What else but algae problems

[Bad Inferno]

I've been battling this hair algae for 2 months ....just keeps comming back, even have some small gravel stones it is growing on which I now syphon out. Should I just take out all plants and run the tank for 1 months then re-plant ?

12 watt UV on 24 hrs / day ( 11 months old maybe time for a new bulb)
60 watts, 200 litres for 9 hrs / day
pH stablised at 6.4 ph with controleld CO2, 1 deg KH
I use the cheap Aqua-force plant food...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/rjconway/IMG_0016-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/rjconway/IMG_0015-1.jpg[/img]

[duck]

What are your Nitrate level's?
You need to double the amount of light.
Taking the plant's out for 1 month is not going to do anything.

[Stuart]

You should be ecouraging plant growth since they will out-compete the algae for nutrients.

Otherwise you might consider adding such nutrient aborbing plants as mossballs and java moss.

[Bad Inferno]

I just purchased a nitrate test kit, Aquarium science and have a reading of 40ppm

I did put 30 ml plant fert in my tank this morning, do not know if this increases NO3

Thought it was high so tested tap water = 0

[Bad Inferno]

A little more info

5 medium discus in 200 litres
30% WC every 4 days

29 deg C
Ammonia 0
PH 6.5, KH 2-3 = CO2 20ppm
Nitrate 40ppm

[duck]

What is your KH 1-2-3.
Increase the CO2 to aleast 30ppm,If you can increase the lighting.
Your KH a little low might want to up it a bit.

[Bad Inferno]

Thanks Duck,

KH was between 2 to 3 colour just started to change at 2 drops so maybe better saying KH = 2.5

I have a very precise pH controller (using an industrial pH controller) running CO2 injection. I use KH powder,1 teaspoon per 60 litres when I water change. I will look at increasing this over the comming weeks.

I have increased my light from 9 hrs to 12hrs and have all three lights running now.

Was my Nitrate high at 40ppm. ? I know I am probably at the limit of fish per tank size.

[Benny]

For discus id say thats well outside their comfort zone......

[Bad Inferno]

how do I reduce it, more water changes ? I already thoguht I did enough of those 30% every 4 days

[OscarManAlpha]

Do you mean Aquasonic plant food if so that is no problem.

If you are using another brand does it contain phosphate ?

What bunch plants do you have ?

Can you post a pic of the entire tank.

[Bad Inferno]

Some pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/rjconway/IMG_0033.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/rjconway/IMG_0034.jpg

[OscarManAlpha]

Photo's make it much easier thanks.

The stuff on your filter pipes will comes off if you remove them and wipe with bi carb soda rinse and repalce easy.

Now you have an expensive Co2 system there. So your commitment to growing plants must be there.

Swords are slower growing plants they cannot compete with the algae.

Try adding duplarit K into your substrate it will help the heavy root feeders such as swords. Also remove the Java fern from the substrate and attach to the wood they are not supposed to be planted in the gravel.

Buy a few bunches of hygrophilia polysperma and hygrophilia deformas and some Ambulia for the background. Before you add the Duplarit k 2 boxes should suffice. You could probably do with another 10-15kg of gravel 3-5mm in size.

If this doesnt help PM me.

Also up your KH to 7 and your PH to 7 this should give around 24 ppm of Co2 to be safe it's a misconception that you need a lower PH for the Discus and plants to thrive and 30 ppm of Co2 is dangerous with a low Kh reading besides you would have to get your kh upto 10 in order to have Co2 at 30ppm in the optimal range.

[OscarManAlpha]

What are those bubbles on the left hand side of the tank ?

Are they from the Co2 or an airstone ?

What are you using as a reactor for the Co2 ?

Can you post a larger photo I tried to blow up the photo to see the equipment but it became very pixelated.

[OscarManAlpha]

Here of some b4 and after shots of a tank I helped my friend out with recently.

The shots are taken 15 days apart so two weeks.

I helped out with another tank a year ago and took pictures on a weekly basis I will post them aswell.

I should be asleep by now !!

[OscarManAlpha]

Here is another one.

This one was done without duplarit K.
So the swords didn't really do well at all.

Liquid ferts were used and Co2 was pumped on both tanks.

[OscarManAlpha]

Here is a shot from the first day I used cuttings from one of my tanks.

[duck]

Also up your KH to 7 and your PH to 7 this should give around 24 ppm of Co2 to be safe it's a misconception that you need a lower PH for the Discus and plants to thrive and 30 ppm of Co2 is dangerous with a low Kh reading besides you would have to get your kh upto 10 in order to have Co2 at 30ppm in the optimal range.


My tank runs at 6.2 and a KH of 4 so what does this mean my fish are dead or will die very soon.
CO2 these day is to run 30+ppm.

[duck]

My tank
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y73/c_duck_c/IMG_1586.jpg

[OscarManAlpha]

Sorry if I may have offended you Duck.

You certainly have one of the most beautiful tanks I have ever seen.

I have made an error as I work in Co2 mg/l I got confused and wrote ppm.

According to two independent Co2 graphs of mine at KH 4 and ph 6.2 you would have 75mg/l which falls into the too much Co2 side of both graphs.

Those figures would kill my fish. I do not have a Co2 system as sophisticated as yours which prob shuts off automaticly, mine runs 24/7.

BTW those pics are not of my tank.

[duck]

No offence taken.
I don't run a fancy CO2 setup,Mine is also on 24/7 :)

[Bad Inferno]

I have a fancy Co2 setup however...purchased the bottle for $30.00, had a needle valve, solenoid from work and a pH controller off ebay for US$25.00 The controller is a $2000.00 industrial ph controller. Still doen't help me grow plants :)

I understand what you mean about slow growing plants....My current plan was to create a dense planting to one side so that I can feed the fish on the other.I pulled out all my VAL that was taking over the tank and have not replaced..thats was the turn for the worst...now I am in deep Algae....

This was my tank 18 months ago....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v319/rjconway/101-0104_IMG.jpg

[dreamer]

air bubble in planted tank with co2 system is kinda contractiding isnt it?

[OscarManAlpha]

Wow nice photo love those Discus.

You still got them ?

[Bad Inferno]

yeah I do still have these two. These are the first discus I purchased...although I have lost a couple since....more from moving them into another tank that was not fully cycled.

I did run the tank without an air stone for a while however was concerned about 5 large discus in a 200 litre tank.

I can digitally set whatever pH I want from the controller . If I change from say 6.6 to 6.2 it will get there within 30 minutes and maintain it to within 0.02. with or without an air stone on. even though I have not concentrated on plants for a while I use the CO2 to maintain pH. When I do a water change I usually pump half fresh water back into the tank wait 20 minutes for the CO2 to bring back down then fill it up. I usually let the new water stand for 3 days however its pH is still more like 7.0 when putting into the tank. Rather CO2 controlling Ph than dosing other stuff into the water.

[duck]

air bubble in planted tank with co2 system is kinda contractiding isnt it?
Yes.

You had a nice tank going.

I would add a few (alot) more plant's,I find any plant's that the LFS have are fast and easy growing.
You need to clean everthing off, keep the Nitrate's up,After some time when you have controlled the algae then you can start removing plant's slowly,NOT all at once as you would of figured out.