Struggling with algae problems in 1 month old tank.

zachjohnson65

zachjohnson65

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Mar 31, 2007
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Staunton, VA
I have had this 55g set up for one month. I have been battling algae for 3 week. Right now i think have Black Beard, green dust and Blue/Green. Check the photos.
I cycled tank with seeded filters for 2 weeks. Equipment: Eheim 2213, Magnum 350, 54w 6500K T5 12 hours on. Turface substrate
Fish: 3 Rainbows, 1 yellow lab, 1 synodotis

Cleaning routine: I scrape algae off and do 20% WC and light vac weekly, rinse my medias every 2-3 weeks. Water Perm. are all zero.

I have tried bleaching wood and rock affected, over dosing with Excel (5ml daily) but nothing seems to help. Excel seems to make the problem worse.

I need some advise of what i'm doing wrong to cause this much algae trouble?:wall: My other 15g tank that i reset up the same day does not have these problems and the substrate and water source are the same!

gravel.jpg plant algae.jpg java.jpg glass.jpg
 
Make it a heavily planted tank or buy some anti algae potion. I bought interpet's 'anti hair algae' and it worked really well.
 
12 hours of lighting is too much, cut down to 8-10 hours. And don't buy anything that claims to kill algae, it will only mask the problems not eradicate them.

0 nitrates is troubling. Is the tank fully cycled? What test kits?
 
I will cut back to 8 hours tonight. I use API master kit. I also crossed checked with my local LFS test kit and they always get the same as me.
 
Do my pictures agree with my thoughts of what types of algae?
 
Yep, you nailed the algae IDs. If you can't knock out the blue-green algae by cutting down the light try treating the tank with erthromyacin. I never can get it to go away with out meds.

I have also heard that if you let the green dust algae go until it's horrible, then scrape it off, it works the best. Never tried that myself but if it's still giving you nightmares after cutting the lights it might be worth a shot.
 
If that is 100% GDA and not green spot (hard to tell by the pic) you will want to leave it alone. Tom Barr classified it as algae in it's zoospore stage. If you scrape it off it just comes back; if you let it be it will run through it's life cycle.

For me it's taking a while, close to 6 months I believe since I first found out what it was. But from what I've read it usually will not take this long. Supposedly non planted tanks take longer.
 
Temp of tank is 77.
pappy789 I understand about the dust algae. What about the other types of algae smothering my few plants?, should i leave it alone?

i have heard that adding more rapid growing plants would help starve out the algae but i do not think i can find any to grow in 1 watt before it gets smothered. I tried ludwigia last week and it is already algae covered!!!! I'm getting so stressed
 
I am currently using Amazon frogbit to help suck nutrients out of my 12 gallon that was having problems with BBA. I cut the lights done to 8 hours a day so I'm not sure which is having more effect, but it's working well.
 
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