genetao

I've been struggling with the algae for many months, and with all of my research, and trying to do what the experts say, I just simply can't banish the algae.

MY TANK SETUP

10 gallon tank - Medium to Heavily planted setup for about a year.

8 Cardinal Tetras & 1 Betta

Fertilizing Regiment - I use Seachem's full line of ferts including, Iron, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Trace, Excel, Flourish and Potassium. I follow Seachem's recommended dosing schedule, but follow the EI method, slightly overdosing on all macro and micro nutrients. I typically dose about double of what Seachem recommends. (My tank goes through nitrates fairly fast). I do a 50% water change once a week to reset the tank. Substrate is the usual gravel.

When I test my water, the nitrates are about 10ppm, and phosphates are about 1-2ppm. Ph is 7.4, Gh is about 6 dKh. Per the EI method, all of this is within range.

I do not use CO2, hence the reason why I use Excel instead. (CO2 is rocket science/voodoo to me). But I usually double dose on Excel too.

Lighting: 2 spiral compact fluorescent bulbs each 14 watts, totaling 28 watts with a mylar reflector. Sounds like a lot with just using Excel right? But remember that these are spiral bulbs which are pretty inefficient when factoring in the re-strike, and plus the tank looks dimmer than my other nano tanks. The lights are on for 8.5 hours a day.

I use an AquaClear 30 filter, along with a powerhead to keep up with the proper amount of flow. Believe me, there is plenty of flow. My Betta hates it! And the cardinals swim against the current in a shoal.




Plants:
Cryptocoryne
Anubias Nana
Anubias Barteri
Anubias Nana Petite
Java Moss
Java Fern
Hornwort
Sagittaria subulata

Yes they are mostly low light epiphytic plants. But using Excel with fairly inefficient spiral bulbs, added to the fact that I'm keeping up with all of their fertilizing needs, I would think that this would be a balanced ecosystem.



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I have two different types of algae that I'm struggling with.

The first one is some kind of hair or thread algae. It looks black, but upon closer inspection, it's very dark green. I ruled out BBA because it can be pulled apart and pulled off of plants. In fact, every now and then, I'll see a small clump of it riding along in the flow of the powerhead.
















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Then there's this other, I'm guessing, mulm-type of algae. I have no other words for it, but I have it in all of my tanks. It can't be fish poop, because even in the 2.5 gallon tank with only a single betta, I have this algae. And I use the EI method on that tank too with a 50% water change once a week. There's no way a single betta can poop out this much stuff. So it can't be poop. It's gotta be some sort of pesky algae. But what exactly is it? This algae loves to grow on the floss filter media of the Red Sea Nano filter, especially because the filter is transparent, and is underneath a pendant light.









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If you can tell me what I'm doing wrong and how I can fix it, please, I could use the hand. Short of telling me to break down my tank and start anew with AquaSoil, CO2, and fast growing stem plants with HO T-5 lighting, I'm hoping someone can point the error in my way.

Thanks for your help!

Tex Gal

All your plants in that tank look like low light plants, except for the hornwort which appears to be floating on the top. I wonder if EI dosing is just too much. I think I'd do it a little leaner. Also with 28 watts and no CO2 I think you found your issue. Do you see more of the hair algae closer to the top?

Do you think even with your aqua clear you have the water movement around the tank to get the chemicals evenly distributed throughout the tank? Wondering if you may have patches that the algae finds suitable to thrive in.

Why not try to kill the algae by removing what you have, spot treating with H2O2. I dont' know what your photo period is. What I have found with my two 10gs and fluorescent bulbs is that with pressurized CO2 14 -16 watt bulbs are the breakpoint for algae. If I go over that I get algae - including hair algae. Since you do not have pressurized I would think your breakpoint would be lower.

genetao

Tex Gal, so you're saying that 28 watts (2 x 14), even though they are spiral bulbs, with lots of re-strike, is too much lighting? I always figured that the WPG rule goes out the window when you have inefficient spiral CFL.

I follow the EI because I've been learning that nutrient limiting can get you into more trouble than having an over abundance of nutrients (to a certain degree of course). Besides, my tank seems to be absorbing the nutrients fairly well because I constantly have to dose nitrogen. Otherwise, it falls to about 5 ppm, even with a medium load of fish.

I do try to remove the algae by plucking it off the plants. But using H2O2 is a good idea too.

WOW! Only 1.4 - 1.6 WPG using CO2???? I always thought that that would be too little lighting. I'll try reducing the amount of lighting in the tank and see how that goes.

Tex Gal

Well I agree if the numbers you posted for your nutrients are constant most all the time you test. It doesn't sound like you are over dosing. You aren't missing w/c every a week, right?

I also understand about the wpg rule not working in smaller tanks. What I know is that if I use more that 14-16 wpg and DO NOT have fast growers and consistent pressurized CO2, I WILL get algae. I have two 10g tanks set up and I dose EI as well. I dose dry ferts. On both of these tanks I have Eheim 2213 filters. There is A LOT of water movement. They are both lightly stocked with fauna.

What you know is that you are having algae issues. Something is out of balance. Maybe your photo period is too long. Maybe you have dead water flow pockets. I'm not sure. Maybe you're not dosing enough Excel. Why not try to adjust one variant at a time and wait a few weeks. If no improvement then try a different variant.

genetao

Tex Gal, Nope, I almost never miss a water change. I tried not doing a water change once, but the algae started to get a bit out of control.

I've been told by one othe LFS gurus that I'll need about 3 WPG for my setup. I asked him, "Even for Crypts and Anubias plants?" He said yes. So 1.4-1.6 WPG sounds awfully low. In fact when I only had a 15 watt fluorescent tube over the 10 gal, I started growing brown diatom algae. Now maybe it was because it was a new tank setup at the time, but once I added more lighting, the brown diatoms went away. Which is why I thought I needed more than 1.5 WPG.

My photo period is 8.5 hours. And I think double dosing Excel at 2ml per 10 gallon should be enough. I wish I could test for it %p

Also having a AC30 filter along with a powerhead should be sufficient to remove any dead spots.

I'll try reducing wattage of lighting, and see if that does the trick. But man I tell ya', this algae has sure been a thorn in my side

Tex Gal

Hair algae is really difficult to get rid of. I ended up taking a tank down because of it.

I have experimented with some and found that if I do a 5 day blackout (begin Monday and end Friday) it knocks it back. Once it's weakened, hit it with H2O2 daily. Stop all water movement when dosing H2O2 for 30 min. I've read the max to dose is 3 ml per gallon. I've not done that much. You can then do a water change. I haven't followed with a water change. I've done this in a tank with CRS and everyone is fine. NEVER put the H2O2 directly onto critters. It's ok if they get into the bubbles, just don't squirt it directly on them.

I've found that this does kill the hair algae. You might have to do the black out several times, days apart. Pull out any hair algae you can.

Understand, I'm not saying that the higher light will hurt the crypts or anubias. They will do fine with what you have. What I am saying is that you have too much light for the nutrients and plant mix you have. The trouble with hair algae is that it like the same conditions that healthy plants like.

genetao

Wow! Seriously!??!?! You had to break down a tank just because of some stupid algae? That really must have been a PITA.

I think the algae I'm struggling with, is a different type. With the hair algae in my tank, I can EASILY pull it off, whether it be on plants or on rock or driftwood. I don't need to do anything drastic like blackouts or use H2O2. I just pull it carefully with a pair of long tweezers, and it comes off completely. Viola! But by the end of week, it grows right back.

Yesterday, I pulled the anubias nana out (it's rooted on a piece of rock) rinsed it, and pulled the remaining algae off. The hornwort was a bit more of a pain. Actually more like painstaking, trying to pull of all traces of the hair algae, but it does come off.

Isn't this just the strangest sounding hair algae to have????

Now I do have small patches of fuzz algae, or spots of GSA. But it isn't widespread, and even so, I have a nerite to take care of that. Otherwise, I'll just snip off the affected leaf.

In any case, I'm following your advice, and reducing the lighting from 28 watts, to 20 watts. (basically 2 x10 watt CFL). In addition, I put a piece of paper under the lights to diffuse the lighting even more. I'm hoping that by doing this will be enough to reduce the algae problem.

Typically by the end of the week there'll be algae already growing back. So if by the end of this week, the algae isn't held at bay, I'll reduce the lighting even further, going with 15 watts of lighting.

Thanks for the advice. I'll report back in a week and let you know how it goes.

mudboots

In the worst case scenario, you are at the very least a very good algae grower and should be commended .

I've got a 10 gallon myself, but have not had it set up long enough to know whether I'm out of balance or not. But reading this thread makes me a little cautious because I've got 2x20 watt spiral bulbs on it for about 10 hours a day or more (it's the only tank without timers, so whenever the kids turn it on and off is the photoperiod). I guess I need to pay a little closer attention to it and maybe just remove one of the bulbs.

Thanks for the post. It's good to know that those of us with algae issues are not alone. It's taken months for me to get my algae issue to a manageable state in my other aquarium.

genetao

Wow! 40 watts of lighting over 10 gallons sounds like a lot of lighting! At that rate, you'll be an Algae Grower Extraordinaire too in no time!

What did you do in your other tank to manage the algae problem?

mudboots

Funny enough, I CUT BACK THE LIGHTING!!! Which begs the question, "Why on Earth stick that much light over a 10 gallon npt?" to which I have no answer.

It had something to do with a lack of reflectors and comparing coiled bulbs to a set of T5-HO fixtures (over the 125 npt and the 20 gallon terrarium). I had some kind of bulb that came with the fixture called a "Plant Grow" incandescent, but even with 2 15watt bulbs it looked like a cave, which is what caused me to increase the wattage.