# ??HC and algae??



## Missy B (Jul 8, 2007)

My HC has become completely coated in algae, and now it's starting to take over the other plants in my tank. My tank is only a couple of weeks old, so I believe it has something to do with the cycling process. It's like no other algae I've ever seen, or that is in the algaefinder here. It's brown, fluffy snot-like in appearance. It comes off with a turkey baster or gravel vac, but the next day it's all back. I've been doing water changes, but it doesn't appear to be helping. I have a 92 gal corner tank, with CO2 supplementation and a 250 MH lighting system. Anybody have any other ideas on how to get rid of it? Thanks in advance!!


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## Missy B (Jul 8, 2007)

Help!! Anyone???


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I'm tempted to say it is diatom algae, but without pictures it's hard to be sure. Do you fertilize the plants? By what method? Is CO2 system a pressurized system or DIY? Do you use a drop checker?


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## mikenas102 (Feb 8, 2006)

How many hours of light?


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## Missy B (Jul 8, 2007)

I fertilize K2SO4, Plantex CSM+B, KH2PO4 a couple times a week using the EI method. My CO2 system is pressurized, and I have the lights on my plants for 71/2 hours a day. Every day I clean out the algae, but everyday it's back. I've been doing 50% water changes for the past week every other day. Any ideas??


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## drIn8 (May 8, 2007)

I FINALLY got rid of a long going algae problem, First Cladophora then thread algae bits and pieces everywhere and into the plants like my HC bed. I was doing everything like 20% water changes every other day, 8 hour photoperiod with 3.5WPG, pressurized CO2 3-4 Bubles per second, weekly liquid ferts. Nothing was working and I was about to throw in the towel due to frustration. Then it dawned on me to try to heavily increase fertilizers. So I started doing what was recommended for one week in one day. In other words, doing 5 times the recommeded amount in one week. Spreading it out over the week. Basically one to two capfuls a day for like five days. After a week and a half of doing this all the algae disappeared! On the third day of doing this the tank got real cloudy and I was a bit worried, but something told me to continue. Then all the algae slowly went away. I am stll amazed and very happy to share this advice with anyone with an algae problem.:-D


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

What are you using for nitrates? With the amount of light you have I don't think you can rely on fish poop to provide enough. Don't rely on a test kit telling you that you have enough, unless you calibrate the kit with water having known amounts of nitrate in them. Nitrate is the second most needed fertilizer after CO2.


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