# Algae help please!!



## CraigL83 (Jun 6, 2008)

I am plagued with sting like algae. I am at a loss! Is it just new tank syndrome or am i missing something? The tank has been up for about a month which i know is nothing in the grand scheme of things. All of my other tanks have been running for years and i dont recall ever getting an algae bloom to this extent in the beginning. So let me give you guys a run down of my system, h20 parameters, fertilizing dosing methods, and livestock.

System: ADA 60-p (roughly 17-18 gallons), eheim 2215 ( i have a extra bag of carbon cause i never really liked carbon pads, and a bag of seachem phosguard in the canister.) 9 watt UV in line on the return side of the filter, 200 watt inline heater. 150 watt hqi ADA solar 1 for lighting. pressurized co2 on a timer with an ADA beetle diffusor. I also have the cal aqua x double drop checker. I am also using RO/DI water for water changes, and Kold-steril auto top off. Both have relatively brand new filters/membranes.

water params
nh3 / nh4+ = 0
ph = 7.68
no2 = 0
no3 = 10
temp = 26 C

I am dosing pfertz as recommended for a lightly planted tank. Should i try spot dosing flourish excel with a syringe? I originally thought this was due to my ferts so i posted this in fertilizing section. Just thought i should put it here since it is truely and algae issue. Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks in advance,
Craig

Here are some photos so you can get an visual of what i am dealing with.


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## jaidexl (Jan 20, 2007)

Looks like Rhizoclonium. Info here, http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

I would remove the phosguard and start Estimative Index dosing along with Excel. Possibly up the CO2, do you have a drop checker?


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

How many hours did you run the 150 MH at startup?


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## CraigL83 (Jun 6, 2008)

yes i have a double drop checker and it says my co2 is at the right level. 

at startup i ran the MH for 9 hours/day


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

_at startup i ran the MH for 9 hours/day_

That is pretty much the source of your problem. And if you didn't seed the filter or use mulm from an established tank your pretty much screwed.

With so little plant mass you can not run a 150w mh light for 9 hrs at startup. If the tank is only a month old much of your problem stems from the conditons at startup. I don't care how much co2 your running or ferts your giving your plants they won't be able to compete against that much light. The most important thing at startup is controling the organics in the water column. Why? Because the plants aren't doing much and their isn't much of a biofilter yet that's why at startup (first few weeks) most use carbon (which I think you did), water changes, add plant mass and reduce light to control the growth of algae in highlight systems. 150mh over that tank is alot of light even if the tank was full of plants. After a few weeks and the plants are growing and the biofilter is maturing you can start to increase light, etc.


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## jaidexl (Jan 20, 2007)

"60-p / 150 watt hqi"

Wow, I don't know how i missed that. I agree you're pumping too much light in there.


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## CraigL83 (Jun 6, 2008)

i did seed the tank from with media from an established tank...This photo is from the first week the tank was running. 








After i got the eheim i moved the media from that filter which came off of a 5 gallon tank that i was keeping ghost shrimp and other guppies in for about a year to feed my dwarf cuttlefish. although it was media from a much smaller tank... it had a much larger bioload than the ADA setup i have now. 
I def think you have a good point about having to long of a photo period which is why i cut my lights back after i started to notice the algae...this was before it got out of hand. As you can see in my other thread that i posted in the fert board.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilizing/55892-algae-ferts.html
However i dont agree that it is to high intensity of light but def to long of a photoperiod at such a high intensity of light. So between the answers here and the answers i got in the other thread im a little lost as to what is the best plan of action.


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## jaidexl (Jan 20, 2007)

Try to get out of the reef keeper mind set here. You're only trying to grow minimal ground cover. Keep researching light requirements for a freshwater planted tank.

Good luck with that!


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## renita (Oct 7, 2008)

The most common treatment of blue-green algae in an open dugout or pond is with a registered product containing copper sulphate. The copper sulphate kills the blue-green algae, releasing toxins into the water. Therefore, it is recommended that 12 to 14 days should pass prior to any livestock, pet and/or human contact with the contaminated water. Lime, alum and ferric chloride are coagulation products that bind to all bacteria. Once bound, the bacteria clumps together and sinks to the bottom of the dugout. While these products work to remove blue-green bacteria from the water surface, the dead blue-green bacteria cells can rupture, releasing toxins into the water. 
--------------------
Renita

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## jaidexl (Jan 20, 2007)

renita said:


> The most common treatment of blue-green algae in an open dugout or pond is with a registered product containing copper sulphate. The copper sulphate kills the blue-green algae, releasing toxins into the water. Therefore, it is recommended that 12 to 14 days should pass prior to any livestock, pet and/or human contact with the contaminated water. Lime, alum and ferric chloride are coagulation products that bind to all bacteria. Once bound, the bacteria clumps together and sinks to the bottom of the dugout. While these products work to remove blue-green bacteria from the water surface, the dead blue-green bacteria cells can rupture, releasing toxins into the water.


I have to disagree that it's cyanobacteria. It may look like it a bit in the pics, with the bubbles and all, but I'm pretty sure it's rhizolconium. You could dump all the poison in the world in your tank and it'll never fix a husbandry imbalance.


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