phosphate
I'll buy a test kit tonight. How does one remove phosphates from the water?
Thanks
Tim
I'll buy a test kit tonight. How does one remove phosphates from the water?
Thanks
Tim
Black Algae Problem
- Thread starter tredd
- Start date
In a planted tank with CO2, Phosphates are a good thing (in moderation). If you have over 1.0 ppm of phosphates, that could be contributing to your problem.
If you chose to add CO2 to your tank, you will need to add PO4 (I add about 15 drops of fleet enema across a week's time).
There are products like Phos-sorb out there, but the best way to get rid of PO4 (from my perspective) is to give the plants the right balance of conditions to take it up as they will.
The food you are giving them could be high in phosphates...
Thanks,
Steve
If you chose to add CO2 to your tank, you will need to add PO4 (I add about 15 drops of fleet enema across a week's time).
There are products like Phos-sorb out there, but the best way to get rid of PO4 (from my perspective) is to give the plants the right balance of conditions to take it up as they will.
The food you are giving them could be high in phosphates...
Thanks,
Steve
Okay who says PO4 causes algae in planted tanks?
I can show you my tanks and they are loaded with PO4, we have gone up to 2.0ppm of PO4, not a lick of algae.
So if PO4 causes algae, where the heck is mine? I've been doing the PO4 additions for 15 years. I knew about it about 10 years ago(came in my tap).
Tredd, do the reading suggested here already. It'll help you a great deal.
Look into CO2.
Also look into getting some flourite gravel instead of the blue stuff(acwk!).
If you get decent gravel, CO2, you are most of the way home.
Lighting is okay.
From there it's just water changes, pruning and dosing of 4 cheap things.
Readup on CO2. It's plum easy once set up.
What you will wnat to do, is add enough CO2 gas(and only CO2 gas!!) to get a pH of 6.6 to 6.7 and keep it there while the lights are on.
That's all you have to do for CO2.
Weekly water changes helps, 50% takes about the same time as 25% and makes for easier dosing later on.
After you address CO2, gravel then you'll move on to nutrients.
The absolute last thing you will want to do is add more light.
Wait till have a good handle on the rest before considering more light. The amount of light you have is fine for most plants.
So do the homework and then see what you'd like.
CO2 gas system will run about 125$ or so.
Regards,
Tom Barr
I can show you my tanks and they are loaded with PO4, we have gone up to 2.0ppm of PO4, not a lick of algae.
So if PO4 causes algae, where the heck is mine? I've been doing the PO4 additions for 15 years. I knew about it about 10 years ago(came in my tap).
Tredd, do the reading suggested here already. It'll help you a great deal.
Look into CO2.
Also look into getting some flourite gravel instead of the blue stuff(acwk!).
If you get decent gravel, CO2, you are most of the way home.
Lighting is okay.
From there it's just water changes, pruning and dosing of 4 cheap things.
Readup on CO2. It's plum easy once set up.
What you will wnat to do, is add enough CO2 gas(and only CO2 gas!!) to get a pH of 6.6 to 6.7 and keep it there while the lights are on.
That's all you have to do for CO2.
Weekly water changes helps, 50% takes about the same time as 25% and makes for easier dosing later on.
After you address CO2, gravel then you'll move on to nutrients.
The absolute last thing you will want to do is add more light.
Wait till have a good handle on the rest before considering more light. The amount of light you have is fine for most plants.
So do the homework and then see what you'd like.
CO2 gas system will run about 125$ or so.
Regards,
Tom Barr
The fish will love the water changes.....so will the plants.
Just pick up a good 'water conditioner' and follow the directions on the bottle as you add back the fresh water. I use Aquarium Pharmaceutical's "Super Strength Tap Water Conditioner" and add a drop of it for every gallon of new water to the tank. It will immediately disperse chlorine and break the chloramine bond if it is present in your water.
Keep the new water within a few degrees of the tank water.
If you don't already have one, you might consider the purchase of a "Python" siphon system. It hooks up directly to your sink's tap and makes water changes a snap.
I change about 90 gallons of water in 4 different tanks in less than 1/2 hr. with a python. If you are going to be serious about a planted tank, IMO water changes are essential.
Len
Just pick up a good 'water conditioner' and follow the directions on the bottle as you add back the fresh water. I use Aquarium Pharmaceutical's "Super Strength Tap Water Conditioner" and add a drop of it for every gallon of new water to the tank. It will immediately disperse chlorine and break the chloramine bond if it is present in your water.
Keep the new water within a few degrees of the tank water.
If you don't already have one, you might consider the purchase of a "Python" siphon system. It hooks up directly to your sink's tap and makes water changes a snap.
I change about 90 gallons of water in 4 different tanks in less than 1/2 hr. with a python. If you are going to be serious about a planted tank, IMO water changes are essential.
Len
Who's the person that started the idea fish do not like large frequent water changes?
This is very easy to see if it's true or not.
Do the large frequent water changes(weekly 50%) and see if you have any sick fish ever.
Your mortality/disease rate will go to zero pretty much.
You can tell in the behavior as well.
Clean pure water is best for all the fish I know. A few might like some peat like Killifish etc, but they still like clean water.
This also goes back to keeping up with basic maintenance.
I told folks this almost 30 years ago working in a LFS.
It still applies today.
You may be able to skimp and not a water change for 2-4 weeks, you may be able to do alright with 25% weekly.
But the problem is when someone has not done a water change for say 4 weeks, then does a large change all of a sudden, this can stress the fish in SOME cases.
But fish live in a variable environment. Think about it, big huge rains, wet/dry seasons and large water change levels, chemistry, temp variations etc.
The other thing is plants love it/algae generally hate it.
Regards,
Tom Barr
This is very easy to see if it's true or not.
Do the large frequent water changes(weekly 50%) and see if you have any sick fish ever.
Your mortality/disease rate will go to zero pretty much.
You can tell in the behavior as well.
Clean pure water is best for all the fish I know. A few might like some peat like Killifish etc, but they still like clean water.
This also goes back to keeping up with basic maintenance.
I told folks this almost 30 years ago working in a LFS.
It still applies today.
You may be able to skimp and not a water change for 2-4 weeks, you may be able to do alright with 25% weekly.
But the problem is when someone has not done a water change for say 4 weeks, then does a large change all of a sudden, this can stress the fish in SOME cases.
But fish live in a variable environment. Think about it, big huge rains, wet/dry seasons and large water change levels, chemistry, temp variations etc.
The other thing is plants love it/algae generally hate it.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Re: More info
Please, please, PLEASE tell me you aren't using an actinic bulb.
Actinic Bulbs
I have YET to see a FW tank that has an actinic bulb that doesn't have some sort of algae problem. For some reason, people want their FW tanks to be blue...:shake:
The ones on the page you listed were 6500k tho.
Please, please, PLEASE tell me you aren't using an actinic bulb.
Actinic Bulbs
I have YET to see a FW tank that has an actinic bulb that doesn't have some sort of algae problem. For some reason, people want their FW tanks to be blue...:shake:
The ones on the page you listed were 6500k tho.
I don't think they are actinic bulbs. This is what I'm running. The one is in the blue spectrum, which is supposed to be good for plants. The one one is in the pink spectrum
GE Daylight Ultra F40SP65 6500K T12 3050L 75CRI
GE SPX50 F32T8/SPX50 5000K T8 2800L 2660DL 86CRI
What's the best substate to use for a planted tank?
GE Daylight Ultra F40SP65 6500K T12 3050L 75CRI
GE SPX50 F32T8/SPX50 5000K T8 2800L 2660DL 86CRI
What's the best substate to use for a planted tank?
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I have po4 in my tap water and I was dosing it also. But I was not aware of this untill I got the test kit. Thats why the algea out break. And thanks to pb I do 50 % water changes every 5 to 6 days and with those water changes comes massive prunning. Read every thing you can its a constant learning curve. Tim.
As far as substrate try flourite or onyx. Both from seachams. Some use others, there are a whole bunch of threads on this subject.
