# Algae help needed



## Deano3 (18 Jun 2013)

Hi all I am having a small problem with algae it is hair like and seems to clog up my hair grass and web from strand to strand not much at minute and camera not good enough to see it but will try to get a pic, I haven't changed anything lately except up my co2 slightly as planted more hair grass so yellow or lime green later on in evening any idea what this algae is and anything I can do to prevent it ? still dosing EI daily lighting is 1x24w

lights on 13.00
lights off 18.00

co2 on 11.00am
co2 off 17.00pm

my journal here ADA 60F iwagumi new pics page 16 | Page 17 | UK Aquatic Plant Society

any help would be great as want rid of this algae
Thanks dean


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba (18 Jun 2013)

Hi mate,
I am not an expert but this type of algae is related to CO2 or distribution issue. Try to up you CO2 (if you can because of live stock) maybe the injection rate is no more sufficient for the bio mass you have now.
Check from zero your distribution system. Maybe flow is not any more adequate because of bio mass that is more important. As I can tell your light seems not be too much. So like your light is ok check flow, CO2 and distribution ! 

Hope that this will help. I am sure you already know this before I answered you 

cheers


----------



## Deano3 (18 Jun 2013)

zanguli-ya-zamba said:


> Hi mate,
> I am not an expert but this type of algae is related to CO2 or distribution issue. Try to up you CO2 (if you can because of live stock) maybe the injection rate is no more sufficient for the bio mass you have now.
> Check from zero your distribution system. Maybe flow is not any more adequate because of bio mass that is more important. As I can tell your light seems not be too much. So like your light is ok check flow, CO2 and distribution !
> 
> ...


hi mate thanks for reply firstly I have no livestock yet and I have a large filter for the tank and flow seems good and the algae is all over not in one part of aquarium just on ends of the grass and clogging up some parts, also co2 is quite high bps but regulator fluctuates so hard to say but the drop checker is yellow however it is opposite the outflow pipe so maybe I should put below this for better reading what you think ? and I have a up aqua inline diffuser so bubbles everywere should be ok in small tank ,I have upped my co2 today and it was yellow, and I am dosing micro and macro 6.5ml daily

may it be diatoms?

any other help would be great
Thanks dean


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba (18 Jun 2013)

Hi
So you are in the same case than me  no live stock, that means you can push CO2 as far as you want !
 But that doesn't mean you have to waste your CO2. If drop checker is yellow that would "mean" that CO2 must be good ! Buuuut a yellow drop checker doesn't mean good distribution, you must know that !
 You can have a big drop of your Ph because of CO2, but that doesn't mean it's well distribute. Maybe you have some spot where flow is not adequate for that type of plant or flow is too strong one one half of the tank and not enough strong for the other half. I don't know your flow set up but distribution (flow) is a very complicate thing !
 I have been battling for very long time with my flow problems and I finished by putting down a scape to make an other one that will suite my flow pattern ! 
You know even with 4000 L/h pumps in a 260 L tank you can have distribution problems. 
So to conclude yellow drop checker doesn't means perfect distribution ( I know from fact what I am talking about lol ). 

Can you do something please. 
Take a sample of your tank water in a clean bottle that shake it for a minute. Than open it and after 12 h take a ph measurement. Take also a ph measurement of your tank water when CO2 is at the Max ( lowest ph of the day). 
The difference should be at least of 1 point of ph.
For example If first Ph is 7,3 you should have when injection is at the top a Ph of 6,3. THIS IS A "BASE" guide line. With a drop of one point you should have adequate CO2. 
But this will depend also on your water. If you have mid hard water a drop of 1 point of ph is perfect, but for very soft water like mine you can go to 2 points.for example In one of my tank ph with rest water is 7,3 and the lowest Ph when injecting CO2 is 5,3 if I go above I start having issue because of lack of CO2. 

I don't know if I made my self clear because English is not my language ! 

I wanted also to remind you that I am not an expert, but I think that the statement I am giving here are correct ! 

Please member if I am saying foolish things correct me ! 

Cheers mate 
Zanguli


----------



## Deano3 (18 Jun 2013)

I understand mostly  , I have never taken a ph measurement before, does this just tell you how acidic or acid your water is ?
will do that now will go and get a sample to check tomorrow

also if you look in the journal you will see my lily pipes are opposite each other as its a shallow tank and only fit there but I could put along side each other if needed what would you recommend ?

thanks again dean


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba (18 Jun 2013)

If you want you can have a complete read of that thread there are a lot of infos in there ! Not only on light Co2 but on lots of things ! Hope you'll like the reading. 

Dymax Tropical 36 watt | UK Aquatic Plant Society


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba (18 Jun 2013)

Yes ph tell you how acid or basic your water is (but it s a bit more complex) I will not go in details because I don't have the good knowledge for that. And if I start explaining I am sure that some people like Ceg4048 or plantbrain or other will come and beat my fingers because of mistake I can tell hahaha. ( that's why I live uKAPS there is a lot of expert that tells the truth). 
For me Ph measurement are easy because I have an electronic Ph pen. What I will advice for you (not be bored by test kit) is if your drop checker is yellow, try to play with flow and get the best flow all over the tank. And please be patient, it's not in a 2 days or a week that you will see  improvement ! Flow is a b*tch lol. 

Can you explain me your flow set up please ?


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba (18 Jun 2013)

Let me check


----------



## zanguli-ya-zamba (18 Jun 2013)

Your outflow is at the front right corner, I would have put the inlet in the back rear right corner(the same side but at the back). I don't know if you understood sorry for my English. I am sure that there is a hundred of more experimented aquascaper than me,that will correct me if I am wrong (hope so).


----------



## Deano3 (18 Jun 2013)

brilliant help zanguli i am off to bed now so will reply to you first thing, i have just took 2 test tubes of water to test tomorrow, i have a test kit so out of curiosity will do that tomorrow speak tomorrow then mate

also its too shallow doesn't fit in that corner only other place could put the inlet is right next to the outlet

Dean


----------



## Henry (18 Jun 2013)

You say the regulator fluctuates. The changes in CO2 will be a major factor in this.


----------



## Deano3 (19 Jun 2013)

Tried everything to investigate but never found problem, if bps right up its ok but when turn down still fluctuates could put pressure up to 3 bar and try 

What you think ?
Thanks dean


----------



## Deano3 (19 Jun 2013)

ok so ph of water been out of aquarium nearly 24 hours is around 7-7.5 water just taken from tank 6.4

Dean


----------

