# 25 g with algea



## spreerider (Apr 19, 2005)

i just set up a 25g tank about 4wks ago. im having problems with algea, at first it was brown algea covering everything, so i changed lights from some cheap compact flourescent lamps that were very yellow to daylight spectrum lamps, this got rid of all the brown algea in a couple days and the plants grew really good even with no co2 my cabomba was pearling, 
i havent changed anything except my gf was looking after the tank and she said she dosed ferts right but forgot to feed the fish and now my tank is growing green algea all over everything and in one spot i keep getting blue/green algea but only in that small spot and i vacume it out all day, 
im using Ei method of dosing and i dont test phosphate or nitrate,
ammonia 0
Ph 6.8
KH 60ppm
i dose 3 ml of ppmd 2tbs dry mixed into 600ml water same as i use in my 5g tank just a bit more each day, i tried lowering to 2 drops but that didnt change anything so i went back to 3, i figure i must have too much ferts to get blue green, 
can anyone help me clear up my tank,


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

Diatom algae is pretty much consistent with a new tank setup and it goes away on its own after a few weeks. I doubt the lights had any effect on the diatoms. Blue Green Algae (BGA) is more than likely due to low NO3 levels. 

Are you adding actual PMDD, the one without phosphates (PO4)? If so, the lack of PO4 may be causing your algae growth. I would try adding some PO4 to your tank. Plants need a source of NItrogen (Nitrates or NO3), Phosphorous (Phosphates or PO4), and Potassium (K) to grow. Algae is usually caused by low CO2, NO3, or PO4. 

I can't be much help with the PMDD dosing but I would say to increase the amount you add. For a reference, if you were to mix 2 tbsp of KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate) in 600 ml of water and add 3ml of this solution to your tank, you would only add about 1ppm of NO3 with each addition. Since PMDD is made up of equal parts of KNO3, KH2SO4, MgSO4 and CSM+B, I would guess you are only adding about 0.25ppm of NO3 to your tank. That is very low!

Try adding a bit more PMDD along with some PO4. Give the tank a few weeks to a month to notice any changes. During this time, continue to manually remove the BGA and other types of algae from the tank. I doubt the algae will go away on it's own.


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## spreerider (Apr 19, 2005)

i get my ppmd from greg watson i get this product specificaly http://www.gregwatson.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PMDDPre-Mix
if this doenst contain any po4 what is a cheap easy to get source of p04, i live in a small town in canada and have no hydroponic stores or anything similar, anything i could get at a garden store or a pharmacy?
James


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

Greg does sell KH2PO4, a source of phosphate. Here is the link: http://www.gregwatson.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PotassiumPhosphate

I'm not sure if Fleet Enema is available in Canada but that is also a form of Phosphate for planted tanks. Here ia a link to Fleet Enema:
http://www.drugs.com/PDR/Fleet_Enema.html

It gives you the ingredients in the first sentence in the Composition section so you can find a comparable substitute if that brand is not available. It should be available at most pharmacies and is used as a laxative, so be prepared for some funny looks if you have to ask for it 

You can do a search on Fleet on this site for dosing guidelines.


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## spreerider (Apr 19, 2005)

i got some test kits and tested my water again,
ph 6.8
Kh 50ppm
ammonia 0
phosphate .5ppm
nh4 5ppm

what should i be aiming for, i think the phosphate and nitrate is too low i added a bit of fertilizer to it, i also found a bottle of ferts i used to use along time ago and it has phosphate in it so i added 10ml of that to the tank, sorry i dont have values but i forgot them and am at work still
i also added diy co2 to this tank , i have an overturned small cup at the bottom and bubble the co2 into it, its just under the intake and return of the HOB.
thanks
James


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## riverrat (Sep 6, 2005)

nh4 is my guess for the culprit.
po4 is a little low.
what is your no3 level?
how many watts of light?
bga can be a sign of low no3 I believe


river


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## spreerider (Apr 19, 2005)

sorry my mistake nh4 is really no3, i just typed the wrong word ](*,)


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## spreerider (Apr 19, 2005)

how much fleet enema do i doseto get my phosphate corrected


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Use the fertilator here on this site to help you come up with the right dosages.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

The fertilator's results for Fleet Enema is way off so that probably won't be much of a help for you! Here is a calculation I received a long time ago for calculating Fleet Enema dosage: 1 ml of Fleet Enema will raise the PO4 level 1.33 ppm in a 100 liter tank.

A 25g tank is approximately 100 liters (3.8l in a gallon) so 1ml will give you about 1.33ppm of PO4. In a high light, CO2 injected tank, most try to keep their NO3 levels in the 10-20ppm range and PO4 in the 1-2ppm range.

Here is a good link to dosing via the Estimative Index (EI for short) for non CO2 injected tanks: http://www.barrreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=395

At the end of the first link, Tom gives directions on dosing a 20g tank and you could probably follow those directions, assuming you are not adding CO2. The amount of NO3 added he suggests adding to a 20g tank is about 5.5ppm. The PO4 additions are about 1.5ppm.

If you are adding CO2, you should try to get your levels in the 25-30ppm range. This will increase the uptake rate of fertilizers and should _help _to keep algae away. Here is a link for CO2 injected tanks: http://www.barrreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1


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