algae problem - decreased lighting and excel?

The problem might be more complicated than that, although I am certain the photoperiod was a major contributor. Most say 8-10 hours a day for planted tanks. I prefer to be on the low end. 6 hours/day should be fine for a bit, but it may be a stretch to expect the plants to grow well with that photoperiod for a much longer time.

Could you give us more info on the setup?

Tank size, stock (both fish and plants), light fixture and bulbs, Co2 or fert dosing (if applicable)...

Excel wouldnt hurt and depending on the type of algae, might kill it off...but I wouldnt rely on that. If anything it would help plants that otherwise would be carbon deprived. Without knowing much about your setup its hard to say if its needed or just a benefit.

Another "quick fix" would be to cut back on feeding to limit nutrients and see where that takes you. Most algae problems have more than one underlying cause and it takes some tweaking to get things back on track.

do you have any snails or pleco and yes just one pleco would work. your lights yes 6 hours a day and 7 hours sat and sun. as far as time maybe lookin at 3 to 4 weeks. never have use chemicals to do it just take your time and be patient is all you can do.but yes specs are always helpful

what jp said. we need more info on the set up. Do more water changes and stop overfeeding. there may be an excess amount of nitrates which causes algae break outssss

dont add a fish to cure an algae problem, because once you have your algae under control you then have the problem of starving a fish in your tank..

do you know what kind of algae it actually is? different algaes have different causes. GSA can be related to phosphates, BBA can be related to co2, hair, green water, and a whole lot of other algaes all have their own cause.

what kind of lights do you have on top of this tank? and also, is the tank receiving any sunlight, either direct or indirect?

-chris

I agree with coach. Not to mention more fish = more waste = more nutrients, which can foster more algae growth if things fall out of balance. With feeding, try to make sure everything you add gets eaten and nothing hits the bottom of the tank.

Your algae sorta sounds like BBA, although it tends to be a darker green/black/brown color. A pic would be very helpful in ID'ing the algae.

With your tank specs I'd be inclined to start dosing excel more than once a week, if not daily. Don't quote me on this but I believe excel has a negative effect on BBA and some other types of algae, especially when dosed directly. Your root tabs will mostly benefit heavy root feeders like swords or crypts. I would try not to go overboard with those either unless you have a ton of those types of plants.

I'd also ditch the "blue bulb" as it is probably actinic light, which is practically useless to plants. Replace it with something more favorable to plants. 6700 or 10000 K is usually what I go with, and I actually prefer a mixture. Your pink bulb is probably around 8000K. A better light source will help the plants take in those nutrients and along with a better carbon source, which will help tremendously, you should be on your way to a more balanced tank. It takes time and practice.

i would reduce your photo period too 7 +/- 1 hour.

and increase your dosing as per the bottles.

do a weekly 50% water change.

Limit your feeding - 1x a day and only as much as the fish will eat in a few minutes. feed just a small small pinch, let them eat all of it, then feed another small small small pinch and then let them eat all of it. it is much better than just dumping a bunch in and hoping they can manage to eat it all before it hits the bottom and they dont see it anymore. also, fast your fish 1 day/week. no food, no snacks, no treats.

i think doing all of the above will be a good start.