# Algae



## sllo (Sep 29, 2004)

This my tank info:
30 G with 3 WPG lighting, on for 12 hours
Pressurised CO2 around 30-35 ppm
NO3 10ppm
PO4 1ppm
Kh 3.5dg
Gh 7dg

I do 50% water change 1Xweek, and then add 1/4 tsp KNO3, around 1ml Fleet enema and 1/4 tsp K2SO4 after every water change.
I add 1/4 tsp KNO3 and around 1ml fleet enema 2 times during the week.
I also add 5ml Traces 2xweek (I used to dose sera frourite but now I started dosing FloraGro by RedSea)

I used to have a DIY co2 and I had all kinds of algae specially BBA but after moving to pressure CO2 all of my algae is gone (BBA, Thread). 
However I am now struggling with this 2 types of algae.

I guess this is spot algae? I tried dosing more PO4 around 1.5 ppm but nothing happened.









I have no idea what kind of algae this is and how to fight it. It grows on java moss on my spray bar on the glass and on some plants leaves that are near the water surface. It feels slimy when I touch it. Before doing the water change I remove this algae from the glass and after 2 days it starts developing. by the end of the week the back glass of the tak is full of this algae as well as the spray bar.









Can someone id this plant gor me. It just started growng in the java moss.


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## Peter(09) (Jan 18, 2005)

I guess the first thing to ask is - are you getting good growth on your plants?

There seem to be two schools of thought on algae, one is - too much nutrients give you algae, the other is - too little nutrients give you algae.

I think there is a consensus that good plant growth (especially fast growers) tends to reduce, eliminate algae.

So things I would consider are:-

Are you plants pearling in the evening?
Do you need to prune regularly?
Have you enough plants in the tank?

Finally I would do an experiement, do not add Nitrate and see if your tank nitrates go to zero (or near) over a week or so.

I suggest that if you are saying NO to these questions then you need to stop adding fertilisers and look harder at your tank parameters. My experience (still bear the scars) is that adding ferts to a tank that is not ready will only feed the algae.

We all tend to look at the interesting (chemically) fiddly bits that allow us to play with our tanks, thats part of the hobby, but before we do that we really need to get the basics right so that the plants can then survive :razz: our fiddling.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

The first pic is green spot algae and the second pic is thread algae.

All you parameters look good. _What brand of test kits are you using? Are they out of date? _

_Do you have algae eaters?_

_Is the tank planted lightly, meduim or heavily?_

Your tank is not balance somewhere although your readings are good. You may need to dose less or more depending on how your plants look. Remove as much by hand as possible cutting off badly affected leaves. Reducing light to 10 hours daily may help some.

_How long has the tank been set up?_


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## pardalisjk (Dec 23, 2004)

I can't tell for sure from the picture, but if those are bubble like sacs on the plant in your java moss, it is probably a bladderwort, a type of carnivorous plant. http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/greater_bladderwort.htm Jim


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## sllo (Sep 29, 2004)

plants are pearling like crazy, and i prune them every week.

Test kits: I have 2 brands, sera and Hagen, NO3 and P04, both of them show the same readings, I also made a test solution for NO3 to see if the test kits are accurate and they are ok.

Algea eaters: I have 2 otos, and 10 Jabonica shrimps, but they dont interested in eating these 2 kinds of algae. I tried to fins some SAE but noone has them here. Any othe algae eaters that you would recomend, besides barbs and plecos?

The tank is medium planted, I am waiting for an order to arrive to add more plants.

The tank is set up for almost 4 months now, 2 months with preasure CO2.


I will go ahead and remove one of my flourence and leave 2.4 WPG and reduce the light to 10 hours and see what happens.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

If the alga is unbranched, it's like Rhizocolnium, not that means much to you
I'd suggest remove all of it you can, this includes remove a lot of fine leaf plants, a lot of the moss, don't worry, as you already said....things grow fast.

So prune the plants and remove the algae way, then keep doing the water changes etc, clean off any algae on the equipment, glass etc. 

I think if you do that 1 to 2 weeks, there will be nothing causing you issues as long as the water parameters are kept in good shape.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Sllo... I would not remove any bulbs to decrease wattage, I would only reduce your daily lighting down to 10 hours.


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