# Extreme Green Spot Algae..... no other algae just GSA, BAD.



## kiddjam (Dec 3, 2011)

Hi guys:

I think I had a very very very bad situation here in my display tank....

My light is 55w 7200k florescent light, 120L, moderate planted, water fern, java fern, anubias, the usual pretty much, very low to none NPK and nutrient, but I do have a little plant rotting in the tank, nothing too fancy here. and just 4 fishes, dwarf cichlid. I feed them with flakes.

Green Spot Algae

































*Shrimp *and *pleco sucker* fish *doesn't help* with it..... I do know very well that *Excel *can kill some of them, but I also know that they can't be eliminate thoroughly, cos they will come back again very soon. I read that Tom Barr said the *GSA*(green spot algae) can be treated with *PO4*, I did but not too much helpful cos they keep coming back.... I dont know what to do to prevent it from growing back again, I do know is, this GSA is I introduce to the tank, because I bouht a bogwood with lots of them cover up..... pretty stupid of me huh? hehe, but at that time when my tank is algae free I actually thought that my tank isn't natural at all..... (what am I thinking???) now they just grow extremely fast and cover up my tank glass, that I can't see a thing, when I clean them up, they just come back in 2 weeks tops, I have now tired of cleaning up.....

*Please help*!!!!


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## Glaucus (Oct 11, 2009)

Very low to none NPK is not likely to cause extreme green algae. In fact no NPK will not grow anything unless of course you have a proper substrate. We need proper information. By what measure do you consider NPK low? Quantify. The generic googled pictures aren't very helpful. Provide one of the specific situation at hand in your tank as it can help to discover any unbalances or whatever that sparks interest. 

I'f im not mistaking you are not using liquid fertilisers: fine (although proper usage wont hurt and will sometimes be needed with the absence of a substitute). Anyway, not adding any nutrients to the column doesn't mean nothing is in the water. Don't underestimate the loads that come from the tap. Especially N can be suprisingly high. And in my experience that is what will boost GSA growth. A good old water change to avoid algae can actually initiate unwanted flora. For instance nitrogen levels in mains water in Japan can be close to an estimated 10 - 25 ppm.ainkille More than enough to cause green shields. 

You are growing plants that do well in shaded areas, your lights are of high output. Not extreme but more than needed. You could probably do with less than half of the current amount of light and be better of. Having slow growers in a low tech environment also mean that nitrate levels are not assimilated as quickly and will probably increase as time progresses. Drop in a couple of fast growers.

And make sure your nutrients are somewhat balanced, extremes are never a good thing.


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