Low Tech to High Tech - Algae on the increase

nickmcmechan

nickmcmechan

Proudly Scottish
Feb 25, 2007
2,028
0
0
54
Edinburgh, Scotland
So, have a 300l tank heavily planted with Crypts, Swords, Hygrphillia, Frogbit.

Last Week I increased

  • light from 1.4wpg to 2wpg
  • TPN+ (contains micros and macros) from 1/4 recommended dose on bottle to 1/2 dose
  • CO2 from just Excel at full dose to Excel at full dose + pressurised CO2 at 30ppm
The tank is beginning to get overrun with Cyanobacteria and Brown Algae :swear:- I am manually removing every day with 30-50% water changes but its now beginning to win. The algae was there before and is now worse.

So, what do I do?

What do I increase / decrease??
 
Cyanobacteria only grow when nitrate is virtually zero, so increasing that might help.
 
Update

bit of an update

went ahead with the blackout, increased NO3, redirected filter flow so plants waving, stopped ammonia dosing...co2 switched off as there is no lighting right now (should i put it on?)????

had a look in the tank just now, brown algae has taken an absolute hammering, BGA has now covered entire back wall of tank and seems to have increased?
 
Update 15th March

Update.

did a massive clean out yeaterday - took me about 4 hours


  • scrubbed all the surfaces (most of the bga was on the back)
    removed all the plants and put them through a 1:19 bleach dip
    cleaned substrate (sand, couldn't get all the BGA debris off)
    added another 1/2" of substrate (same sand)
    replanted with new plants as well
and now continuing the blackout...think i will take it to tomorrow night?

the plant population is now


  • 1/2 dozen frogbit and 8 twisted vals on the left
    2 echinodorous cordiflorous to the back either side of the tiger lilly
    10 crypts along the back on either side of the sword / lilly centre piece
    1 row of 10 crypts in front of that
    2nd row of 10 crpyts in front of that row
    6 hygrophilollia siamesis 53b around the big resin magrove root decoration at the right
    4 anubias var nana attached to the mangrove thing as well as a java fern
i think i might be able to squeeze in another 1/2 dozen crypts and i've left about 2-3 inches clear at the front for the discus to feed when i get them on the 28th

plan going forward is

put 2 light tubes back on monday 16th
monday introduce ferts, excel and co2
22nd march put other two light tubes on all going well, i.e. no algae and significant plant growth, otherwise wait one week
28th March - pair of discus arrive
28th onwards - daily water changes with HMA and daily dosing of ferts

share your thoughts please!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom