# can't get rid of algae. Please help.



## kakkoii (Jan 18, 2008)

I can't keep algae off the plants in my 10 gallon. does anyone know the cause?

-frequent WC
-Co2: DIY yeast bottle; green
-4 wpg CF bulbs
-PH: 6.8
-Plants: HC and eleocharis parvula
- KH: 3 or 4
-No fertilizers yet
-dosing excel every other day
-type of algae: GSA, BA, and some brown stringy algae(???).

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks in advance.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

It is healthy growing plants that do the most to prevent algae attacks. And, to have healthy growing plants you have to provide them with the nutrients they need. When you say "no fertilizers yet" you are saying you are not providing the nutrients the plants need.

Check out the fertilizing forum for methods for fertilizing.


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## aley1511 (Apr 23, 2007)

You should have plenty of HC and parvula so they outcompete the algae for nutrients if you don't have enough already. 

Also i would suggest dosing with small amounts of fertilizers. No phosphorus just iron, potassium, nitrogen, and a comprehensive. 

Also watch your light duration. I don't like having my lights on more than 8-10 hours a day. 

Otos, will clean up that brown algae overnight, and SAE's are an overall top choice for cleaning up algae especially BBA. So consider getting some of those if its really out of hand. Florida Flag Fish like the green stringy types of algae as well.

Keep up with your water changes and it should clear up.


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## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

Also cover your tank's surface with about 5% floating plants like cardamine or hornwort. If they begin choking out too much of the tank's surface, you can just trim them back to keep them from blocking too much light from the plants below. When I have had to deal with algae issues, it was amazing to see the difference a few floating plants made.

You need phosphates too. The whole idea of phosphates causing algae or feeding algae is a myth that I have debunked. I set up this tank: http://www.azdhan.googlepages.com/thelostworld and as you can see from the tested water parameters(calibrated test kits were used to test phosphates and nitrates) and as you can see the phosphates have been through the roof from day one and continue to be and yet I experienced no huge algae blooms.

Plants need phosphates to grow and phosphates are important for the plants to uptake other nutrients, so if you limit phosphates, you may well cause phosphate deficiency issues and cripple your plants over the long term. Once you get algae, it just takes a lot of patience and effort to get rid of it. There are no quickfixes and no ways around this unless you tear your tank down and start all over. I know because it has happened to me.

What worked for me was water changes 2 times/week, removing and siphoning as much dead plant matter and algae as possible, dosing excel if you don't have plants sensitive to it(double dose every day and with every water change),covering tank's surface with at least 5% floating plants(I used cardamine lyrata which worked really well), reducing feeding fish to every other day instead of daily, introducing algae eating fish and shrimp(otocats, bristlenose pleco, etc.,), reducing lighting time to 8 hours/day, dosing Estimative Index Fertilization. It took me almost 3 months of doing this before the algae disappeared.


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