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Algae help!! Starting to take over!!

Mattant1984

Member
Joined
13 Jun 2022
Messages
417
Location
Canterbury Kent
Hi guys, I started having some issues with what I believe to be fuzz algae a few months ago and it's slowly getting worse and covering a lot of the tank now.

On a full tank shot it looks great but up close there is a lot. I will add pics below along with tank parameters etc.

Any help would be appreciated to get rid or at least reduce this algae.

1. Size of tank in Litres. 700

2. Age of the set - up. years but about 9 months as planted

3. Filtration. 2 large externals

4. Lighting and duration. Basic nicrew LED lighting on for 8.5 hours a day

5. Substrate. Fine gravel with root tabs

6. Co2 dosing or Non-dosing. No C02

7. Fertilizers used & Ratios. Solufeed 2:1:4 6 grams 3 times a week

8. Water change regime. 50% every Monday

9. Plant list + When planted. Lots of crypts, hygrophila, ludwigia, anubias. Basically all easy plants

10. Drop Checker. No

11. Inhabitants. Fairly fish heavy. Angels, rainbows, tetras, corries, ottos etc

12. Full tank shot & Surface Image
 

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As its a non co2 injected tank,you could try reducing lighting period to 6 hours,8.5 seems quite high imo.
I had similar problems a while back and it did help along with the fact I increased the distance from the water surface and light.I just changed things one at a time until I got the solution
Also,you do 50% water change weekly.How often do you clean the filters?With a heavy populated tank, the filters could be storing more nitrate than the plants can absorb.Just a thought
By the way, I think your tank is gorgeous.
Good luck
 
Last edited:
Thanks Nigel thanks for your advise, my lighting isn't that powerful so wouldn't of thought 8 hours was too much but more than will to try and cut it down a bit.

I clean out my filters every couple of months so could probably do it a little more often for sure. I'm hoping I can find a way to get it to die off as its driving me nuts.

Matt
 
You will get there Matt.Its just a case of patience and as I say changing things gradually,whether that's light,filter changes,increased plant mass etc.
 
Hi all,
As its a non co2 injected tank,you could try reducing lighting period to 6 hours,8.5 seems quite high imo....
Personally l definitely wouldn't reduce the photoperiod, or the light intensity. At the moment you know you have enough light for plant growth, and you already have 15.5 hours of darkness.

Cheers Darrel
 
Do you have floating plants? They can make a big difference in absorbing excess nutrients as well as allowing you to reduce light without cutting into the photoperiod.

I did have but some didn't do very well and to be honest I wasn't a fan of them so gave the rest away
 
Hi all,
l definitely wouldn't reduce the photoperiod, or the light intensity.
I should have put in a link (to @Christel ) for that <"70L planted - first tank"> and I should have said that I agree with
By the way, I think your tank is gorgeous........... I just changed things one at a time until I got the solution
and I'd be pretty happy with both the tank and that recommendation.
what would your suggestions be?
Fertilizers used & Ratios. Solufeed 2:1:4 6 grams 3 times a week
It doesn't help with getting rid of it, but I'd actually look at the algae as a sign that conditions are pretty suitable for plant growth. The reason I says this is that the "green algae" <"share the same basic physiology"> with all the higher plants. In fact you could just split them into "plants you want" and "plants you don't" but they are all "plants", if that makes sense?

<"I'm a snail fan">, they are fairly effective at grazing this sort of algae. I like Tadpole (Physella acuta) and Red Ramshorn (Planorbella duryi) snails.
Do you have floating plants? They can make a big difference in absorbing excess nutrients as well as allowing you to reduce light without cutting into the photoperiod.
I'm a <"floating plant fan"> (<"probably floating plant obsessive">) as well.

cheers Darrel
 
Many thanks Darrel, I appreciate your help as usual.



For some reason I just couldn't get used to the floating plants they just didn't do it for me but each to their own I guess.

It's good to know that the conditions are good for plants however do you think I need to up the ferts at all?

I will definitely look at some snails for the tank as well i think

In regards to fish I had a lot of success years back using siamese algae eaters (true ones) For an outbreak so might try them again

Many thanks
Matt
 
Did you clean or renew the substrate when planting? Is there much organic waste in the substrate?

It was always kept really clean as I had malawis before the planted tank, I've used root tabs but could probably do with adding more. Never cleaned it since its been planted so should have quite a lot of organic waste
 
Hi all,
however do you think I need to up the ferts at all?
I'm honestly not the best person to ask, my <"plants are always growing sub-optimally"> and I'm reliant on the Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) as a guide of how much fertiliser to add <"The scientific background to the "Leaf Colour Chart"">.
For some reason I just couldn't get used to the floating plants they just didn't do it for me but each to their own I guess.
Point taken, I love them (and regard them as essential), but <"I don't do aesthetics">.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,































I'm honestly not the best person to ask, my <"plants are always growing sub-optimally"> and I'm reliant on the Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) as a guide of how much fertiliser to add <"The scientific background to the "Leaf Colour Chart"">.































Point taken, I love them (and regard them as essential), but <"I don't do aesthetics">.































cheers Darrel















Maybe I will try them again at some point but am more about the look of the tank and fish really, I get there importance especially for someone like yourself that's using them as an indication of plant health. Thanks for your help as usual Darrel I really appreciate it 😊 🙏

 
@dw1305 are the Tadpole (Physella acuta) and Red Ramshorn (Planorbella duryi) snails ok for a tank my size and can there numbers be controlled easily enough??




 
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