Beard Alage

[MarkInNC]

I have read a considerable amount about alage issues here and generally on the internet. I have a seven month old tank and have some alage issues. From what I am reading some are normal and I guess have to be considered part of it. And, I have what I think is beard alage which is a big issue. I had a real issue with brown alage, or diatoms and that seems to be receding. I have green spots on the glass which I am cleaning each week during water changes. I tried pulling some of the beard alage from my live plants and was not able to do much even when I removed the plant and worked at it at the sink. I am thinking of trimming all of the plants affected this weekend and attempting to hand pull of as much of the other as I can.

Any hints or actions that I should try? I have a 45 gal with about a dozen live plants. I have a 108 W lamp which is on a timer for 8 hours daily. The water temp is kept at about 78.

thanks,

Mark

 

[Dr. Awkward]

I had bad algae for a long time in my tank that has about the same lighting as yours, but not in my higher light tanks. I started fertilizing more and it's helped the plants outcompete the algae. The green spot algae is a sign that you don't have enough phosphates. The diatoms will go away, sounds like they're already doing that.

I have also changed my photoperiod from 8 hours to 14 hours with a four-hour break in the middle of the day. This seems to have helped.

I also noticed some plants seem to attract algae more than others. If I stick with low light plants and get rid of the mid light plants I have better luck. I stick with crypts and sags in that tank and they only get a little algae now.

 

[coach_z]

bba can be brought about by fluctuating co2 levels...do you have diy co2 setup on your tank? pressurized co2? no co2? either way regulate it to be consistant...with diy you might have to set up 2 bottles and switch one out every week or every other week.