# Increase in algae, advise needed.



## dazcoops (12 Feb 2009)

Hello all

You guys have probably seen this kind of question a million times, but i would like some advise please,

I have a juwel rio 240, i did have the standard T8's but just up graded to the high lite T5's(2x54w). since adding the T5's i noticed a sudden increase in algae growth, mainly hair algea. Since then iv cut my lighting down from 10 hours a day to 5 hours a day, iv increased the easycarbo from 5ml to 10ml a day and have kept my tropica plant nutrition+ the same which is 25ml's a week, this seems to have slowed the algae down. the tank has been set up for about 5 weeks

The amount of algae i have isnt a problem but i do want to nip this in the bud.

Tank spec:

juwel rio 240 with no internal filter
Filter: Eheim 2026 (650 Ltr/H)
Lighting: T5's (2x54W) 5 hours a day.
Substrate: Tropica plant substrate with 40mm of ADA Aqua soil amazonia on top. 
No Co2 injestion
easycarbo added every day, just increased to 10ml.
tropica plant nutrition+ added twice a week, 12ml a time.
22 Cardinal tetra.
2 horse face loaches.
Water changes: 25ltrs a fortnight, probably gonna increase this to 25ltrs a week.

Plants:

Hemianthus callitrichoides
Pogostemon helferi
Staurogyne sp.
Blyxa japonica 
Nymphaea Lotus

I am gonna add shrimp to my tank so they can start eating some of it!
Also one of my plants looks like it has been stripped of all its leaves, would snails do this?

Any help, advise or ways forward would be appriciated.

Thanks
Darren.

p.s. I couldnt work out how to add pictures.


----------



## Garuf (12 Feb 2009)

Hair is always CO2 add more and keep on top of removal.


----------



## dazcoops (12 Feb 2009)

The next steps i plan to take with my set up is to add a co2 system and also to up grade my filter to get a higher flow rate.


----------



## Ed Seeley (13 Feb 2009)

dazcoops said:
			
		

> The next steps i plan to take with my set up is to add a co2 system and also to up grade my filter to get a higher flow rate.



These would be my two suggestions too.  Rather than get a new filter you can either add another or a Koralia type powerhead to boost the flow.


----------



## dazcoops (13 Feb 2009)

Ed Seeley said:
			
		

> dazcoops said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I was thinking this to, but one concern is that i will be keeping discus and i didnt want a strong current.


----------



## Ed Seeley (13 Feb 2009)

I have wild angels in a 3ft tank with a 2128 and Apistogramma in a tank with a Juwel filter and a Koralia and they are fine.  They come from the same environments as discus.  Also the flow from the Koralias isn't as harsh as that from a filter as it is more spread out and diffuse so I think they would be fine.


----------



## james3200 (13 Feb 2009)

I have 3 koralias in with my wild discus. They don't mind it one bit and as ed says, the water is circulated really well and not so concentrated like a filter outlet. I have also experienced some hair algae recently and since adding 2 more pumps its really helped circulate those dead spots, haven't changed nothing else and its not growing back yet


----------



## dazcoops (13 Feb 2009)

Thanks for the help so far,

Come to think of it, the algae has increased since i added 2 spray bars to my filter outlet which has decreased the flow around my tank, im gonna switch it back to 1 spray bar.

Iv never heard of koralias before but i see people rave about them, im guessing they are powerheads? wheres a good place to buy them on-line?

Thanks again

Darren.


----------

