# Classic (i think) algae problem. Advice????



## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

i'm having a bad algae outbreak in my 75 gallon, i had algae bloom/gw, and i got rid of that with a uv sterilizer, but of course another type of algae formed. It is a green coating on all the hardscape. on some of my plants, i have some thing growing that looks like quartz out of the leaves of some plants. I have plenty of nutrients obviously, i dose excel daily, and flourish every 3 days. I have a decent amount of plants, but i plan on getting more. My question is this. I believe the algae is coming from excess nutrients. If i increase the light (right now im at about 62 watts total, i know its too low wpg) so the plants can use more nutrients, will this help? And i assume adding more plants would help too? 

And the plants i have in there, some bacopa, ludwiga, and a few swords, are growing, if anyone was thinking my wpg was the problem.

Advice??
Thanks!


----------



## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

The algae isn't coming from excess nutrients, it's coming from a lack of sufficient nutrients in proportion to the provided level of light. What you're encountering can best be explained through Liebigs law of the minimum stunting your plant growth while the myriad of algaes in existence take advantage of various fluctuations in nutrients, temperature and light as you alter each variable to provide a new ideal set of parameters for the next spore in line. For every deficiency there is an algae to take advantage of it, but you can have nutrients so heavy that it will kill fish in a tank that has no algae problems.

You should take some time to read things through as they relate to this hobby; anything I will post to you right now has likely been said before. The same goes with the advice of others; non-limiting nutrients is a concept common to most of the hobby right now. Some try to do it through substrate, others through column. I've found both at the same time is what yields the fastest growth, and a stable place to start from both now and in the future before venturing into nutrient limitations to alter growth forms for the sake of improved aesthetics. 

-Philosophos


----------



## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Philosophos said:


> The algae isn't coming from excess nutrients, it's coming from a lack of sufficient nutrients in proportion to the provided level of light.


I appreciate the enlightening advice , its great that theres people out there that actually know what they're talking about

So are you saying that my light could be correct but i don't have enough nutrients? because i have two turtles who provide ALOT of "fertilizer" and nutrients, and i pretty good fish load, plus the excel. Is this still not enough or am i missing the boat???

Thanks!


----------



## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Wait i think i get your point. I did a quick search on Liebigs law of the minimum, and now i understand that the growth isn't increased by adding more of the nutrients that are already there, but by increasing the nutrient that is currently the limiting factor. And by increasing the non-limiting factor nutrients, im just feeding algae correct?


----------



## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Philosophos said:


> I've found both at the same time is what yields the fastest growth, and a stable place to start from both now and in the future before venturing into nutrient limitations to alter growth forms for the sake of improved aesthetics.


I'm curious as to why else you would add nutrients other than to alter growth forms for the sake of improved aesthetics. Besides the health of the plants, isn't that the point in adding the nutrients? I thought aesthetics was the reason behind your doing both substrate and column ferts


----------



## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

When you encourage good growth, you know what your plants and the individual variables of the tank you're working with are capable of in terms of growth. You raise the nutrients up to the point of non-limiting growth without hurting the fish just to assure that your plants aren't lacking in anything.

After that, you start reducing certain nutrients; the classic example would be limiting N and P to push out red through carotenoid domination rather than chlorophyll. The problem is that there's a fine line between limitation on the new growth to push colors, and limitation that causes an algae outbreak. This is what becomes more of an art than a science as it is in the hobby right now, given the knowledge base of most hobbyists.

Essentially there's a difference between the most healthy plants possible, and plants that look the way you want. Focus on healthy plants until it isn't a challenge anymore, and then tinker. There are studies, papers and tons of resources that will give you a good base for healthy plant growth; the same does not exist in such a form, to nearly the same extent for the finer details. 

-Philosophos


----------

