longstanding algae problem - Algae

ir0n_ma1den · 10-08-2009, 12:27 PM

So,

I have had my 29g tank setup for more than a year and have always had GDA, hair algae, and some kind of red/brown cyano-like algae.

I used to have 65w of PC light over the tank and still have had the same amount of algae that I have now with 130w of PC light.

stats:

29g tank
130w PC light (1x 10k, 1x 6700k)
Pressurized CO2
Eheim 2115
Maxijet 400

dosing:
alternate starting sunday

MACRO
KNO3 3/8 tsp
KH2PO4 1/16 tsp
K2SO4 3/16 tsp
MgSO4 1 tsp

MICRO
CSM+B 3/16 tsp

I scrape at every water change, but it comes back every week. I just started to dose excel (dosed 15mL today).

davemonkey · 10-08-2009, 03:27 PM

Are you overfeeding your fish? And what is your photoperiod? That's a HUGE amount of light for a tank that size.

Another thing I noticed is you have alot of room for many more plants (or thicker groupings of what you have). Dosing EI with dry ferts is based on HEAVILY planted tanks. Yours is moderate, and you don't really have many fast stems (fast nutrient users) so you may just be overfeeding ferts.

-Dave

ir0n_ma1den · 10-08-2009, 03:48 PM

I have both bulbs on for 10 hours straight.

I do have the option of controlling each bulb separately.

demen45 · 10-09-2009, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ir0n_ma1den

I have both bulbs on for 10 hours straight.

I do have the option of controlling each bulb separately.

cut down your lighting hours to about 7 hrs a day. you don't have too many plants that require a lot of lights

Tex Gal · 10-09-2009, 08:39 PM

Remove all hair algae you can see with tweezers, toothbrush, wahatever. Do a 3 day blackout. Entire darkness - don't peak. Your fish will be fine. Whatever plants you loose will be gone anyway due to the hair algae. Once you have completed the blackout run only one of your bulbs. Squirt hydrogen peroxide on any areas where you see remaining hair algae. Turn filter off while you are squirting peroxide and leave it off for about 30 min. Do this EVERY day. If the hair algae doesn't look like it's dying repeat the blackout followed by the peroxide treatment. In order for the peroxide to kill the hair algae you have to knock it back first with a 3 day total blackout. It will also kill the cyano.

Amano shrimp will also help, since, if kept hungry, they will eat the algae.

trong · 10-11-2009, 06:23 AM

do you use city water or R/O? my city water causes a brownish slime type algea which i believe to be a diatom algea.

ir0n_ma1den · 10-19-2009, 03:03 PM

I just completed the 3 day blackout and the first of the peroxide treatments.

algae doesn't looked to phased, but my plants are stretched and a little weak.

I've cut the total light period down to 7 hours. 4 hours of 130w and then 3 hours of 65w.

playthecello · 10-20-2009, 07:19 AM

Your tank caught my eye for two reasons. First, it's eerily similar to mine. I also have a 29 gallon, with 65 w of pc light and a general scum over everything. Rather, I did until yesterday, when I spent about 4 hours scrubbing and vacuuming all the blue-green algae off of the plants and out of the gravel. I hadn't realized it had spread from the gravel to coating the plants until I started removing leaf-shaped sheets of algae and noticed how much greener my plants were. (It's amazing what can sneak up on you when it moves slowly.) I can't really offer any help, but I can empathize, and I'll be watching how you handle it closely. (Actually, why not try PPS-pro instead of EI? I used it for about 6 months with a similarly set-up tank with excellent results. [Until I moved, and the BGA moved in with me.] Plants don't grow explosively fast, but they grow healthy and steady.)

Secondly, what the heck is that thing on your power head? Is it half a soda bottle with some floss in the neck to catch drifting pieces of gunk? If so, that is BRILLIANT, and why haven't I seen it done before?

ir0n_ma1den · 01-10-2010, 05:29 AM

So over Christmas I was away from the tank for 7 days. That's 7 days with a 6 hour light schedule, 65w of PC, CO2 for 6 hours, and no dosing. I came back to find decent growth and a cleaner looking tank (less algae). So I'm thinking now that maybe my tank for some reason does not want:

• KNO3 7/16 teaspoon
• KH2PO4 1/32 teaspoon
• K2SO4 1/32 teaspoon
• MgSO4 1/3 teaspoon

Alternate three days:
• CSM+B 1/3 teaspoon

I'm just having trouble finding a good place to start.

Dantra · 01-10-2010, 07:27 AM

I personally think its a CO2 issue. Bump up your CO2 as far as you can go right before it starts affecting your fish then leave it there. If you add too much CO2 to the point where you see your fish affected by it then back off just a tad and wait but continue to monitor the fauna.

I would only use one bank of your lights 8 hours a day.

Now ferts, why are you dosing MgSO4? If you have soft water then just add GH Booster to your tank once a week only at water change. I would continue to dose everything else as per EI if that's what you were using. It may have been too much lights, non-limiting ferts, low CO2 that caused your outbreak. Ferts don't cause algae.

Lower your lights to using one bank, raise CO2 as far as you can get it without affecting fauna, non-limiting ferts will get you to your goal.

Once you get your algae under control can you use the other bank with only an hour midday burst for about a week or two and gradually increase the length of the noon burst if needed but only after a week or two. You may get away with never using the other light bank again but that's up to you and your goal.

Hope this helps,
Dan