# General Aquarium Upkeep and algae



## ShaneSmith (Feb 15, 2004)

i dont know where to put this post. So i'll put it here, it indirectly related to algae.

I dose: 3/8ths of a tsp KNO3 and 1/8 tsp KH2PO4 4 times a week and 20ml of flourish + flourish Iron 3 times a week (50 gallon tank)

It has 138 watts of light with reflectors (lights 3 months old) and it is heavily planted.

My problem is i have light amounts of algae growth. BBA, string, and some staghorn. I dose my ferts correct and run co2 higher than 30ppm. I have 19 emperor tetras and about 20 ottos.

I think this algae is because of the amount of that stuff that kicks up with you disturb a moss bed or gravel. I am sorry i dont know how else to explain it. Also i had to trim plants and leaf quite a few leaves to get sucked into the filter and rot, but really not much. Should i buy a bunch of shrimp and SAE's or is there another way to get rid of the "stuff" and the small amounts of algae.

Shrimp cost me very little (Amano shrimp) but the SAE's will be a pain to get.


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Shane,

How are your plants growing? What does "Mixed gravel" mean? Do you have any test kits that can give us some idea of your nutrient levels?

Also, what type of algae is growing where? Some stubborn algae will tend to cling to slow growers such as anubias. String is usually tangled in your stem plants and mosses.

What type of filter you using? What type of flow do you have in the tank?


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## ShaneSmith (Feb 15, 2004)

Mixed gravel = Eco complete + Floramax, plants grow fine, except nesea pediciallata which is all stunted up and ammania gracilis which is a little wavy (not sure if this is normal its new to me). I have Lamotte test kits but cannot test until tomorrow. String algae tangled in plants, some antler algae growing with it and some BBA in certain gravel peices. It is pretty light in population though.

I have a filstar XP3 going full boar. Padding and biological ceramic rings.

I tested the water a month ago and the nitrate was real high like 30ppm. Phosphate not tested but i would guess a tad high. I do 60%+ w/c every week. CO2 was at 50ppm for a couple days because if blind dosing, lowered to 15 and now 25. Algae began to show up when it was still 50ppm.

Currently i am planning to drop macro dosing to 4.4 ppm no3 from KNO3 and .97ppm PO4 from kh2po4 4x a week. the higher levels do not seem necessary and the high PO4 is causing a percipitate when i dose my micros. I got that information from a biochemist.


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