# Algae in my Walstad tank



## M82 (Oct 5, 2013)

Hey all - around 2 months ago some algae started becoming quite visible & is populating my natural planted tank...I also believe that it's starting to inhibit growth of some plants (i.e. rotala rotundifolia leaves and even duckweed by clinging on roots! see pics).

- Any idea of what type of alga it is?
- Any idea of how to control its growth & spread in a natural way (no chemical treatment)?

Additional info: 
- My lighting is setup based on Diana Walstad's "Siesta regimen" with 10 hrs of light
- My tank is quite well planted on a base of organic potting mix + layer of gravel

PS: I am planning on buying a floating plant "SALVINIA NATANS" to absorb more nutrients/cover more light in hopes of limiting this algae growth.

Thanks for your advice!


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

First, what soil are you using and did you mineralize the soil? An overly rich soil causes all kinds of problems as it settles in.

Otherwise, it looks like you have a dirty tank with bad flow. Do you have any Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS). They are good at eating the excess food and hiding it in the soil.

Duckweed is a pain to deal with, get some larger floaters like water lettuce or frogs bit. When the duckweed forms a full mat at the top it can suffocate the tank. Keep it thinned down some.

Lastly, try to increase your flow of water a bit, do a good cleaning, and a water change.

A full tank picture and description of the setup would help too.


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## M82 (Oct 5, 2013)

Thanks for your reply Tugg. 
See following post for details & pic of my nanocube: 
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/el-natural/89106-do-i-need-water-circulation-my.html

It's now a bit more than 1 year old, also has a small Eheim water circulation pump.
Will continue doing water changes and will add floating plants.
I Also have 4 nerite snails (2 x Clithon corona (Horned Nerite) + 2 x Neritina natalensis)

Would it make sense to replace some of my nerites with Malaysian Trumpet Snails? Do MTS reproduce?

Thanks!


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

How was the tank doing before things got that bad? How did things progress to the state they're in now? Any issues with the plants before the algae showed up? Were they still growing and propagating? What fish are you keeping and how many?

Soil tanks are usually pretty stable once they've been running for that long without problems. Almost makes me suspect a deficiency and/or something funny about how your highly organic soil is breaking down over time. 

Unfortunately it's impossible to tell you why algae is present from just seeing pictures.


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