Turf algae----HELP!!!

[tanker]

I have a 100gal tank. Use to be a African Cichlid tank. In June I converted it to a heavily planted SA tetra and dwarf cichlid tank. It has a 440watt PC light. I dose only liquid carbon and Iron (from Seachem and Kent). Initially I had a bad algae bloom (floating filiment algae). I fixed this with algae fix and running two HOT magnums with the micron filter. Water now really clear, but now I have turf algae (dark green/brown) on all my plants. I an doing 20% weekly water changes and trying to remove the algae by rubbing off leaves. I'm so frustrated Am thinking about going back to Africans!!! What am I doing wrong?? Do I need to add CO2?? HELP!!!!!!!!

[tanker]

PS--turf algae seem to only grow on my plants. Not on the gravel nor glass.

[Tempest]

Yes, you need to add CO2 and the other macros too. K, N, and P plus traces and iron. The Seachem Excel helps but with that much light it's going to struggle. Plus, it must be quite expensive to dose excel in such a large tank.

[djlen]

Agree with Tempest on the CO2, but it won't do much good unless you load the tank with plants. Fast growing stems and floaters to suck up nutrients and the also shade the tank until the plants can establish themselves and take over the tank.

Len

[tanker]

I have 12 Enchinodorus swords, lots of Bocopa, Aponos, sag, some hygro, and Ludwigia. The turf algae is killing my Ludwigia. It grows on the leaf and stem and causes it to rot. I have almost no more "gravel room" to add plants.

""it must be quite expensive to dose excel in such a large tank."

Since June I am only on my second bottle. Did not started adding till late June. I tried 2 DIY CO2 bottles (coke bottles with sugar and yeast) but was not enough so I started doseing with Seachem. Will the CO2 stop the turf algae?? It is smothering all my plants.

Also my 2 HOT magnums causes a lot of surface turbulance, will this not disipate the CO2?? Should I remove these filters??

[MrGoodbytes]

Yes the surface disturbance will drive off the CO2, but not much in you system. You said you have two bottles of DIY CO2 on your tank, but you will need more like twenty to notice a difference.
Keep cleaning algae off the leaves and invest in a pressurized system.
Also, you will need to dose some macronutrients (NPK) and get some test kits for nitrates and phosphates.
I agree with DJLen about getting some floating plants. Floating Watersprite would probably help use up some nutrients too.

Graeme

[tanker]

Fast growing stems and floaters to suck up nutrients and the also shade the tank until the plants can establish themselves and take over the tank

Most of the plants have been in tank since June. I have no more room to add anymore plants. Do I NEED floating plants to shade?? I do not like floating plants.

Keep cleaning algae off the leaves and invest in a pressurized system

I am cleaning algae off every 4-5 days during water changes. Will this algae go away if more CO2 is injected?? I am adding liquid carbon, should I increase dose?? Thinking of adding CO2 system--Who makes a good one?? Would like automatic CO2 with regulator. Will this solve my problem??

I heard there is good plant store in SF Bay area (San Pablo I think). Anyone know name/phone number??

[djlen]

CO2 does not get rid of algae. It helps the plants grow at a faster rate, which robs the algae of nutrients. The object is for the plants to take over the tank. Sounds like you have plenty of plants.
Floaters are important for shade and their ability to help the established plants in the substrate. They are also relatively cheap and can be removed once the tank is balanced. You are running a ratio of 4.5watts/gal. This is very high light and with that light comes algae.
Do a series of 50% water changes(every other day) for a few days and keep scrubbing your plants.
See the sticky on the top of the plants page regarding fertilization. You need to dose, N,P,K and Traces and get an effective CO2 system going. Discontinue the Fe at this time. It will only throw your system further out of balance.
All of this should be started concurrently so that they will all affect the tank at the same time.
Yes, a CO2 system will solve your problem, but not without the ferts and water-changes. It all works together.
DIY, IMO, will not be effective in that size tank. Especially with a filter that causes a lot of surface disturbance. You want the CO2 to be absorbed into the water table and it is being gassed off by your filter.
There will be some lag-time until you get your pressurized system up and running. You could up your DIY to four 2-liter bottles and if possible, turn the HOB filter down to a lower flow rate to reduce gas off. This will help some, is not a viable answer for you in the long term.
Do you have a reactor in the tank to disperse the CO2?
Here is a reasonably priced tank and regulator. It's the one I use and am very happy with. The only other thing you'd need is a needle valve to meter the gas into the tank.
http://rapidswholesale.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BD435
If you have access to a tank locally it would save you some shipping costs, and especially if you can pick up a 10lb tube locally, it would last longer between fillings.
Rapids sells the regulator by itself for, I think $45-50. Check around.....that's a decent price and it's a good regulator.

Len

[Unchin]

Since you are doing water changes so often, could it be your fresh water? Maybe it has some nutrients in it.