Flourite/phosphate question

shouck

shouck

AC Members
Oct 28, 2006
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I have a 10g planted tank with a 2" layer of flourite for substrate. I have 9 1" cardinals in there along with 8 or 9 Crypt. wendtii. I'm having a wicked time with blue-green slime algae (cyanobacteria) and have been since starting this tank up about 7-8 months back. The crypts aren't doing well because I am constantly removing the BGA from them, along with the substrate, the heater, the filter, the glass, pretty much everything but the cardinals. This tank has a 15w fluorescent (the standard "All Glass Aquarium Lamp" that came with the lighting fixture) light. The filter is an AC20 with foam and ceramic media and 100ml of Purigen. I have an airstone running in the opposite back corner to add some movement. This morning was the 4th day in a row that I did a 75% water change trying to lower the phosphate level. Soon after the water change I get around 1 ppm for a phosphate reading. The next morning before the next 75% wc I get 2 ppm phosphate. Another odd thing is the pH in this tank is 7.5, while the tap water I've been adding comes out of the faucet at 6.8. I add nothing and I've tested my tap water for many things and I haven't found a reading on any of it. This is how the water stands after the fourth 75% water change, Temp 76 degrees, hardness 3 dKH, nitrite 0 ppm, nitrate 0 ppm and the phosphate nearing 2 ppm. Questions: Is the flourite adding the phosphates? Could the Purigen be removing something from the water to cause the higher pH? The Purigen I added just a few hours ago is already much darker showing it's pulling something out and quite a bit of it at that. Maybe I should pull the Purigen out? Any ideas guys?
Thanks
 
You could have gotten a bad batch of flourite. The Purigen most likely isnt causing a problem.
 
I should have mentioned that before the major water changes the phosphates were 5 ppm and the nitrates were 7.5 ppm. The cardinals have been doing great since day one. They arrived as about 1/3" blue/green slivers and now are deep bodied and 1" in length. I lost one way back, this one was deformed when I got it.
I had cleaned as much of the BGA out of the tank as I could when I did the first 75% wc. This morning I cleaned a light coating off the heater, substate and some of the plant leaves.

You could have gotten a bad batch of flourite. The Purigen most likely isnt causing a problem.
Click to expand...

I have no clue about the flourite, I'm new to planted tanks and the techniques. I really hope it's nothing with the Purigen. I use it in all my tanks and it seems to work good. The best part is its being so easy to recharge. Thanks for the input.
 
Yeas, BGA most often associated with too low nitrates (a macro nutrient for plants) as well as too little flow. Id look up how to do a blackout, or i think some use maracyn to kill it. Try to keep your nitrates at 10~20. Phosphates shouldnt be causing you issue, and a few ppm is ok generally.

If you want to test the pH of your tap to get the most accurate readings you need to age it. Either put it in a small container with a bubbler or a powerhead to agitate it a couple hours or set it out for a couple/few days. Then test it. Things like increased co2 concentration in the tap water will alter the pH of tapwater, but off gas when put in your tank.
 
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