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Details of my 6-month old 26 Gallon:
Water Parameters:
N = 10ppm (They would fall to 0 if I didn't add KNO3)
P = 1ppm (via KH2PO4)
K = dosed for 20ppm via K2SO4
C02 (daytime) = 30ppm via pressurized
KH = 4
PH (daytime) = 6.6
Traces = every time I add Flourish I get an algae bloom--even with 1 mL in my 26-G! Thus, I'm not adding any right now
40-50% water change every week (SoCal tap treated with SeaChem Prime)
Lighting = 2 ODNOd 36" 30w tubes (one 6700K, one 9325K)--assuming close to 90watts--photoperiod 10 hours via digital timer
Filtration = Eheim 2213
Heat = 78F
Plants:
Hairgrass
Glosso
Hemianthus Callitrichoides
Hemianthus Micrathemoides
A little Riccia
(Fairly densely planted (whole substrate is covered), though I pulled my fast growers--Rotala Indica, Watersprite, Red Lud) after the tank was set up for 4 months)
Substrate = EcoComplete
Maintainence:
Pull as much algae from hairgrass & glosso as possible. There is always residual left in the hairgrass & in the glosso. The Hair Algae tends to grow on the EcoComplete
Filter--doesn't get dirty b/t cleanings every 2 months
Glass (acrylic) gets cleaned weekly b/c it gets spot algae as well as fuzzy algae
Trim plants (they are growing well, but so is algae)
Bioload:
15 Cardinal Tetras
3 Harlequin Rasboras
9 Bee Shrimp
>50 Cherry Shrimp
2 Otocinclus
(Re: feeding--the tetras and HRs eat once or twice a day, but very nominal amounts)
PROBLEM:
I've read as much as anyone on how to make this aquarium algae-free. I've followed all of the suggestions verbatim for months. Getting my CO2 up to 30ppm (thanks Tom Barr) cured the Staghorn Algae problems. I'm still having BIG issues with Hair Algae (multi-branched, green, easily removed from glosso and hairgrass) and Thread Algae to a lesser extent (easy to remove, but overwhelmed my Java Moss so badly that I threw it all out).
This is really cutting into my enjoyment of the whole process.
It would be rather impossible for me to physically remove the algae entirely without pulling up all of my Glosso and Hairgrass.
I tried to use SeaChem Excel as an algaecide by ODing a little, but I lost a few shrimp. Could be coincidence, but I'd rather not lose more.
Is there anything I'm possibly overlooking? I'm really at a loss here right now. Please help.
Water Parameters:
N = 10ppm (They would fall to 0 if I didn't add KNO3)
P = 1ppm (via KH2PO4)
K = dosed for 20ppm via K2SO4
C02 (daytime) = 30ppm via pressurized
KH = 4
PH (daytime) = 6.6
Traces = every time I add Flourish I get an algae bloom--even with 1 mL in my 26-G! Thus, I'm not adding any right now
40-50% water change every week (SoCal tap treated with SeaChem Prime)
Lighting = 2 ODNOd 36" 30w tubes (one 6700K, one 9325K)--assuming close to 90watts--photoperiod 10 hours via digital timer
Filtration = Eheim 2213
Heat = 78F
Plants:
Hairgrass
Glosso
Hemianthus Callitrichoides
Hemianthus Micrathemoides
A little Riccia
(Fairly densely planted (whole substrate is covered), though I pulled my fast growers--Rotala Indica, Watersprite, Red Lud) after the tank was set up for 4 months)
Substrate = EcoComplete
Maintainence:
Pull as much algae from hairgrass & glosso as possible. There is always residual left in the hairgrass & in the glosso. The Hair Algae tends to grow on the EcoComplete
Filter--doesn't get dirty b/t cleanings every 2 months
Glass (acrylic) gets cleaned weekly b/c it gets spot algae as well as fuzzy algae
Trim plants (they are growing well, but so is algae)
Bioload:
15 Cardinal Tetras
3 Harlequin Rasboras
9 Bee Shrimp
>50 Cherry Shrimp
2 Otocinclus
(Re: feeding--the tetras and HRs eat once or twice a day, but very nominal amounts)
PROBLEM:
I've read as much as anyone on how to make this aquarium algae-free. I've followed all of the suggestions verbatim for months. Getting my CO2 up to 30ppm (thanks Tom Barr) cured the Staghorn Algae problems. I'm still having BIG issues with Hair Algae (multi-branched, green, easily removed from glosso and hairgrass) and Thread Algae to a lesser extent (easy to remove, but overwhelmed my Java Moss so badly that I threw it all out).
This is really cutting into my enjoyment of the whole process.
It would be rather impossible for me to physically remove the algae entirely without pulling up all of my Glosso and Hairgrass.
I tried to use SeaChem Excel as an algaecide by ODing a little, but I lost a few shrimp. Could be coincidence, but I'd rather not lose more.
Is there anything I'm possibly overlooking? I'm really at a loss here right now. Please help.