# Need advice: Fighting algae and ID-ing nutrient deficiency



## KenThamWJ (Feb 6, 2016)

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for taking time out to read this and for helping me out!

I'm trying to combat what i think is BBA and also diagnose what deficiency my plants are suffering from.

Whenever I can (about once a week, or once every two weeks), I scrub the black algae of the plants using a sponge and then do a PWC.

Can you please refer below for more info and advise me on what i should do? If possible, please recommend a timeline for the course of action.

Thank you! 

*Tank size*: 60 gallons. 120 cm x 45 cm x 45 cm.

*Lighting*: 1 x Arcadia T5 Original Tropical Plant Pro (pink light), 5 hours daily

*Substrate and fert*: Seachem Flourite Original, about 3cm deep. Seachem flourish tabs added about 1 month ago near every sword plant and 3 tabs in between the 4 crypts. No liquid fert. No CO2.

*Filter*: Eheim pickup 160. Last washed about 2 weeks ago.

*Livestock*: 5 discuses, 4 Rummies, 5 Sterbai cories and 1 Panda cory. No signs of disease.

*Feeding regime*: Australian black worms, Canadian beef heart, Hikari frozen blood worms. Occasionally Hikari bio-gold.

*Plants*: 7 Swords, 3-5 x Java fern (attached to driftwood), 4 Crypts, 2 anubias (attached to driftwood), some floating water sprite

*PWC frequency*: I do a 25% PWC weekly.

*Water parameters*: The tank is cycled. I condition my area's tap water dechlorinise with SeaChem Prime and then condition the water with Sera Super Peat for about 1 to 1.5 days.

The water parameters are maintained at around:
PH: 6.0 or lower
KH: 0
GH: Unknown - No test kit

Temp: 27C/81F
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0ppm

Tank water parameters from my area if you want to know more: http://www.pub.gov.sg/general/waters...gWQReport.aspx

*Pictures of my tank*


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## Maryland Guppy (Mar 5, 2015)

This would be an example of BBA.
It will not typically just rub off.
Removing with tweezers is possible but can be damaging.

I have no idea what is in Flourish root tabs.
I doubt that the tabs contain everything that plants need.

A good site to learn about ferts would be https://sites.google.com/site/aquaticplantfertilizer/home


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## Maryland Guppy (Mar 5, 2015)

Flourish root tab contents, not such a bad root tab after all.
Still does not provide much into the water column unless they are shallow in the substrate.

Total Nitrogen 0.28%
Available Phosphate 0.17%
Soluble Potash 0.16%
Calcium 14.9%
Magnesium 0.06%
Sulfur 12.2%
Boron 0.029%
Chlorine 0.55%
Cobalt 0.001%
Copper 0.001%
Iron 2.2%
Manganese 0.23%
Molybdenum 0.0009%
Sodium 0.14%
Zinc 0.0024%


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## KenThamWJ (Feb 6, 2016)

Hi Maryland Guppy,

Many thanks for your reply!

Oh, I always thought mine was BBA, guess that it isn't!

So you are saying I need to dose liquid ferts too? I can do that and i have seachem potassium, and sachem flourish (http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Flourish.html). I also have API leaf zone

Thank you for sharing the resource, I will go and look at it. But at a glance, are you able to advise what deficiency my plants are suffering from?

Also, do you think i should get more plants to fight the algae or jus worry about the ones i have first?


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

The algae looks most like diatoms. Quite common in new tanks. How old is it? Add some algae eaters and it will disappear. More plants certainly doesn't hurt, especially because most are slow growing so they produce little oxygen, which you do need with the high temperature your discus require. 

In the long run, consider a larger filter, with the amounts of waste the discus produce this will help to prevent a lot of algae and other troubles!


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## Calcuttan (Jan 24, 2016)

I have had major success against BBA by adopting the following strategy. 
1. Bump up CO2 bubble rate by 25 per cent
2. Dose Seachem Excel (10 ml daily in 50 lit tank)
3. Increase flow rate to a high current that the affected plant sways a little.

You don't use CO2, I can see. I guess dosing Excel is an alternative. The third option alone can also do magic.
Best of luck


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