# Thin fuzzy layer of green algae forming



## 14crazychris (11 Oct 2018)

Hi guys
So I have had my tank for a few months now and changed the plants around a lot, was getting lots of algae so decided to go for some more robust plants. I have java ferns and 2 variety’s of anubias. The times of the hair and string algae have gone but I slowly getting a fine layer of fuzzy green algae on my rocks/ plants. With the plants I have is it best to not dose and fertilisers or liquid co2? Have Colombo pro flora base. The light is on six watts. I was dosing easy carbo and profito but don’t know if to stop this? Any help would be great. Have cleaned the tank out and here I a picture below. 
Cheers Chris


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## azawaza (11 Oct 2018)

Plant more plants (fast growing stem ones + floating plants) and decrease your photopreriod.


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## Edvet (12 Oct 2018)

Low dose ferts and waterchanges are always "needed". Profito only has micro's. I would add some macro's (N,P,K,Mg)
Gently rub the leaves and scrub the rocks before a waterchange. 6 watts sounds low enough. Do you have any shrimp? ( Mayby add some Amano shrimp)


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## 14crazychris (12 Oct 2018)

Edvet said:


> Low dose ferts and waterchanges are always "needed". Profito only has micro's. I would add some macro's (N,P,K,Mg)
> Gently rub the leaves and scrub the rocks before a waterchange. 6 watts sounds low enough. Do you have any shrimp? ( Mayby add some Amano shrimp)



Ok cheers, do I need to dose ferts even with anubias and java farm? Have no demanding plants. Thanks for the advice. I have 9 different colours shrimp, an amano and an otto.
Cheers


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## dw1305 (12 Oct 2018)

Hi all, 





14crazychris said:


> Ok cheers, do I need to dose ferts even with anubias and java farm?


You do, but they need a <"much lower level of fertilisers"> than a quicker growing plant.

Because they are slow growing any nutrient deficiencies take longer to show symptoms in the leaves. Due to this slow growth I'd recommend @azawaza's  suggestion of adding some faster growing stems and floaters. Floating plants are particularly useful, because they have access to atmospheric CO2, which means that you can discount CO2 availability as an issue in plant health, they also have "first dibs" on the light.  

I recommend Amazon Frogbit (<"_Limnobium laevigatum">_) as a floater, because it is a <"nice green colour"> and allows you to use the <"Duckweed Index"> as an indication of when fertiliser addition is necessary.

cheers Darrel


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## 14crazychris (12 Oct 2018)

Ok perfect thank you, will add about 1/3 of the ferts I was dosing. Will try and get some floating plants this weekend and will stop dosing easycarbo.  
Cheers Chris


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## 14crazychris (5 Nov 2018)

So I got some floating plants in the mail but they died so may try another species. I dose about 0.4ml of ferts a week and just got the phosphate and nitrogen liquids. The algae isn’t as bad but I still am getting green spots on all my plants. Would a black out be useful? 2/3 days and then big water change and then start a routine with phosphate/nitrogen/ ferts? 
The algae isn’t bad but I’m not sure it’s doing my plants any good and I do like the tank looking super clean haha
Cheers Chris


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## Konsa (5 Nov 2018)

Hi
Floaters will help with the green spot.Its a tough one to scrub off.It is combination of high light and low CO2 and low Phosphate levels.In order to keep the stones clean U will need to scrub them with toothbrush weekly and probably still sth will grow on them its kind of inevitable
For the plants that U have very dim light is best just remember to section off (harvest)the floaters so the betta can have somewhere to get air from as they may cover the surfase fully .
Regards Konsa


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## 14crazychris (5 Nov 2018)

Ok cheers! Will get some more floating plants then, I increased the light to six watts but have lowerd it back down to five. I’ll keep up with low fert dosages, 0.1ml every other day and I herd if I add phosphate it will help rid the algae? I can’t really scrub the Anubis as it’s glued to the rocks and I don’t want to knock it off. Hopefully the floating plants will help and suck the available nutrients out to kill the algae back.
Cheers Chris


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## Konsa (5 Nov 2018)

Hi 
Your plants feed of the water column.They are slow growing but still need a little of everything.U are not saying what fertiliser are U using.Hope it is a complete one .
Excessive fertiliser do NOT cause algae.High light and deficiency do.If U have even one element missing that is needed it will inhibit the utilisation of others, plant suffers and algae prevails.
Regards Konsa


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## 14crazychris (6 Nov 2018)

Thank you that’s very helpful, I’m using:

Hydra 26hd at 6500k 5watts
Easylife profito
Easylife Fosfo
Easylife nitrate
Easylife carbo 

Not sure what I should be dosing, I stopped dosing the easycarbo as recommended and just cut down on the fertiliser. Using RO water, will little feed input. What’s best to proceed? Thank you


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## Konsa (6 Nov 2018)

Hi
Profito will suply all your micro elements and some K.Fosfo and nitrate will cover some of your macros,but U still missing Magnesium .Your micro and macro need to be dosed on alternative days.When I was talking about complete fertiliser was thinking sth like Tropica specialised,The Aquascaper or TCN complete as they have all that is needed.One bottle to fiddle with, put the dose every day and your ferts are covered.Plants take weeks to respond to changes,be patient 
Regards Konsa


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## Konsa (6 Nov 2018)

Hi
also to answer your latest question .
Wait till the floaters arrive.Keep tank clean and do regular waterchanges.Dose half the  recommended amount on the bottles.Probably they recommend dosing weekly but u can split it so is 3 doses and dose micros 3x a week(Mon,Wed,Fri) and nitrate and fosfo 3x a week (Tue,Thurs,Sat)on alternative days on day 7 (Sun)50%waterchange. Once U run out of ferts U are using atm change to all in one and make your life easier.Let the tank settle in for few weeks and observe.No point using RO water.
Regards Konsa


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## 14crazychris (6 Nov 2018)

Ok perfect! Just what I needed! Thank you! Will keep dosing alternatively every day with micro’s and macro’s. Will keep the thread updated


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