Algae bloom

maybe i missed this, but did anybody tell him to cut down on the amount of time the lights are on ?

P.S. after having a REEF tank, yes phosphates and nitrates equal a pain in the ar$e amount of algae.

the problem with phosphate tests are they are very INACCURATE and even a small amount I.E. .05 will give the ol' algae a hayday.
 
Pufferpoison said:
P.S. after having a REEF tank, yes phosphates and nitrates equal a pain in the ar$e amount of algae.
Click to expand...
SW isn't the same as FW, PP. In a FW planted, you WANT phosphates and nitrates for the plants. Both plants and algae need the same stuff. The key is to balance everything in favor of the plants; so that they use it before the algae can.

Roan
 
Algae - original poster

So I did the 50% and then subsequent 25% changes. I replaced one of the 6400k bulbs with the 50/50 reef bulbs that came with my tank (assuming this is less light since no trace of algae grew before I added these white bulbs). I am trying to limit light time. Algae is still taking off although now it is primarily the brown algae. I'll keep changing water and reporting on this.
 
Brown algae would suggest the lighting spectrum is off or there is insufficient lighting, might be best to put the 6400k's back. The end goal is to provide optimal conditions for your plants so they can out compete the algae, you will get there and I appreciate how frustrating this must be for you.

I'm sorry if I missed it while scanning over the thread, but what sort of plants do you have in there and how many?

Potassium dosing is starting to sound like an attractive idea to me. If there's sufficient plant life and your lighting is adequate it should help. Next time you're out at Walmart or wherever, look in the salt section for a sodium free salt substitute called Nu-salt (made by the same ppl who make Sweet-n-Low so shouldn't be hard to find and will probably cost around $1-$2) it primarily contains potassium chloride. On your next 25% water change add one pinch (just what will hold between your thumb and index finger with only light pressure) to your change water, then give it a thorough stir and add your dechlorinator which will take care of the chloride ion. I'd add it again on every fifth water change, this will create a nutrient pulsing effect which the plants will cope with well, yet will prevent potassium build-up in the tank water.
 
Plants

I do not have much in the way of plants. None sold locally. I bought one java fern, it is doing dine, and one green tiger lotus, it is just a bulb and barely growing. I want more, but reluctant to spend $$ on the shipping for just a few bucks in plants (probably stupid, I know).

My water is looking like it is full of small white particles (very small, cant's discern size). Is this normal when getting a cycle established.

Also, I bought a bunch of distilled water to use in water changes in lieu of tap. Is this advisable?
 
Not frustrated

I am really trying to be patient about this tank. I am not frustrated and I appreciate all suggestions. My biggest limitation is lack of a liquid test kit ( I will purchase one but it has to be on-line).
 
With your tap water being soft and acidic, diluting it with distilled water isn't a good idea and distilled water lacks the minerals required to support aquatic life so you can't use it by itself.

One other suggestion for test kits is Aquarium Pharmaceuticals: Freshwater Master Test Kit, that's about the best value one with all your basics covered.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19383;category_id=3111;pcid1=3233;pcid2=


For your plants what you have is quite insufficient for nutrient control (so don't worry about potassium dosing for now). I'd recommend checking out varieties of Swords "Echinodorus sp." (Echinodorus tenellus would be my suggestion) and Crypts "Cryptocoryne sp." (Cryptocoryne wendtii would be my suggestion) as they're both hard to kill, attractive and grow well in soft water. As I mentioned before, Java moss will also be good for nutrient control, it's quite a fast grower when there's plenty of nutrients in the water and does look very cool when it coats a rock or peice of driftwood.
Hornwart will also work well, but because it's a floating plant it'll tend to deprive the rest of your aquarium of light and I think most people tend to hate it after a month or two.
 
Plant ideas

Thank you for the plant ideas. I assume it is not harmful to occaisionally use the distilled water as long as some tap water is used for mineral content. Is that correct? I appreciate the tips. This last water change (25% today) has really dropped the nitrates to almost nil. I am thinking that will stunt the algae growth?? I assume it will also stunt plant growth?
 
Glad to see the nitrates have come right down, this will be a huge help, your plants can store excess nutrients so will be able to survive for quite a long time with the low nitrates. The algae however will starve and die if it's deprived of an essential nutrient for a short period.

Yes you are correct that you can dilute tap water with distilled water, however I can't see a reason to recommend it in your situation. Your water is already soft, has a slightly acidic pH, and we don't know the concentrations of any other disolved minerals in the water, so it's hard to know if dilution would have any potential benefits (plus long term, dilution is an expensive strategy to maintain unless you have a reverse osmosis filter at home).

The best bet is to get some more plants in there and let them help with nutrent control.
 
[
For your plants what you have is quite insufficient for nutrient control (so don't worry about potassium dosing for now). I'd recommend checking out varieties of Swords "Echinodorus sp." (Echinodorus tenellus would be my suggestion) and Crypts "Cryptocoryne sp." (Cryptocoryne wendtii would be my suggestion) as they're both hard to kill, attractive and grow well in soft water. As I mentioned before, Java moss will also be good for nutrient control, it's quite a fast grower when there's plenty of nutrients in the water and does look very cool when it coats a rock or peice of driftwood.
Hornwart will also work well, but because it's a floating plant it'll tend to deprive the rest of your aquarium of light and I think most people tend to hate it after a month or two.[/QUOTE]

I ordered both of these exact plants today. I appreciate the advice. I also have been scrubbing rocks and glass like mad. I realize this is only temporary but I seem to be beating back the algae a little.
 
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