Help with this algae in my Hair grass

Yoemen · Feb 9, 2009

I have this really annoying algae in my tank for the last few months that seems to mostly grow in my dwarf hairgrass. any suggestions?

It is a 75 gallon tank with a 4x55 watt kit over it. Lights are on for 8 hours a day. Dosing with EI method.

Have a powerhead and a 2217 and 2 2213s on it. Have the 2217 hooked up to rexgrigg reactor with CO2 injection.

Do a 40% waterchange once a week.

Here are the pictures.

avionics30 · Feb 9, 2009

What are you using for fertilizers? Have you tested your water for Nitrates and Phosphates? If you have 0 Nitrates and 1 to 2 indicated phosphate, then you are experiencing a nutrient imbalance.

Yoemen · Feb 9, 2009

I am dosing with Rex's fertilizer pack. 3 times a week I dose KNO3, H2PO4, and K2SO4. On the other 3 days I dose plantex. I dose based off of Tom Barrs EI dosage for a 75 gallon.

My CO2 is at 4 bubbles a second.

Bk718 · Feb 9, 2009

got a drop checker to know that co2 is at desired level??? BBA is a sign of low co2

Yoemen · Feb 9, 2009

no I don't, but the plants all pearl like crazy when the CO2 is on. To the point that I worry my CO2 is too high, because small bubbles start congregating on the top.

Yoemen · Feb 9, 2009

any other suggestions?

Bk718 · Feb 9, 2009

Do you trim the grass? What also can happen is the part you trimmed starts to die off a bit and becomes an algae magnet. But even then balanced co2/ferts prevents it from happening.

Try and get a drop checker with 4dkh solution so you will know if you have enough co2 in your tank.

If your stock permits, invest in a few true SAE's

And finally another thing you can do is set your light on 2 different ON modes. 2 bulbs run for 5-6hrs and then for last 2-3 hrs the other 2 bulbs kick in.

plantbrain · Feb 9, 2009

This has CO2 issues written all over it.

Mow the lawn so to speak and then make sure you have enough CO2, do not go wild, do it slow and progressive and watch the tank after you adjust it.

Try looking at other methods to add CO2, flow rate etc, current etc.

It's not a lack of a nutrient or an imbalance, it's a CO2 issue.
You can also lower/reduce the light intensity, say turn off a bulb if you have say 2 or 3.

This reduces CO2 demand, so the grass has enough for that lower light level.
You can also raise the light if possible to reduce intensity.

8-10 hours is fine.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Yoemen · Feb 11, 2009

Update

Well I turned up the CO2 and now the tank is pearling like crazy. My angel and 2 danios were up at the top of the tank most of last night, but that may just be because they thought the bubbles were food.

Just wanted to show ya'll and make sure I am not over saturating the tank.

I ordered a drop checker and made some 4dk solution yesterday.