ALGAE!!??!?!

7itanium

7itanium

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Jan 31, 2009
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Spokane, WA
NO!!!

so this is my first attempt at a heavily planted tank

I have the following currently

55g acrylic tank
108w of T5 light... 6700k bulbs
DIY Co2 (but hasnt been working for a week or so due to a bad powerhead.. fixing tomorrow)

I just had a decent sized algae bloom yesterday.. and I think the problem may be with my ferts

I have been dosing flourish 1 capfull every 2-3 days... is this too much? how much should I be using? how do I rid my tank of algae without my plants suffering?

I scraped all the algae off the acrylic with a sponge.. but I see some forming on my plant leaves as well-- I dont want them so suffocate

plants in tank-
Java Fern
Anubias
Wisteria
Amazon Swords
 
I always have algae crop up on my older anubias leaves and to a lesser extent my swords. And my ludwigia always has a slight film of algae. Does not seem to harm it. Some algae I think is to be expected. But with a bloom like you have I would guess it's the CO2 being off line that caused it.
I have a similar setup but I use Kent Freshwater Plant instead of Fourish. I dose every water change (every 5 days).
 
The CO2 is the problem.

read Tom Barr's (plantbrain) posts on algae--it's really common for people to fuss over nutrient levels, when the actual problem is that none of the nutrients are being used by the plants b/c they don't have enough Co2 to take adv advantage of them - consequently the algae is able to use them.

get your CO2 back on track maybe do a heavy dose of excel and let the plants start absorbing all those great ferts you're adding- they'll out compete the algae and you'll be good to go.

cheers-K

edit: when you have an algae bloom adding a bunch of fast growing stems for a bit can really help take up excess nutrients . . . especially since you have a fair number of slow growers. good luck!
 
7itanium said:
NO!!!

DIY Co2 (but hasnt been working for a week or so due to a bad powerhead.. fixing tomorrow)
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:shark:


There's your trouble.


You have a very nice amount of light, not too much, not too little, so as long as you maintain good co2 levels you really shouldn't have a lot of problems.

DIY CO2 with a 55g can be done, but it's a PITA. It's no problem as long as you stay on top of the co2. You'll probably need to do maintenance on your yeast mix every 10-14 days.

If you've got a spare $150 lying around, you should consider a pressurized system.
 
That will be my next upgrade.. but I have a cash flow issue this month

Thanks-- I agree that Co2 being my issue makes sense.. I will get it back on track
 
andyjh said:
Is there a specific system you're referencing at that price-point?...or components you can recommend that can be had for that $.
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Well, new, you can get a Milwaukee regulator setup from water-testers.com for $85/shipped.

Here in the Bay Area you purchase a refurbished 5# cylinder filled for $65. And then boom, you've got a system.



The filled cylinder is the +/- for you. You have to hunt around in your area.

Almost defintely on craigslist you can pick up a used 5# cylinder for $50 or less, and then fill it for $15 or less.



And finally, there's buying completely used. CO2 systems don't loose much value, so you'll only save a handful of dollars.
 
jpappy789 said:
55 gallons is really borderline given DIY Co2. Unless you are running 3-4 bottles I wouldn't expect you to get adequate levels even with lower maintenance plants. Fluctuating Co2 contributes to algae.
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im acctually working on a 6 bottle system right now... that is the other reason its offline
 
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