Strange Algea

[Htomassini]

Hello all and thanks for this great site. I have set up my 210 for over a month now. I have been doing EI, weekly 40+ % w/c on sundays. I have pressurized co2, drop checker with 4dk sol is at light green. I have spotted this strange algea bubbles that I dont know if its GSA. I also have some hair algea that I have been removing with a brush, but I would like to eradicate as well.
I have also spotted BBA algea which I dont know why since I do regular co2, during daytime (airstone in sump at night) and I have 2 koralias on a timer that run for 15mins every 30 mins at opposite ends of the tank to churn the water. Here are my parameters and pics. Thanks for the help

ph 6.2 (daytime, in morning its at 6.8 to 7 with airstone on)
NO3 0ppm
NH3 NH4 0
PO4 2.0 ppm
o2, 8ppm
KH5
GH 5
fe .75mg/l

i dose S, T, TH the following:

KNO3 9.1mg
KH2PO4 2 mg
K2SO4 2.5-3 mg

on M, W, F I dose the following:
50ml of Brightwell aquatics trace
25 ml of Brightwell iron

I have and 8 x 80 HOT5 light kit that is split by 2 banks
1 bank is on from 11 am to 9
and second bank bursts for 3 hrs in the middle of the period

last week I raised the lights 7" above the tank (29" high)

 

[dutchy]

I have also spotted BBA algea which I dont know why since I do regular co2,

Well, you asked the question and answered yourself . You're adding CO2 but not enough in combination with this:

I have and 8 x 80 HOT5 light kit that is split by 2 banks

With that much nuclear power over that tank you will never be able to provide enough CO2. I think you shouldn't use that second bank at all.

All your algae are typically signs of CO2 deficiency. If you reduce the light, CO2 demand will decrease and you'll be able to meet that demand better. Raising it another 8 inch will do better.

I'm using 250Watts T5's over a 180 gallon, and I don't even use reflectors. But I don't have BBA.

NO3 0ppm

I don't know if this was a mistake, but if it wasn't, then your not dosing enough. Your NO3 should never be 0. You should at least dose 30 to 40 ppm per week.

The drop checker and pH value are not more than an indication. If less light doesn't give you the effect you want, then also try to dial in a little bit more CO2, but keep an eye on your fish.

regards,
dutchy.

 

[nipat]

You said 210, assuming it's 210 US gallons ~ 795 litres.

9.1 mg of KNO3 has only 0.007 PPM of NO3 for your tank size, way too low.

 

[Htomassini]

Well, this morning I added 5mg of kno3 and I had 5ppm of no3, I will test at night and see how much I have left. I think my plants are using the no3 faster than I can put it in, but the question is how much for 200us gal? (its a 210 but I figure the 2 to 6" sloped subtrate must kill about 20 gals of h20 but I add it back with a 29gal sump (29 gal fish tank with a sock filter).

As far as the lights the plants act like airstones when the second bank kicks in, I would like to save the juice and not use it once my glosso is done spreading. As far as the co2, I am still reading 8ppm of O2 at 83F so im ok with the co2 dosing, right?

What do you guys think of the the other dosing? ok for this demand? Should I dose kno3 daily until im done with the glosso growout and I cut back the one bank? And if so how much?

Thanks

 

[dutchy]

You should add like 40 grams of KNO3 en 4 grams of KH2PO4 weekly to be none limiting. And I'm keeping it tight. A tad more wouldn't hurt either. if your plants use NO3 fast, then provide it for them. Don't get so low that the slightest error in your test kit means a limitation.
So the best way is to add a base dosage of 20 grams of KNO3 en 2 grams of KH2PO4 now. Then you start to dose 12 grams of KNO3 and 1 gram of KH2PO4 every other day.

The fact that you see a lot of pearling, doesn't mean anything. Sure, they are growing, but there is still a general CO2 shortage. I can get plants in a non-CO2 tank pearling if I use enough light. Does this say anything about good CO2? No. The plants in my tank hardly pearl, but there's good growth and no algae, because there's no CO2 shortage. Pearling is badly overrated.

The actual O2 level doesn't mean you're ok with CO2. O2 and CO2 exist next to each other. I can have 8 ppm of O2 and 5 ppm of CO2, as well as 8 ppm of O2 and 40 ppm of CO2.

First think about CO2. Then think about CO2 again. Then think about nutrients. After that think about light, but think about it as a management tool. Just that. Less light = less CO2 demand = less algae.

regards,
dutchy

 

[Htomassini]

Thank you. It looks like I was underdosing the kno3. I was doing 27g a week. Once my glosso is grown out and I eliminate the second bank of lights, what should my target no3 be?

 

[nipat]

Well, this morning I added 5mg of kno3 and I had 5ppm of no3

I was doing 27g a week

It seems the unit is actually gram (g) not milligram (mg), right?
Because 5 grams KNO3 is around 4 PPM of NO3 for your 200 gallons tank.

So let's get back to your 9.1 (grams) 3x a week, which is equal to about 3.12 PPM of NO3 per day.
Can still be limit, especially with the light you have.

Dutchy's advice is good.

 

[Htomassini]

yup and at that, im getting 0 ppm from my kit, so I have to increase my uptake, interesting though is that my Po4 is at 2ppm so that means that I am being no3 limited. Also since right now i have such a small fishload (about 40 rummys 20 cardinals and 5 bosemani rainbows) that they are hardly producing any nitrates. Once I move my 10 adult discus over they should add some nitrates in.