# Ugly algae, slow grow plants for 6 months, please help !



## Nelson Marto (14 Jan 2021)

My aquarium have 6 months now, I have reused anubias, bucephalandras, ferns, crypt's and ludwigia from a old tank.
During the time there a green cover that come black in all slow grow plants and in all rocks and wood.
Postostemon, Ludwigia , and ferns are growing well, but anubias and bucephalandras (these are my favorite plants) are not ok, all leaves with more than 1 month become ugly.
About the fertilization I following the routine described bellow for about 1,5 months, before I was using DIY dry salts mixing, but the ppm amount was similar.
I would like to do not reduce light time, because I like to enjoy the view, I already increase and decrease the power.

I have JBL test kits for testing water, My tap water have KH 2, GH 5.
Usually when I test tank water nitrates are always low (1 or 3 ppm) but I assume is normal because I dose it daily, plant can absorve all quickly.
What is causing melting and black coat in bucephalandras and black coat at anubias?
Please help I'm getting crazy with this green/black thing....

1. 280L, 6 months, 100x60x48
2. eheim 2275 (1250L/H).
3. 10H (5h in full power+ 3h at 50% +2h 20%), I have two led ligths because is a deep tank 60cm,  twinstart 900 EA (3950 lumens máx) + happet aqua led 100 27W (3000 lumens max  at 6500k )
4. Neo aqua soil.
5. Co2 dosing- 2 bubbles per second- in lide difusor (JBL Pro direct)
6. Fertilizers used are aquarebell basic macro + micro basic, I follow the instructions from the bottle for high light. (I think is PMDD )
   Macros dosed daily, resulting in a total per week:  NO3 7ppm/week, PO4 0,7ppm/week, K 9,1ppm/week, Mg 0,7ppm/week
   Micros: 5ml per day
7. Water change regime: 50% / 60% per week, clean mechanical filtration once a month.
8. Plant list: all planted 6 months ago, nubias, bucephalandras, ferns, cript's, ludwigia pogostemon erectus
9. I have 5 Amanos, 7 Otocinclus, 2 SAE, 2 neritine snailes that for cleaning.
    Display fish I have 5 tiger barb +3 denisoni barb + 2 pearl gourami, they all have more 3 years they come from my old tank.
10. Full tank shot.


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## dw1305 (14 Jan 2021)

Hi all,


Nelson Marto said:


> About the fertilization I following the routine described bellow for about 1,5 months, before I was using DIY dry salts mixing, but the ppm amount was similar.
> I would like to do not reduce light time, because I like to enjoy the view, I already increase and decrease the power.
> 
> I have JBL test kits for testing water, My tap water have KH 2, GH 5.
> ...


My guess would be that there isn't a huge amount wrong, plant health looks OK, there aren't signs of <"any obvious deficiencies">.

I'm not a great fan of <"water testing with test kits">, but we will <"assume yours are right">, and that you probably need to add a higher level of macronutrients for your light and CO2 addition.

In terms of BBA, <"we don't know what causes it">, or why it  often has cycles or growth and death. I only get it growing on intake filter sponges or other places where Ramshorn snails can't graze.

cheers Darrel


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## Nelson Marto (14 Jan 2021)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> My guess would be that there isn't a huge amount wrong, plant health looks OK, there aren't signs of <"any obvious deficiencies">.
> 
> ...


In your opinion I should increase Macros... double? or is too much?
If someone have more ideas....


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## dw1305 (14 Jan 2021)

Hi all, 


Nelson Marto said:


> In your opinion I should increase Macros... double? or is too much?


I'd just add 20% more and see what happens. 

cheers Darrel


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## Nuno Gomes (14 Jan 2021)

What are your co2 levels? 2 bubbles per second seems like too little for that size tank. Also I know you said you'd like to not change the lighting but I've never had much sucess with ramping lights up and down, I'd stick to 6 or 7 hours at full power.


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## Nelson Marto (15 Jan 2021)

Nuno Gomes said:


> What are your co2 levels? 2 bubbles per second seems like too little for that size tank. Also I know you said you'd like to not change the lighting but I've never had much sucess with ramping lights up and down, I'd stick to 6 or 7 hours at full power.


Hello Nuno,
Last time I mesure 2 months ago, was 20ppm of CO2 (I used KH/PH table to get value).
CO2 should be enough for buce and anubias in theory they should live well without CO2 injected.....
But I will mesure it and see if I need to increase... till 30ppm?

Obrigado


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## Kezzab (15 Jan 2021)

Do you have a drop checker to monitor the co2 levels? I can't see one. 
I'm not sure how accurate the KH charts are as a method.

2 bps does seem low, but generally your plant health looks good.


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## Nelson Marto (15 Jan 2021)

Kezzab said:


> Do you have a drop checker to monitor the co2 levels? I can't see one.
> I'm not sure how accurate the KH charts are as a method.
> 
> 2 bps does seem low, but generally your plant health looks good.


Yes I have one,
It was not there because was for cleaning...
usually turns from dark green to green, is never light green or yellow. and in the morning is never blue.

About ferts you think everything is ok? 

Everything grows like crazy except what I "most want".


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## GHNelson (15 Jan 2021)

Nelson Marto said:


> Everything grows like crazy except what I "most want".


Hi
What would that be?


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## Nelson Marto (15 Jan 2021)

hogan53 said:


> Hi
> What would that be?


Bucephalandras and anubias


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## PARAGUAY (15 Jan 2021)

Slow growers anyway. General health of plants looks good so nothing too drastic needs to change IMO


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## Nelson Marto (15 Jan 2021)

PARAGUAY said:


> General health of plants looks good so nothing too drastic needs to change IMO


Sorry what you mean with "change IMO"?


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## Kezzab (15 Jan 2021)

IMO = In my opinion.


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## GHNelson (15 Jan 2021)

Nelson Marto said:


> Bucephalandras and anubias


These two species are very very slow growers so are liable to get algae within a immature set-up!
You may even get it in established aquariums.....especially Green Spot Algae.....try this Using stem plants as a filtering aid!
to give some cover/canopy over the slow growers for the time being!
Clean filter including the sponges once a week as you have algae issues.
The stem plants, remove dying/algae leaves or remove the plant and cut the tops off and replant the nice new growth!
Throw the rest in the compost heap


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## Nuno Gomes (16 Jan 2021)

Nelson Marto said:


> Hello Nuno,
> Last time I mesure 2 months ago, was 20ppm of CO2 (I used KH/PH table to get value).
> CO2 should be enough for buce and anubias in theory they should live well without CO2 injected.....
> But I will mesure it and see if I need to increase... till 30ppm?
> ...



You should have a permanent drop checker in the tank, if you don't like the common ones because they get in the way you could also buy a hang on type, its reaction is a bit delayed compared to the in tank ones but it works fine if you keep that in mind.
Look into the lighting thing too, I've found dimmed lights often provide no benefit for plants during the low light periods but will still grow algae during that time.

Also the thing about bucephalandras, crypts, ferns etc are always labeled as easy plants but they are always the ones to suffer when there are algae issues, because you can't just trim them at the substrate level and expect them to be lush again after a couple weeks like the fast growing stem plants, so in some cases they are definitely the hardest plants to keep.


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