# Need Advice on Algae!



## kkaso783 (Sep 25, 2008)

I have noticed a furry growth on some of my red stem plants. I assume it's algae. Does anyone have any ideas on how I should fight this algae or what to do to get rid of it? Right now I have my tank on a light schedule like this: 11AM-1PM / BREAK 1PM-3PM / 3PM-10PM. Is this a good idea? 

Here are some pictures to help...





































Thank you everyone!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

You told us you have a 7 hour photo period but now how much light you have. Do you have CO2? Do you fertilize? The algae says that you have something out of balance. 

1. If you have CO2 you need to turn it up - but not to stress your fish. 

2. You need to make sure you have enough ferts for your plants to out compete the algae. I see you have some fast growers to that's good. 

3. You need to make sure that the amount of light is not too much. You may have a decent photo period but too much light in that period.

4. Spot treat with excell, you have to get rid of the algae you see. The things you can remove like rocks and such you can remove and bleach dip or peroxide dip as it's cheaper.

5. May sure you have an algae clean up crew. Animals include, ottos, amano shrimp, black mollies, sometimes platties, swordtails & american flag fish. My favorites are the 1st 3 mentioned. You seem to have a serious bout so I would get plenty of amanos, ottos, and even mollies. You can give the mollies back once your algae is under control. Leave the ottos and amanos in there. The amanos and mollies will eat the algae when it's alive or dead. I have only seen the ottos eat it when it's dead.

Good luck.


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## kkaso783 (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks for the tips! Here is some more info: I am using Aquariumplants.com's "TOTAL" Substrate fert pellets that I inject into our substrate about once a month. For Lighting I am using two 65W Coralife Deluxe Lamps (48"). As far as CO2 I have a full setup using a drop checker and a electronic pH checker (I keep the pH at 6.7-6.8) As far as bpm I have it set at about 1.5 bpm. I also do have some mollies and 2 algae eaters and even some algae eating shrimp. I hope this info helps and I hear from you again! Thanks again for the advice!


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## kkaso783 (Sep 25, 2008)

Sorry about the smiley face - I meant to say 6.8 pH lol


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

That's not very much CO2 at all unless this is a really really small tank. I have my 10g set on about 3 bps. I don't think you have enough CO2. Start with your drop checker green yellow and increase it until you see your fish swimming higher in the tank. Then you can ease off a little. 

Algae eaters are pretty worthless IMO. They will only eat algae if they are young and very hungery. You have so much algae right now you'd need a boatload of shrimp to eat it all up - with no other food available. Can you stop feeding and let your mollies just eat the algae? Are you feeding too much? 

You still did not tell us how big your tank is so I don't know if you have too much light, OR - maybe you don't have enough light for your tank and all the fertilizer you are putting in. 48" is 4 feet. Do you have a 75g? Is so that is low light and you have too much fertilizer.


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## kkaso783 (Sep 25, 2008)

Sorry I have a 55 Gallon Tank.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

So that gives you about 2wpg IF your bulbs are 6mths old or less. After that bulbs put out less light. So that means you don't have a lot of light. 

You don't have much CO2 since you have 1.5 bps. Don't know why your drop checker is green unless it's very near your CO2. 

I still think you have too many ferts for your light and CO2 and plant mass. Try more plants and more light. See what happens. And spot dose the Excell, trim back plants, dip what you can get out of the tank. It should help.


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## kkaso783 (Sep 25, 2008)

Should I get a different kind of bulb for my fixture in order to get better light? Right now I just have the two stock 65W 45" Bulbs...

Also I have some ground cover towards the front but it never grows! Is this because I need more light?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

If your bulbs are old then you need new ones. Even if your bulbs are new that isn't enough light to penetrate down to your gravel and grow most foreground plants. Your tank is about 22" high right? That means your light has to be bright enough to get through all that water. 
With the amount of light you have you that gives you 2.36 wpg. Most foreground plants need 3 wpg unless you have T5's or metal halide. You might try Marsilea. It is a lower light foreground plant.

If you have new bulbs then up your CO2 and do the other things I mentioned. Don't add any more ferts. You don't have high enough light to add ferts. Root tabs are enough.


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## kkaso783 (Sep 25, 2008)

Alrighty thank you for all your advice! I went out and bought 5 otto catfish this morning and put them in the tank and I already have 8 Platys and 4 Mollies. I also boosted my CO2 and my pH is down to 6.5 - Now, how low can my pH go until it starts to become unsafe for my fish? Right now my fish still seem fine swimming at all levels of the tank, how much more can I drop my pH due to CO2? Thanks again!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

My pH is around 5.8 all the time. My fish have noticed no difference at all. From what I understand ph changes due to CO2 do not bother the fish.


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## Michael_TD (Dec 6, 2008)

If your asking how low your pH can go before your CO2 becomes toxic, I believe it is determined from KH and initial pH. Here is a good read on it http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm Pay particular attention to the chart at the end of the article.

Hope this helps,


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