# Algae problems, cause, effect and removal.



## ian_m (12 Mar 2012)

Just a report on my algae issues and successful cure.

A newly planted Juwel Vision 180, IE dosing and CO2 but mature filters and substrate.

After a week or two started suffering minor algae issue, brown powder type algae on leaves, BBA on wood and thread algae starting to appear on the plants. Never really had algae issues with just fish in last 10 years odd.

Reduced the lighting time (and corresponding CO2 time) and did a few non weekly water changes but got much worse.

In fact, the massive algae attack was caused by the 3 issues that cause algae.

- Too much light.
- Great variations of CO2.
- Fish/food waste collecting and rotting.

Initially thought, can't be any of these, I am really careful and check, must be something else.

However further investigation (and being at home at weekend watching the tank) revealed Mr Cockup had set the light and CO2 timers, confusing am and pm, thus lights were on about 18hours a day rather than 6  

Similar for CO2, timer set by Mr Cockup and bubble rate far too low. Of course, I was seeing a green drop checking as CO2 during the day, but was blue at end of day, ie all CO2 gone.

And finally the worlds biggest pile of poo and old fish food very carefully hidden at back on tank behind a peice of my planted wood.

The cure.

- Correctly set the timers for 6 hours a day light (2 hours 7am - 9am, so I can check in morning before work and 4 hours in evening) and CO2 on two hours before light on and off 1 hour before light off.
- Set CO2 rate about 5 bps (or more) so that at lights on I have a nice green drop checker.
- Turned my wood 90° (not ideal) but detritus no longer collects behind the wood. Played with internal filter outlet to provide flow at back of tank. Whoops washed away the sand this morning, so a bit of fiddling before work needed.
- Put temporary fine filter floss in filters (whilst cleaning) and wiped all the leaves the best I could to remove the algae using a piece of filter floss. The brown algae comes off really easy. Cleaned wood, fittings etc. Allowed tank to filter clear and removed the fine floss, now actually rust brown.   
- Water changes and Excel Flourish dosing.

I can report (after a week) no sign of algae. There are a few of bits of BBA I missed still there but look as though they are receeding. Result.


----------



## Westyggx (12 Mar 2012)

Did you get rid of the hair algae?

Cheers


----------



## ian_m (12 Mar 2012)

Westyggx said:
			
		

> Did you get rid of the hair algae?


Yes, got most hair algae off by wiping leaves with section of filter floss and the rest has died back during the week.

Haven't "forumed" (is that a word) anything before now, as I wanted to be sure the algea has really gone (or at least reduced).

Probably now I "have spoken" today, will return home to find it has gone mayhem.


----------



## bigmel (12 Mar 2012)

Thanks fella for the post i,m haveing issueing .

Is 6 hours light all that is needed on a planted tank ?

Mines a fluval roma 240 l twin lights low tech jobbie . Good plant growth etc just hair algae annoying me


----------



## ian_m (12 Mar 2012)

bigmel said:
			
		

> Is 6 hours light all that is needed on a planted tank ?


Thats what the recommendation is, reduce to 6 hours light, to try and reduce algae.

I think you can increase light on time once algae is reduced.


----------



## Alastair (13 Mar 2012)

Yeah 6 hours is more than enough. Once youve totally mastered the art of co2, flow and dosing then you can up the lighting if you so choose but also increasing the co2 and ferts with it.


----------

