Opinions please

[Cityfish]

Thank you for this outlet. My Girlfriend (who gave me my first Aquarium for christmass) thinks I’ve gone crazy, and is tired of hearing about the tank.

Problem 1. kind of a soft brown algae has been covering the leaves of some of the plants, mostly the ludwigia & the Bacopa. I also have black spots on my anabus that do not wipe off like the soft brown algae does.
I had too little light and both of these plants grew long and thin with small leaves. As you may see I cut the ludw' Bacopa way down to about 2" ( (removing most of the algae) it was to the top of the tank.
I have recently increased my lighting (all algae symptoms were present well before lighting change) and added a small clean up crew.

? am I headed for an algae disaster….. or worse.
? do I really need CO2 in a small, overpopulated tank.

Equipment
29 gallon
130 watt corallife florescent strip
Flourite under small pea-gravel
Topfin filter (OT-back with charcoal sachet)


System
Lighting schedule 11am-1pm 65watt, 1-7pm 130w, 7-9pm 65watts.
Using Flourish excel and a little of their comprehensive supplement.
KH 4 ?
PH 6.6 in am b4 lights-on & 7.0 pm b4 lights-out

Community
2- Angels
2-dwarf Gourami
2- Zebra Loaches
1- albino bushynose plec
1- peppermint/ midnight plec L030
9- cardinal tetras
3- Harlequin rasbora
3- Siamese algie eaters ( recent addition)
2-marbled shrimp( recent addition)

I am considering trading the 2gourami & 3 harliquin for 2- catfish.

 

[twig]

you need to get that red algae under control. That stuff really gets bad. The only way I know of getting it off a plant is a bleach dip but i've always kept my anubias nana healthy enough to withstand cutting leaves off.

For slow growers like swords you should try to shade them with other plants or something to avoid red algae growth.

 

[twig]

ohya there looks like a bit of difficientcy or hwoever it's spelt in your water? ...

Keep your macro NPK in balance.

 

[Cityfish]

The anibus all seem healthy. I have cut some leaves… should I keep cutting.
Are the dark spots red algea too

How do I dip rooted plants and what concentration of bleach would you recommend.

Thank you, thank you… for the input

 

[Cityfish]

Excellent advice. Its past time I begin testing element necessary for the plants too. I guess I’ve been hoping angel poo is all they needed.

I did recently add two Red tiger lillys to help provide some shade.

Do I have too much light 4.48 watts per gallon?

 

[Aquabum]

Your anubias will survive, but they do better in low light.

Yes, you have way too much light over that tank, and with no Co2, you're asking for it Real Bad.

Sounds like you're describing brown diatoms. Those normally appear with a new setup and will go away once your tank is balanced.

Your tank is also overstocked. Have you done tests to determine what your water chemistry is like? You should test to make sure that you have no ammonia. Ammonia can bring about some very nasty algae problems, among other things. But make sure that your test kits are good. They're not always accurate, but you know more or less what you've got to deal with. Besides, it's never a good idea to overstock your tank, period.

And please, inject co2. Without it, algae will take over. Remember, this is a delicate balancing act we're dealing with, and any mistakes will cost us if we're not careful. I say that because you have a whole lot of light, which means lots of ferts, macros, and loads of co2. You should have started with medium light levels, you can grow all the plants that you currently have without so much of a hassle.

HTH

 

[Cityfish]

Perhaps I should light only one 65 watt bulb for 2.2 watts per gallon. The algae or diatoms were present B4 the light, but I am afraid of what might bloom next. The Aquarium has been up and running since January

Can any one tell me what the black spots on the Anubis Are?
Also I have been testing for ammonia with a Dr. Wellfish 2-part test. Always says 0 ammonia. I do understand I am over stocked and have made arrangements to return 5 fishies.

Thanks for all the helpful insight.

 

[Goatman]

You have two options really. The first is to drop your lighting to one 65 watt bulb and be content watching your plants grow slowly and being stuck with a small variety of plants that will thrive in your conditions. Your second option is CO2. DIY CO2 is a pain in the anus, and pressurized CO2 is really not that expensive or difficult. ThatPetPlace.com has Red Sea's paintball CO2 system for $129. Slap a $25 20oz bottle from Wal-Mart and you have your CO2 system, with upkeep costs not exceeding $10 every 6 months (that's if you get raped on refills at $10 a piece, usually its more like $5). It ends up costing about the same as DIY after initial investment, and you can maintain steady levels very easily. One benefit of the paintball system is that it hides easily inside your tank stand, and if it tips over... well they're made to be used tipped over as opposed to a beer keg CO2 can. You've put money out for flourite and PC lighting, might as well do the whole dance and not stop halfway.

 

[Aquabum]

Cool. I'm glad to see that you have no ammonia problems. At 2.2 wpg, your plants may struggle a bit. You see 2.5 wpg is medium light.

Diatoms (brown) can take a while to go away. What you need are ottos. These are excellent at taking care of the brown stuff. They will keep your glass and plants clean. But your current stocking won't allow it. I know that you plan to return a few, but normally more than one otto is needed to keep the tank clean until the diatoms go away on their own. This is my experience.

The black spot on the Anubias is a deficiency of some kind. Have you tested your water for No3, Po4, and Gh? Do you dose these nutrients?

This is very important to know. Plants need these nutrients to survive. It can't be lack of light, so it must be something else. Test you water for these nutrients. If they check out, then maybe it's getting too much light. Anubias may not appreciate too much light. Who knows?

Like I said, it's a balancing act.

 

[phanmc]

The black spots on the anubias that doesn't wipe off are most likely the early stages of BBA (black bearded algae), which slow growing plants like anubias are very susceptible to. The only ways to remove them is a dip in 5% bleach solution for a few minutes (don't dip the roots or rhizome), or trimming the affected leaves.

CO2 is highly recommended no matter what you choose to do with your lights, but it is a requirement if you plan maintain the higher wattage. Flourish Excel is an adequate substitute at low to medium light but won't be reliable or cost effective at higher light.

At your current fishload, I'm guessing there's an over-abundance of nitrates and/or phosphates which are causing the algae problems. Reduce your fishload and do 50% water changes weekly if you aren't doing that already. Also consider dosing potassium and traces (Flourish).