# Help need advice! New tank with eco Complete



## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

Im having alot of diatoms gsa/gda algae growing fast on my tank now. I been doing 75% water change every other day and seems like the algae is winning. My plants looking terible now and dying. Im dosing PPS pro and co2 is already on 3bps. I will probably turn off the auto dosing till this algae is solved. Im going to dose 3x of excel to help with the algae. I have not seen this algae grow fast with this substrate. Any of u have experince with eco complete like this i need advice. Thanks


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Eco can raise the ph. Could your water be too hard for your plants to grow? Also 3 bps isn't tons. What size is your tank?


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

My tap gh 7, kh 6, nitrate 0, PO4 .25.
For how long does eco will increase my Gh? Oh this is my 90gallon tank.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I have about a 95g tank and I have so many bubbles that I almost have a solid stream of CO2. I have T5HO lights How can you have zero nitrates? It's the number 1 nutrient plants need. Sounds like you are starving your plants. 

I'm not sure how long it will raise pH.


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

Looks like you need to start dosing a bit more Nitrogen.


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

Sory that nitrate was my tap water not tank water. I did start dosing pps pro and all the algae start growing fast except my plants. Does eco have alot of silicates? I guess i will up my co2 to counter the increase of ph.


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

what is the nitrates reading in your tank?


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

My tank parameters: kh 6, gh 10, PO4 0.5, NO3 5.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

You can expect diatoms with a new tank. It doesn't always happen, but it happens enough. I recently set up 3 tanks. None experienced diatoms. My husband rescaped his tank in a big way and had crypt melt and diatoms. Your diatoms will go away. If I were you I would cut my photo period if you have it more than 6 or 7 hours and dose more ferts. If you are doing big water changes you are probably taking all the nitrates out of your water and your plants are starving. I'm not sure why the big water changes anyway. If it's to get rid of the diatoms, can you just stir up the water and have it filtered out? Do you have any ottos in the tank. They will eat it if you do.


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

Thanks. I will set my pps pro dosing more than i had it set. I will be leaving my co2 24/7. Im guessing my ph is more than 8 (im out of ph test) that my co2 is low and the eco is buffering up my ph. Im putting 3x dose excell right now to see if that helps on some diff algae thats growing right now. The culpit off all this is low co2 from the eco buffering my ph up. I set my co2 10bps or more this morning and my drop checker didnt change till this afternoon to yellow. Thanks alot for ur help.


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

I'd watch your c02 if you leave it on 24/7 you don't want to make your ph go to low.. I might have a extra test kit sitting around..


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

Tank update: looks like some of the plants have new leaves growing but my tank still got green water . So i guess it have some ammonia still in it and a imbalance of something???? I got 2 150watts metal halide on a 90g 24" deep tank. Is this too much? This what ADA recommend. My CO2 is lime green to yellow 24/7. My dosing PPS PRO x2 recomended dose. What else am i missing?? I guess time  just have to wait it out.


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

I would say way to much lighting, i'd say 2 54w t5ho would be plenty of lighting.


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

I figured it out why am having alot of algae. My timer for my light was set wrong and it was running 8 hrs continously instead of only 6hrs. Now i set it 3hrs in morning and 3 hrs in afternoon with a 3 hrs off in between. Is this ok?... I know i got alot of light now I also lifted the light distance to 12" from the water surface.


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

that will help, don't really need a off on off on off period. in my opinion straight 6-8 hours is better. and yes raising the light fixture up will help


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## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

Ok im going with 6hrs straight. I tried 8 and that where my troubles came, couldnt control the algae it was too much light. Thanks again. I will let u know if that controll the algae problem.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

That is alot of light. I have the same wattage on mine. I have T5HOs as well. I use the T5s mostly. I do let the MH come on for about an hour each day. If I do more than that I get BBA.


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