# getting fustrated



## solchitlins (Sep 11, 2013)

someone asked to see some algae:






































I wish I could afford a co2 system


----------



## fplata (Jun 9, 2012)

Are you dosing excel and keeping up with your water changes? That usually helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## niru (Feb 8, 2012)

Thats algal zoo..bba, hair or claudo..do you have co2 in the tank? Check if its fluctuating.. physically remove all algal affected leaves, clean hardscape, and do wc, clean filters... reduce lights. Dont know any fert regimes you use... check that. And have patience.... check flow.

cheers
niru

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk


----------



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

As niru said it is hard to tell what type of algae that is from the pics. Might be hair algae that isn't doing well? Is it easy or hard to pull off the leaves?

As we discussed in your initial threads soil tanks do tend to have a break in period where the water discolors and you might get algae. This is normal and you just need to stick it out until it dies down. 

Spot treating with Excel will help and so will water changes. Reducing light duration can also help. Maybe 7 hours or so of light with all 3 on. Or cut down to 2 bulbs for the same amount of time until the algae dies back.

CO2 would help a lot since the plants would grow faster and fight off the algae for you.


----------



## solchitlins (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks.

It's pretty much everywhere, removing leaves isn't an option.

I have been adding a couple caps of excell per day but the tank is 110 gallons


----------



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Suck up the excel in a syringe or baster and slowly squirt it over the algae. Dosing in the water doesn't do anything but applying it directly to the algae will.


----------



## fplata (Jun 9, 2012)

You have to remove the leaves. There is a treatment where you you can dose h2o2 followed by excel followed by water changes. Try spot dosing like mentioned above....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I'd keep the leaves for now. The algae can be killed and removed and this infestation isn't that bad that the leaves are unrecoverable. Spot algae is difficult to remove and usually has to be removed by taking the leaf, but not hair/clado/BBA.


----------



## fplata (Jun 9, 2012)

I thought it was a good practice to trim Anubias and ferns down to the Rhizome when BBA was present, but after looking further at those pictures it might not be BBA after all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

If the leaves start to deteriorate then you can trim them, but if you trim the leaves all off the plant has to put a lot of energy into making new ones which it may not have in reserve. Even it it does, it takes months to grow back looking healthy. 

Often times you can kill the BBA off with excel spot treatments and save the leaf. It may be slightly damaged by the algae but it is still usable by the plant. When new leaves grow in you can trim the old ones off.


----------

