# Mass algae invasion..Help please!



## Diwobs (29 Aug 2017)

Hi all,

First, thank you in advance for all your interest on my problem.

A started a 300L planted tank 7 months ago. 

Specifications:

-          Lightning: 3 * Chihiros A series (1*A901 + 2* A501) for a total of 17800 Lumen , dimmed at 6/7 power each. 7Hour/day (enough..?)

-          Fluval Venezia Tank Corner (120L*90l*60H)

-          External Filter Fluval 406 (1450 L/H theorical + 1 brewing pump 2200 L/H)

-          Full planted.

-          Soil: JBL volcano + ADA Amazonia + ADA Amazonia Powder.

-          Hardscape: Seiryu Stones and spider roots.

-          CO2 pressurized 2bps all the day. I noticed that the level of CO2 decreased not badly after 4 hours of photoperiods. I go from 25 to 12 in 4 hours ... but CO2 is still there. It is a possible reason of my problem…It is injected by reactor JBL. Tank consumpts a lot. If i inject only on photoperiod to keep 25mg/l, i empty a 1kG bottle on 15 days.. Do you think ist normal? In many cases, there is not a lot of CO2 fluctuation. Only perhaps CO2 reducing during photoperiod.

-          Actually EI Method with 50% water change per week RO water. I first fertilized with easylife range the first months and changed to EI with dry nutrients from the good returns I received and from what i read. I use PPS recipe that I dose regarding my tank needs (3*10PPM NO3 + 3*1PPM PO4 + 3*10PPM K + 3*3PPM Mg + Trace Mix) in alternance during the whole week.The redfield balance seems good regarding my lastest tests.. 

-          I only make contributions of RO water and I do not remineralize because of the calcareous stones. My tap water is too hard (GH8-KH8) to keep a correct hardness with stones. The ADA soil has never degrease the KH... don't know why...

-          PH: 6.6, GH 4-8, KH 4-8 (variation due to stones and water changes)


I had no particular problems during 4 first months, else a little cyanobacteria and some cladophoras that went away when starting fertilisation.

I noticed that my plants stopped growing after 5 months and I realized that my nutrient levels were too low. I always kept a level of 1No3 and 0.1PO4 the first few months and the plants were growing very well. I was told that after a few months the soil did not give enough at all and that it had to be compensated by a good level of fertilization. I switched to the EI method described above.

The plants grow now but doesn't bubbling and the grow does not seem optimal .. The initial grow was more impressive. The appearance of plants tends to both green and yellow. Red plants stay more yellow.
However, my last macro tests show at least 20-30 NO3, 1.8-2 PO4 and 0.5-1- Fe. Enough k for sure by testing. I haven't Mg or Ca test.

I started having filamentous algae, green dust on glass, fuzz, a little localized cyano and finally BBAs ... after 4 months, at least at the time when I started to have plant deficiencies. I thought that by rebalancing the fertilization and a correct level of CO2, the algae would disappear but this is not the case, and this for 3 months ..

I made big trimms of plants, treated with peroxide and easy carbo overdose. It leaves but it comes back each time.


The green filamentous is particulary on mosses et eleocharis and the BBA begins to invade my hardscape. I clean as I can. But it really hard to clean this $£%¨£. Even the electric toothbrush is not enough... Stones become green, many residues on the tank.


I have read a lot of information here that this could come from a bacterial imbalance. Indeed, I tend to have NO2 peak sometimes and I do not know why (due to big water changes..?). I had some unexplained fish deaths but No2 never increase higher than 0.1...I only clean the filter each month and change the cotton wool each week.

So, for a few weeks I've cleaned the tank in depth, created more surface agitation to better oxygenate the water with my brewing pump and added easy life start. No improvement. Algae always come back. Still hairs, a little dust on glass, BBA, and even Rhizoclonium now

I see quite a lot of particles in suspension in the water: is it perhaps spores or waste, I do not know... The water is slightly slightly milky/cloudy due to particles.

I do not know if in the end if my filtration is sufficient because I had no problems 3 first months and no No2.

There are my ways:

- Insufficient filtration (No2 peaks, residues,..) cause bacterial imbalance and 
- Perhaps insuffisant nutrition. a limiting factor ( no bubbling, low plant growing,..)
- Deperdition of Co2 due to water agitation.
- Algexit treatment but will not solve my root cause..
- high soil nutrients release

Sorry for the long thread. Don’t hesitate to ask more and thank you for your help a lot!

Some pics:




 



 

 

 

 
eleocharis has just be added  week ago


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## kadoxu (30 Aug 2017)

Too much light


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## dw1305 (30 Aug 2017)

Hi all, 





Diwobs said:


> The green filamentous is particulary on mosses et eleocharis and the BBA begins to invade my hardscape. I clean as I can. But it really hard to clean this $£%¨£. Even the electric toothbrush is not enough... Stones become green, many residues on the tank.


 Personally I like your green rocks, they always look really strange to me when they don't have any biofilm on them.

The problem is that the green algae ("Chlorophyta"), belong to the <"same clade"> as all the mosses, ferns and higher plants, and share the same photosynthetic systems etc.

If you create conditions that favour the growth of the plants you want, you also create conditions that favour the plants you don't want (green algae). Light drives photosynthesis, and you could try limiting light. I use floating pants for this. 

If you have snails and shrimps, they will graze the biofilm and stop it developing. Have a look at <"New tank green algae....">.





cheers Darrel


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## Cactusface (23 Nov 2017)

dw1305 said:


> I use floating pants for this.



So DW do you have a massive tank (by the yard), or just small pants?


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## Edvet (24 Nov 2017)

Something seems wrong with CO2, certainly in combination with high light CO2 must be spotless


Diwobs said:


> 2bps all the day. I noticed that the level of CO2 decreased not badly after 4 hours of photoperiods. I go from 25 to 12 in 4 hours


You dose CO2 the whole day


Diwobs said:


> created more surface agitation to better oxygenate the water


and use surface agitation?
This blows your CO2 out of the water.
O2 should come from plants, you could use surface agitation at night to help fish, but not at photoperiod.
It looks as a problem with getting the CO2 in the water and keeping it in.In your third picture the bubbles seem to be big and rising to the surface thus waisting CO2
Distribution could also be a problem. Moving the CO2 to all plants in a densly planted tank is hard. Usually the starting advice is 10X tankvolume in filtervolume



Diwobs said:


> bacterial imbalance


You can forget this.

Lighting seems high, but i can't realy judge this ( not into LED that much), this will compound all CO2 problems.

So basically
1) not to much light
2) EI correct dosing  coupled with 50% (at least) waterchanges each week
3) spotless CO2  dosing and dsitribution ( use a pH pen to see if it works correct)

This is easier said then done, but this is the basics for a high tech tank


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## dw1305 (24 Nov 2017)

Hi all, 





Cactusface said:


> or just small plants?


Small plants.

cheers Darrel


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