrass(sparsely planted), marsilea(sparsely planted) and taiwan moss on driftwood.

    2) Plenty of algae eaters: 1x zebra otos, 3x otos, 3x LDA25 and 2x anostomus anostomus.

    3) Currently Seachem Trace and Fe. Thinking of switching over to LushGro-Micros.

    4) Never really measures. But measured with Tetra 5 in 1 tester showed a lesser than 3 degrees value.
     
    #3 Woodstock, Apr 11, 2005
  4. Woodstock

    Woodstock Junior Poster

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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Hi

    Can anyone please kindly help me on this? Please see my previous posts.
     
    #4 Woodstock, Apr 16, 2005
  5. Ian H

    Ian H Guru Class Expert

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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Put many more plants in there Dennis, especially nutrient gobbling stem plants like water wisteria or Mexican oak leaf etc. You have got about a quarter of the plants that I have in my tank that's nearly half the size of your's.

    Ian
     
    #5 Ian H, Apr 16, 2005
  6. Laith

    Laith Lifetime Charter Member
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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Your tank is extremely sparsely planted. You need to add *lots* more plants.

    If your GH is lower than 3 than you may need to add Calcium/Magnesium.

    But your first priority is to get more plants! ;)
     
    #6 Laith, Apr 17, 2005
  7. Woodstock

    Woodstock Junior Poster

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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Hi Ian H and Laith

    Thank you for the reply. Will put in more plants as soon as possible.
     
    #7 Woodstock, Apr 17, 2005
  8. Woodstock

    Woodstock Junior Poster

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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Hi

    Realised recently that my filter is not working at the optimum level due to some clogging. Now the fuzz algae has formed a turf on all the tank walls, gravel and plants. Can see a couple of BBA starting to form.

    Should I cease the EI immediately and do a black out for a week?

    What is the immediate remedy?
     
    #8 Woodstock, Apr 23, 2005
  9. Tom Barr

    Tom Barr Founder
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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    It involved cleaning. Scrub the tank down good, clean equipment, check CO2, add more plants.
    Prune off algae, net up any leftovers.

    Reset tank.

    It'll be a good sized job but needs to be done.
    Add fresh plants back. Lots this time. Add algae eaters.

    Then do the dosing.
    Reducing dosing alone will do nothing.

    Regards,
    Tom Barr
     
    #9 Tom Barr, Apr 23, 2005
  10. Woodstock

    Woodstock Junior Poster

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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Hi Tom

    Thanks for the reply. It is impossible to trim my plants because every leaves are affected by fuzz algae or else I will get a 'bald' tank. Those fuzz algae on the gravel has already formed a turf. If I got to clean those up, it would meant removing those top layer gravel. I do not mind this massive work. But for this instance, is a blackout recommended?
     
    #10 Woodstock, Apr 23, 2005
  11. Tom Barr

    Tom Barr Founder
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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    No, not really. BO is for BGA algae mainly.

    You can rotate the gravel layer under about 1-2" down, go ahead and blad them plants.
    Add fresh easy to grow weeds till they sprout new growth and slowly phase the weeds out as the old ones grow back in.

    the plants you have now are not doing anything, the algae get their nutrients first, so they are at a much greater disadvantage.

    Regards,
    Tom Barr
     
    #11 Tom Barr, Apr 24, 2005
  12. Woodstock

    Woodstock Junior Poster

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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Hi Tom

    I had removed every single plants except those mosses on driftwood. This time round, I had thrown in a lots of stem plants. Top most layer of gravel was removed and replaced with new ones, the tank was given a thorough scrubbed. 50% water changed was conducted and started EI dosing immediately.

    But it took approximately 24hrs and I can see green dust forming on the tank walls and within the next 24hrs my water column has turned cloudy green(suspect green water).

    Had read someone thread on green water combat. Still contemplating whether I should get a UV. Thinking of renewing all my filter media and giving it a good scrub, is this recommended?? I will try to attached a picture as soon as I can get hold of a digital cam.

    What could be wrong this time?? My tank specs is as follows:

    5ftx2ftx2ft
    Ehiem 2028
    2x150W Metal Halide(On for continuos 8hrs)
    CO2 during non photoperiod 23ppm
    CO2 during photoperiod 36ppm
    3degrees kH
     
    #12 Woodstock, May 2, 2005
  13. Woodstock

    Woodstock Junior Poster

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    Ultra persistent fuzz algae

    Hi

    I can see the evolution of those green dust patches on the tank walls into green fuzz algae after I had attached a uv. The fuzz is back, those new plants had their leaves covered with fuzz algae like their predecessor.

    What could be terribly wrong here? Please help
     
    #13 Woodstock, May 5, 2005
  14. travis

    travis Lifetime Members
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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    I've been through the same battles with fuzz algae and can sympathize with your plight. One thing that I found which helped me a lot was that, even though I would clean my tank thoroughly, it would still come back. After some time I noticed that my canister filters were clogged with the gunk. If you haven't done it already, check you filter(s) and replace/clean your mechanical media ruthlessly. Scrub the walls of them until they gleam. You can clean your tank until it sparkles, but the algae will still come back if your filters aren't clean. Hope this helps :)
     
    #14 travis, May 8, 2005
  15. Tom Barr

    Tom Barr Founder
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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    Green dust is common and seeming more so the last few years.
    It'll appear and bug folks for awhile.

    I find that wiping the glass when doign a water change with a paper towel and carefully removing it from the glass works well.
    Do not allow any drippings to fall into the water.

    Do the water change.
    Suck up all the water along the gravel etc before the tank's dirt has a chance to settle.

    Wait a little while(2-3 hours) and see if any more Green dust has landed back on the glass.

    If so, repeat right away.
    Don't worry, repeative water changes are fine as we dose afterwards anyway.

    This will harass the algae and remove it.

    You can also bend the reflectors back from the front glass and also pull the lights back from the glass.

    Youy can also harass GS further by dioing the 2 series water changes followed by a 2-3 day blackout.

    UV will help as Green water and Green dust both swim. Green dust can be scaped off, then they swim around and reattach in a few minutes, Green water is always swimming.

    You will have a few bumps perhaps, but if you keep on it, the algae will all go away.

    Then you will have fast growing plants and a very stable system.
    Do not do a blackout if you have Gloss etc. It'll look ratty afterwards.


    Regards,
    Tom Barr
     
    #15 Tom Barr, May 8, 2005
  16. travis

    travis Lifetime Members
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    Re: Help! Lots of fuzz algae(1st week of EI)

    I use an Aqua UV sterilizer and can recommend it to anyone who has questions. It won't get rid of algae but it will kill any type of free-floating algae. I've heard many planted tank enthusiasts say that UV is useless but I wouldn't unplug mine for all the money in the world. Since I started using it I've never *knocks on wood* had a sick fish, never had any green water, and my tank is crystal clear. I can't ascribe all of these effects to the UV, but I'm not willing to take it offline to find out :)
     
    #16 travis, May 8, 2005
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