Plants need phosphorous to be able to grow. Removing virtually all of the phosphorous in the water is very likely to stunt the plants, leaving them more susceptible to algae. Also, a shortage of phosphorous (phosphates) will encourage "green spot" algae to grow. Phosphates are not an enemy, so you shouldn't try to remove them.
Brown (and green) hairy algae
Hi,
I have a new tank (almost 4 months old) and I had (have) some problems with algae.
It's a 50 liters cube (40 liter display) with the Walstad method and after 1 month I started to see some brown hairy algae on the taller plants and in the roots of floating plants.
On the 2nd month I did my first water change (12 liters) and on the next day I saw an explosion of brown algae (now almost everywhere), every week I scrub the algae but it always comeback on the next day. (pics 1 and 2 are 2 days after a clean up)
After almost 1 month i decided to test Seachem Phosguard and like magic the algae vanish in one week (I removed it after that), but now I have another problem, on the same spot a green hairy algae is growing. (pic 3 is one week after a clean up).
I have a 10w led lamp that is on 8h a day (4h on, 4h off and 4h on) and besides these hairy algae I do not have any problem with algae.
The water here (São Paulo/Brazil) is very soft (4-5 dgh) and the plants are not so fast growing so maybe they cannot compete with the algae.
Did anyone have problem with these algae? There is a better solution than Phosguard? Maybe the Phosguard cause the green algae?
Thanks
I have a new tank (almost 4 months old) and I had (have) some problems with algae.
It's a 50 liters cube (40 liter display) with the Walstad method and after 1 month I started to see some brown hairy algae on the taller plants and in the roots of floating plants.
On the 2nd month I did my first water change (12 liters) and on the next day I saw an explosion of brown algae (now almost everywhere), every week I scrub the algae but it always comeback on the next day. (pics 1 and 2 are 2 days after a clean up)
After almost 1 month i decided to test Seachem Phosguard and like magic the algae vanish in one week (I removed it after that), but now I have another problem, on the same spot a green hairy algae is growing. (pic 3 is one week after a clean up).
I have a 10w led lamp that is on 8h a day (4h on, 4h off and 4h on) and besides these hairy algae I do not have any problem with algae.
The water here (São Paulo/Brazil) is very soft (4-5 dgh) and the plants are not so fast growing so maybe they cannot compete with the algae.
Did anyone have problem with these algae? There is a better solution than Phosguard? Maybe the Phosguard cause the green algae?
Thanks
