Awesome, thanks man! I'll post a picture or two once it's all good again. I appreciate it!
Will Plecos Eat Fry?
- Thread starter MagicSmokeAquarist
- Start date
NoodleCats
AC Members
Awesome 
And wait to see as well what others say too, because they may have further input
And wait to see as well what others say too, because they may have further input
That's a lot of algae it's even hard to see what kind of plants they are.... I see java fern and anubias, those are easy plants but not particularly fast growing.
Anyway it's not a type of algae any pleco will eat, so...
Take all the plants and hardscape out and clean the leaves with something like a toothbrush. Doesn't matter if you miss some spots. Right now the algae is smothering the plants and they can't get any light. You say that all parameters are where they should be but I don't know what to make of that, list the temperature, pH, KH, GH and NO3, and PO4 if you have that test kit. What kind of light is it exactly (type, Watts, Lumen, temperature?) Also what kind of nutrient substrate do you have exactly (note none of your plants require this)?
You want some other fast growing plants as water lettuce (even if it is temporarily) like guppy grass or frogbit. It's not a hard problem to fix, it's just an imbalance in your water parameters.
Anyway it's not a type of algae any pleco will eat, so...
Take all the plants and hardscape out and clean the leaves with something like a toothbrush. Doesn't matter if you miss some spots. Right now the algae is smothering the plants and they can't get any light. You say that all parameters are where they should be but I don't know what to make of that, list the temperature, pH, KH, GH and NO3, and PO4 if you have that test kit. What kind of light is it exactly (type, Watts, Lumen, temperature?) Also what kind of nutrient substrate do you have exactly (note none of your plants require this)?
You want some other fast growing plants as water lettuce (even if it is temporarily) like guppy grass or frogbit. It's not a hard problem to fix, it's just an imbalance in your water parameters.
Light: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G91L6FV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
NO2: 2 (it changed since last week)
NO3: 0
Ammonia: 0
GH: 150
KH: 180
PH: 7.0
I'm going to clean the plants, rocks and decor now...
NO2: 2 (it changed since last week)
NO3: 0
Ammonia: 0
GH: 150
KH: 180
PH: 7.0
I'm going to clean the plants, rocks and decor now...
NoodleCats
AC Members
Firstly, plants and algae will consume ammonia before anything else. When they do, they do not create nitrite or nitrate in the water. As noted, rampant algae is caused by imbalances. To much nitrogen (i.e ammonia or nitrate) for the available plants will feed algae. Next, there is the light which also needs to be in balance with the needs of the plants and the nutrients. Finally, there is CO2 which also needs to be in balance for the plants and in relation to the light and nutrients.
Think of nutrients, light and CO2 as the legs on a three legged stool. if any one of the legs is too short or too long, the stool will rock or even turn over. The length of the legs is determined by the type and number of plants. Your plants appear to be easy to grow low light plants. Your problem may be the substrateas some plant substrates can leach ammonia into the water. I may also be your lights are too either too strong for your plants and/or they are turned on for too long. I am old fashioned and have yet to use LED lighting. Old style fluors and power compacts have served me well for many years. So I cannot help on that front.
There is always the possibility that something in your tap water is adding nutrients which is why the loach asked about PO4 (phosphate) among other things. Over feeding is often the cause of excess nutrients. If there is sunlight coming into the tank this can matter as well.
There is another way to get the algae off of plants if an algae pad or toothbrush won't remove it it. This can happen with the various hard algaes. You can do a bleach dip. Ferns and anubias are tough and can deal with this. You want a solution which is 19 parts water and 1 part bleach. Submerge the plant for 2 minutes. Rinse it off and then dip into a bucket of water which has had a strong dose of dechlor added. You can then safely return the plants to the tank.
If you want to try the toothbush or algae pad to try rubbing/scraping off the algae with the plants out of the tank, I suggest you do this in a bucket of water with the plant sumberged. You will find it a lot easier to remove algae from leaves this way if they are not in the tank.
Think of nutrients, light and CO2 as the legs on a three legged stool. if any one of the legs is too short or too long, the stool will rock or even turn over. The length of the legs is determined by the type and number of plants. Your plants appear to be easy to grow low light plants. Your problem may be the substrateas some plant substrates can leach ammonia into the water. I may also be your lights are too either too strong for your plants and/or they are turned on for too long. I am old fashioned and have yet to use LED lighting. Old style fluors and power compacts have served me well for many years. So I cannot help on that front.
There is always the possibility that something in your tap water is adding nutrients which is why the loach asked about PO4 (phosphate) among other things. Over feeding is often the cause of excess nutrients. If there is sunlight coming into the tank this can matter as well.
There is another way to get the algae off of plants if an algae pad or toothbrush won't remove it it. This can happen with the various hard algaes. You can do a bleach dip. Ferns and anubias are tough and can deal with this. You want a solution which is 19 parts water and 1 part bleach. Submerge the plant for 2 minutes. Rinse it off and then dip into a bucket of water which has had a strong dose of dechlor added. You can then safely return the plants to the tank.
If you want to try the toothbush or algae pad to try rubbing/scraping off the algae with the plants out of the tank, I suggest you do this in a bucket of water with the plant sumberged. You will find it a lot easier to remove algae from leaves this way if they are not in the tank.
Yeah so I soaked my rocks and decor in 3% H2O2 for a while (hot water, not boiling but will give you small burns) I was told this will kill the algae. As well as I put the plants in warm water. Not as hot, bc I didnt want to hurt them, and I didn't put H2O2 in there either. When they were soaking, I was cleaning the tank in general. After a while, I scrubbed the rocks, decor, and plants with a tooth brush. This worked well and got mostly all of the algae. In the tank there is no more black algae, however I am fearful of it returning.
Also, after I put all of the plants, decor, and rocks back in, I put in some algaecide.
What are my next steps? I think based on what I see you guys saying, is I need more CO2 in there. I've never been thrilled about the idea of having a CO2 tank, diffuser, etc. So I found what I think may be a solution: Seachem Flourish Excel.
I heard it was an algaecide at heart, but it did something to give the plants the CO2 they needed. I really forget how it helped, so I could be wrong.
Also, after I put all of the plants, decor, and rocks back in, I put in some algaecide.
What are my next steps? I think based on what I see you guys saying, is I need more CO2 in there. I've never been thrilled about the idea of having a CO2 tank, diffuser, etc. So I found what I think may be a solution: Seachem Flourish Excel.
I heard it was an algaecide at heart, but it did something to give the plants the CO2 they needed. I really forget how it helped, so I could be wrong.
You have the 72 leds, 1800 lumen light? (there are several options on that page) your light is on the low side it equals to 62 Lumen per gallon, for low light it should be around 75. Don't add CO2 you already are pushing 30ppm. Your NO3 is 0 that will cause algae, there are still phosphates available and algae can just use those. That's why you have the algae while the plants get no nutrients. You have to add KNO3 and maintain a level around 10ppm.
That is a good analogy... and for low tech tanks the stool will have very short legs, not much goes wrong when you fall off, but with high tech tanks the stool has long legs, and rocks easily... it works out.
That is a good analogy... and for low tech tanks the stool will have very short legs, not much goes wrong when you fall off, but with high tech tanks the stool has long legs, and rocks easily... it works out.
