# Need ID and Possible Cause



## webcricket (Oct 16, 2006)

I have this stuff taking over a java fern (.5cm strands mixed with longer 5cm+ strands):








I recently had a deficiency scare in the tank (probably trace/iron), so everything N P K and Flourish was upped (I dose Seachem products). The plants are looking super now and growing fast, I just have to deal with this algae. I have a feeling I may be overdosing something to cause it as the plants are growing like crazy but so is this stuff. I also dose Excel daily along with the other ferts. I'll be overdosing Excel to combat this algae, but want to know what I should adjust that could have caused it.

Tank is a moderate-heavy planted 10 gallon with 2X10W screw-in CF lighting. Photo period is 10.5 hours, with an hour of indirect light in the room before that from West facing windows. I change 40% of the water weekly. The pH is 7.6 and kH is 8 degrees. Nitrates at 10 ppm on the API test. Any help or suggestions are appreciated. I am new to the world of planted tanks and still learning.


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## TonyV2 (Oct 16, 2006)

Kind of looks like Fuzz Algae to me! Other then that I can't be much more help as I'm new to this too and fighting my own algae issues!:tear:


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You have a low light, no CO2 tank. So, I suggest you not do weekly water changes, which just add a bit of CO2, which soon vanishes, and that tends to trigger algae to grow. Also, your fertilizer dosing should be weekly and less than the EI method calls for for high light tanks.


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## webcricket (Oct 16, 2006)

I used to do weekly dosing, but suffered GDA, BGA and severe GSA as well as a nice organic white film on the water surface. The plants also struggled with growth. When I switched to daily the plants started growing better and those algae and the film are now gone. Doesn't daily keep the tank numbers more balanced?

Not doing weekly water changes isn't really an option, this is a dwarf puffer tank and they are pretty messy fish. What if I let the new water being put in the tank sit overnight with an airstone (for surface agitation) before being added to the tank? Would that gas off the CO2?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Aging the replacement water should work very well, since the only problem with weekly water changes in a non-CO2 tank is the fluctuations in CO2 in the water. If your fish are that ill-mannered that they foul their own home, they may be providing adequate nitrates by themselves. I don't think they will be providing enough phosphates though. Someone will more experience can verify that or disagree with it.


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## webcricket (Oct 16, 2006)

Thank you, I will try aging the water for my next change and thereafter to see if that helps matters! Thinking about it, I changed the water on Saturday and it seems like the algae really took off during the day or two following.

I was checking out the fertilator here...and came up with these conclusions:

I don't dose much in the way of nitrate in this tank, only enough to raise it an additional 2 ppm over the course of a week (aside from the fish waste). I always read a steady nitrate present, so that doesn't seem to be an issue for the plants.

Phosphates over the course of the week I add a total of .39ppm. My tap has no measurable phosphate (per the water report, I don't have a test). Perhaps I should try raising my phosphates to see if that controls this algae as well? My addition seems to be less than what would be recommended.


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## webcricket (Oct 16, 2006)

What about reducing my lighting as well for long term control? I could get maybe 7 or 8 watt screw-in CF bulbs to bring me down from 2 wpg to 1.4 or 1.6 wpg...this algae is appearing in the brightest lit parts of the tank.

I didn't have issues with this stuff in the past, but then again my plants were all much smaller and lower in the tank - now they are reaching the water surface and subject to very bright light at those points.


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## Beasts (Apr 14, 2006)

Will your puffers munch on Farlowellas and Siamensis algae eaters or are you convinced that this type of algae is not one of their dietary choices? Might be worth a try unless you object to them for another reason.


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## webcricket (Oct 16, 2006)

Over the last month I made a few changes to the tank.

I've been adding 9ml of Excel daily and I reduced the photoperiod to 9.5 hours. I also balanced my ferts a bit better and switched to the EI method of dosing. The plants are happy and all of the algae is gone except the stuff in that picture on that same java fern. That remaining algae is greatly reduced (and is not appearing on any new leaves or plants), however it is still there and seems to be making a small comeback since I reduced the Excel to 6ml daily last week.

I was wondering if it would be safe to bath the leaves of this fern in some water laced with H202? How much of the 3% peroxide solution should I use in a 1 gallon bucket, and how long do you think the leaves can be soaked without harming the plant?


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