its a brand new test kit, API nitrate test, I use the same one on my reef tank (with the saltwater card), I did it the exact same way (I use RO on my reef tank and nitrates are 5ppm). It is strange that it shows 40ppm on both my freshwater tanks and my tap water, I'll use the new test kit on my reef and compare it with the saltwater card, it should read 5 (also verified with a salifert saltwater nitrate test kit)
algae build up on plant leafs
- Thread starter cav
- Start date
If it reads 5 ppm for your reef tank, it's probably acurate. However, I would recommend taking some water to your LFS next time you go and have them test it, just to verify.
Take tank and tap. If they both read 40ppm, then you should start filtering your tap for you and your fish.
Take tank and tap. If they both read 40ppm, then you should start filtering your tap for you and your fish.
see you live in walkington - is that england? - if so, a ot of english water has high nitrates, EU directive allowing up to 40ppm. If your tap water comes in at 2ppm phosphates then that could possibly be part of the cause of the algae
In my opinion you have some options:
- reduce your nitrates and phosphates by chemical media in your filtration
- add more plants
- can you reduce your feeding
Can you tell us more about your tank - lighting, stocking, planting levels...what ferts are you using for your plants?
In my opinion you have some options:
- reduce your nitrates and phosphates by chemical media in your filtration
- add more plants
- can you reduce your feeding
Can you tell us more about your tank - lighting, stocking, planting levels...what ferts are you using for your plants?
Tank is 180 litre bow front tank. Lighting is 2 x 25w T8 marine white lamps, the set up is an african cichlid tank so mainly rock with 5 anubias plants. I have 2 filters, 1 internal with 2 fine sponge, seachem purigen, 1 coarse sponge, 1 nitrate sponge and filter wool pre filter running at 600lph, the second is an external filter with seachem matrix as bottom layer, 1st tray is ceramic rings and a bag of seachem carbon, 2 tray is coarse sponge/fine sponge and filter wool pre filter. I do a 20% water change every 7 days with tap water treated with prime, filter sponges are rinsed in tank water, week 1/3external filter sponges/rings/matrix, week 2/4 internal sponges. Pre filter wool is changed every water change and carbon/phos remover is changed every 2 weeks.
The only things I dose to the tank is seachem cichlid trace twice weekly and flourish excel (now everyday) which seems to be reducing the algae. Lights are on 10 hours a day, tank gets minimum direct sunlight and fish are fed once a day with pellet food which lasts about 10 seconds in the water.
My stocking is :
1 Neolamprologus leleupi
1 Pictus Cat
1 Melanochromis johannii
1 Neolamprologus pulcher "daffodil"
1 Lamprologus brevis
2 Synodontis multipunctatus
1 Pseudotropheus crabro
1 Melanochromis joanjohnsonae
1 Pseudotropheus sp. "Daktari
1 Melanochromis auratus
1 Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Chewere"
1 Pseudotropheus socolofi
1 Albino Pseudotropheus estherae
1 Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan" (Taiwanee Reef)
The only things I dose to the tank is seachem cichlid trace twice weekly and flourish excel (now everyday) which seems to be reducing the algae. Lights are on 10 hours a day, tank gets minimum direct sunlight and fish are fed once a day with pellet food which lasts about 10 seconds in the water.
My stocking is :
1 Neolamprologus leleupi
1 Pictus Cat
1 Melanochromis johannii
1 Neolamprologus pulcher "daffodil"
1 Lamprologus brevis
2 Synodontis multipunctatus
1 Pseudotropheus crabro
1 Melanochromis joanjohnsonae
1 Pseudotropheus sp. "Daktari
1 Melanochromis auratus
1 Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Chewere"
1 Pseudotropheus socolofi
1 Albino Pseudotropheus estherae
1 Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan" (Taiwanee Reef)
Tested my tap water nitrates again with my regular API test kit that I use for my reef tank ( which shows 0 for my RO and 5ppm for my reef) and compared it with the API freshwater colour chart from my new test kit which originally tested 40ppm and guess what, my regular kit also tested 40ppm! Thats 2 seperate test kits testing the same param levels, one which is proven with my reef tank to read correctly
hmmm, this is a difficult one...use of RO water would actually help, however that would not be good for your fish at all as the ones you stock prefer harder water
Also, your fish graze on algae, a natural part of their diet, so I actually actually encourage it in my african cichlid tank
looks to me like your already doing a lot of the right things
here's a thought...do you have another freshwater tank? would you consider doing this tank unplanted as i actually think you want some algae in there for the fish?
(as a separate issue, i think you change out your filter media too much, i would reduce the frequency to enhance your bacterial colonies)
Also, your fish graze on algae, a natural part of their diet, so I actually actually encourage it in my african cichlid tank
looks to me like your already doing a lot of the right things
here's a thought...do you have another freshwater tank? would you consider doing this tank unplanted as i actually think you want some algae in there for the fish?
(as a separate issue, i think you change out your filter media too much, i would reduce the frequency to enhance your bacterial colonies)
I have a new maint plan for the filters in that I onlly clean them:
Week 1 internal filter sponges
Week 3 External filter sponges
That will give them 4 weeks each to stabalize beforethe next clean, I will keep to changing the prefilter wool weekly as it does get clogged.
In regards to the other tank that houses my colomesus puffers, the only reason I put plants in my cichlid tank was to aid in natural algae reduction. Do you think it would help I took the plants out or would the algae build up start again?
Week 1 internal filter sponges
Week 3 External filter sponges
That will give them 4 weeks each to stabalize beforethe next clean, I will keep to changing the prefilter wool weekly as it does get clogged.
In regards to the other tank that houses my colomesus puffers, the only reason I put plants in my cichlid tank was to aid in natural algae reduction. Do you think it would help I took the plants out or would the algae build up start again?
yes, the algae will build, but remember the cichlids you keep will graze it...
i think the root cause is the high nitrates, which your stuck with i'm afraid
i think the root cause is the high nitrates, which your stuck with i'm afraid
