Algae Problem, Planted Tank

[Shawnts106]

Hello again!

ok, so Ive got the planted tank going well... plants growing out of my... ... AQUARIUM!...

lol, so... I have got a bit of nasty GREEN SLIME going on... and Ive tried the whole 3 day blackout thing... it worked for a week.. then it was back again!..

I just cant get rid of it.... what can I do to get rid of this nasty algae..

here is the water quality:

pH - 6.6
Nitrates - 0ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm
ALK - unknown

also, I have added this stuff called algae fix, and its made the water a bit cloudy... its been cloudy for a week now... and Ive only used it once!

I have got some BIOZYME that Ive put in it for 2 days.. it hasnt helped so far! :(


Please help me with this problem... I want a beautiful crystal clear planted tank... right now I dont have one.. and Im upset...

Im going to do a good 50% waterchange today to try and get rid the water looking a bit better!


oh.. LIGHTING

Ive got two 65watt half 6500K and half 10,000K bulbs on the tank... I am thinking this is too much?

thanks for the help!

[Ben]

Hi Shawn,

Welcome back mate!
good to have you back here!

I will be honest here and dont own a single plant in any of my 18 aquariums!
So i am not experienced enough to know about the lighting etc.

But just an idea, do you think a UV sterilizer would help?

Also just becareful adding chemicals to stop algae growth. I have heard and seen people knock out all there fish using it!


Sorry i could not be of any more help,
maybe some others have some good ideas?

I was reading your post about the rams, sounds like they are getting ready to spawn!
Any chance of a picture or 2 ?


Cheers,
Ben

[merman]

Use UV or you might be over feeding. Also getting any direct/indirect sunlight?

[Shawnts106]

Hey!

Yes I know about those chems... thats why I dont normally use them... and wont unless I HAVE TO!


I only used that AlgaeFix once... I wont use it again!

I just did that 50% waterchange.. and added extra Biozyme... I really like the BioZyme product... its dehydrated Bacteria... when it hits the water it reactivates... goodddddd stuff! Ive seen good things with this!


No I dont think a UV would help... IT MAY but Im not about to go buy one and have it not!
and yes it is getting indirect sunlight... right by a window....

SPAWN!!!!... geeze... the male is very colorful and has a slight purple belly... his pectorial fins are pointed of course....

The "female" is FAT and shes really breathing hard... and NOT eatting anything I put in the tank, no bloodworms, flakes... anything... but shes swimming around and breathing hard... thats it!

the male is swimming around everywhere and eatting VERY VERY good and is very social!... comes right up to the glass!

I worry that the female is egg bound... or something and shes going to die.. it reallyyyyy look like that!

please help you guys!

[Shawnts106]

That first Pic is mom on top and dad on bottom...

this one is the same just a different angel...

sorry for the crapy pics, but its hard to get pics of fish that are in the back of the tank! Ill try and get some better ones later !:)

[Shawnts106]

And a full tank shot just as a through in!

[marg]

Shawn you said that your tank was near a window - I would say that that is part of your peoblem. Can you black out the side near the window? That might help a bit.

[duck]

How big is your tank?
Have you CO2?
You need more NO3 than 0 to keep it at bay.
Pretty sure you have BGA.

[Benny]

BGA? Blue green algae? what do u mean ducky?

Benny

[duck]

BGA? Blue green algae? what do u mean ducky?

Benny
Sorry yes Blue green algae

[Benny]

doesnt BGA release nasties into the water?

Oy i hope i dont have it myself, fighting the never-ending algae saga of a new tank...

Benny

[Pyroman]

Great article on various types of algae and solutions to hopefully remedy the problem: http://plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=9

[duck]

doesnt BGA release nasties into the water?
As far as i know it doesn't,Your tank just look's bad.

[Shawnts106]

I am thinking its BGA myself.... and yes I can... Im thinking about doing a Styro/Cement Background including the sides... if I do... then I wont have to worry about it... so that is on my LIST OF THINGS TO DO! haha


as for the ram that was breathing hard... today she was dead.. and at work.. we had one doing the same thing today... later it died too! :(

the other fish are fine, as well as the male ram! :)




Anything else I can do?

[anti-generic]

My suggestion in controlling your BGA is to try and control the amount of phosphates in the water. The reason why i asked if you were using ph buffers is beacause alot of them contain phosphate.

so for now do some water changes and dont use your ph buffer. try and dilute the water. I know seachem says their buffers dont contain phosphates but just give it a miss for once and see what happens.
doing little water changes without buffering wont hurt any of your fish or plants.

cheers.
Eric

[duck]

I am thinking its BGA myself.... and yes I can... Im thinking about doing a Styro/Cement Background including the sides... if I do... then I wont have to worry about it..
Anything else I can do?
What don't you have to worry about, the BGA?
If that's what you a thinking, think again it will soon cover your whole tank,and you will be forever hand in tank cleaning.
You bottomed out your nitrate's therefore a good enviroment for BGA,also poor circulation can bring it on.
Do a three day black out.
Do 50-75%WC add KNO3 turn CO2 light's off, then a complete blackout
After the 3 day's do another 50-70% WC add KNO3 turn back on the CO2 and light's keep it at a min of 30ppm,Before the black out take as much crap out as you can.
Keep your NO3 up at least the 10 ppm.

[Shawnts106]

What don't you have to worry about, the BGA?
If that's what you a thinking, think again it will soon cover your whole tank,and you will be forever hand in tank cleaning.
You bottomed out your nitrate's therefore a good enviroment for BGA,also poor circulation can bring it on.
Do a three day black out.
Do 50-75%WC add KNO3 turn CO2 light's off, then a complete blackout
After the 3 day's do another 50-70% WC add KNO3 turn back on the CO2 and light's keep it at a min of 30ppm,Before the black out take as much crap out as you can.
Keep your NO3 up at least the 10 ppm.

Not BGA, I dont have to worry about the Sunlight on that side...
Yes I am well aware of poor circulation causes BGA, thats why I have a filter that is 3 times the size I need, plus a powerhead on the other side... just look at the picture...

I have already done a 3 day black out.... it worked for a few days...
I have done several 50% to 85% waterchanges... ... Its not helped...
Yes, the CO2 was OFF of course so were the lights...
I do NOT agree with the NO3 level being 10ppm, this is not acceptable to me!


the BGA mainly grows on the filter outtake and the Foxtail... nothing else... oh yes, and the Java fern.. but thats it!

[duck]

I do NOT agree with the NO3 level being 10ppm, this is not acceptable to me!
I take it that you want your NO3 to be 0ppm and not any higher?

[Davo]

I agree with Duck. Having your nitrate level at 10ppm will not affect your discus and your plants will benefit from it.

Dave.

[vishy]

Get your nitrates up or your going to have problems your discus won't care :D
Matt

[axl]

You wont have algea and you will have healthy plants ifyour nitrates are 10ppm plus and once they are back in balance, ask anyone its all about getting your macro and micro nutrients in balance, if you dont agree you shouldnt have a planted tank then.

[Shawnts106]

I take it that you want your NO3 to be 0ppm and not any higher?

No, just more along the unreadable line... at the very most 10ppm


I dont have discus anymore... they died for unknown causes... I think they had internal parasites... the one that survived I have moved and it is doing much better!




Get your nitrates up or your going to have problems

Problems = ?


I think that this BGA is due to the fact that the tank is right next to a window, I use SeaChem buffers and that contain phosphates...

Now, why is my water slightly cloudy... and NO MATTER what I do , WC WC WC WC BACTERIA, WCWCWCWC... it doesnt get better?... is this the phosphates precipitating in the water? some other precipitant???

what is going on?


I have alot of plants in the tank that grow REALLY REALLY FAST, and, in turn take up every available nutrient in the tank.. personally I do NOT know how to MAKE nitrates in a tank, besides overstocking and putting dead things in it....

I realllllyyyyy dont like the IDEA of putting Nitrates into my tank... lol, when you think about it it sounds insain!... but anyway. I realize now what you guys are talking about... so help me through this!


I have had a Ram die, that I can not find... so hes an ammonia factory right now.... Ive just had a golden clam to die... and go missing... so hes an ammonia factory.... maybe this will help, as crazy as that sounds???

I need to renew my CO2 bottles....

anyone have a favorite recipe... mine is 6 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon yeast and 1/2 cup sugar...

anything you guys got to offer? and BTW: a CO2 tank is just not possible... so please do not suggest it... even though it would be QUITE better for the water!


Thanks for your help so far... I am feeling a begining of a bit of releaf from this tank!


keep up the good advise!

[duck]

I think that this BGA is due to the fact that the tank is right next to a window, I use SeaChem buffers and that contain phosphates...
Your plants are using up the NO3,BGA like very low to no NO3,Not the sunlightor PO4


I have alot of plants in the tank that grow REALLY REALLY FAST, and, in turn take up every available nutrient in the tank.. personally I do NOT know how to MAKE nitrates in a tank, besides overstocking and putting dead things in it....
That's why you need to dose NO3,Seem's like that you would only have too dose NO3.


I have had a Ram die, that I can not find... so hes an ammonia factory right now.... Ive just had a golden clam to die... and go missing... so hes an ammonia factory.... maybe this will help, as crazy as that sounds???
I would say this why your tank is cloudy, ammonia, you might have a case of green water appearing soon.



anyone have a favorite recipe... mine is 6 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon yeast and 1/2 cup sugar...
I would increase the sugar to about 1 cup's later you can try 2 cups.

[vishy]

I didn't use the yeast method for long but was told to pretty much load the bottle about half full of sugar, meant to last longer,
Matt

[Shawnts106]

AHHH I SEE!... How do you dose NO3?.... is there a product for Nitrate?

today the water is crystal clear again!!!!!

but Ive noticed algae growing all over the plants leaves!!! :(


This algae is really bright green and stringy... this is the ONLY algae I have in my tank... but it seems to get on everything.... esspecially the foxtail! :(


its growing VERY VERY FAST!....


And I am really wanting to get rid of this stuff !!!

Is BGA really bright green and slimy stringy looking???

if so, tell me what I need to do to get rid of it... of course dose NO3.. but where can I get this from?

[Shawnts106]

ANd today I saw that the algae had KILLED one of my Otocinclus.. he was wrapped all inside of it!!!!

[vishy]

Your otto more than likely died then got caught up in the algae, to dose nitrate use KNO3(potassium nitrate) i think one of the guys here was selling some in the clasifieds or you can buy it from a hydroponics shop or your local chemical suppliers,
Matt

[Shawnts106]

Does SeaChem make it, Kent...???? who makes the stuff... can I get it from my LFS?


please help me! thanks for the INFO so far..

lol, and yes KNO3... yes, I did take Chemistry and yes I do know it means Potassium Nitrate :)

thanks anyway though! :)

[vishy]

[quote="Shawnts106"]Does SeaChem make it, Kent...???? who makes the stuff... can I get it from my LFS?
quote]
Who makes what? KNO3 is a chmecal just buy it from a chemical supplier or maybe at bunnings under the form of stump remover(not sure about that though) or just order off the guy on this forum whos selling it in the clasifieds,
Matt

[duck]

Can't recall if sechem make any or kent for that matter.
Since you are in USA try this guy should have everything you need and KNO3
http://www.gregwatson.com/

[Shawnts106]

SO after reading and doing some research online.. and here of course, I HAVE NOW LEARNED that I need to make a trip to the local LOWES store and pick up some STUMP REMOVER for my planted aquarium with a BGA problem!!!

This really beats all Ive ever seen! Adding nitrates to a tank!... lol, this really changes all Ive learned... this experience with planted tanks really has changes everything I know about keeping freshwater fish... WHICH IS A GOOD THING!!!

so... Off I am to LOWES then!

[Shawnts106]

Well.. not off to LOWES just yet!... Ill have to make it down there sometimes this week... sooo... Does anyone have any preferred brands of STUMP REMOVER?...


Of course Im looking for PURE 100% KNO3..... right?


So far I have rearranged the tank again... took that gigantamus peice of BEAUTIFUL driftwood out because of its size.... and replaced all the wood, accept one peice with rock from my yard..... its ok, the rock is quartz based.. innert rock...... Ive done the Vinegar test on it and its fine... which is a good thing! :)


Monitoring the pH to make 100% for sure... so far so good!
Today I added:
3 Bosamani Rainbows?
3 Gold Tetras
2 Otocinclus...

Ive gone through probably a dozen or so of Otocinclus but the stupid things keep getting stuck in the powerhead I had in the tank and getting chopped up!...
So I took out the powerhead and I have 4 otos now!


the Rainbows are beautiful... I plan on getting 2 Neon Blues, 2 Turqouis?, and 3 reds... which will give me a total of : sit down real quick!:

41 fish in my 29 Gallon tank! :)... LOL, yeah that is seriously OVER stocked... but they are tiny tetras.... and they are mostly in schools, so is that a bad thing?... the tetras stay at the mid/bottom area.. while the rainbows stay tward the top... so thats not overcrowding anyone is it?

If my Nitrates are 0 to low... and everything else is good then why not?

here are my fish so far:

3 Rainbows (Bosamanis... spelling?)
3 Gold Tetras
4 Otocinclus
1 Somekindafreshwatergobieorsomething
2 Cory Cats
Numberous snails of 3 species including Malasian Trumpets, Ramshorn, and Perywinkles
5 Neon Tetras
5 Cardinal Tetras
2 Flame Tetras
3 Serpae Tetras
3 Lemon Tetras
3 Head and Tail Light Tetras
... so thats 34 fish as of now... with 0 ppm Nitrates, 0 ammonia, and 0 nitrites....

If waterquality is great then why not get these small fishs?



they all seem to get along quite well... all showing wonderful health and color!

I think the plants help with teritory... they seem to stick in certain spots.. well.. not all of the Tetras do... the Neons and Cardinals and 2 of the Serpaes ... the other Serpae is anti-social!..., the lemon and head and tail lights all seem to stay in the front, only the Corys, Flames, and Mr. Gobiedude seem to perfer certain areas of the tank!


I really need a bigger tank! LOL!!!


Thanks for the help so far you guys!