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Algae problem: please help

S

Scatto88

New Member
Joined
3 May 2024
Messages
8
Location
Italy
Greet from Italy!

I need help to defeat algae in my tank.
here a little description of the actual situation:

(Re)Started with new soil, new plants and new ferts on 01/01/24
Tank measure: 70*50*50cm -> 150l net
CO2 pressurized with PH control -> set up Ph = 6.65, with 4/5 dKH should be about 30ppm.
Chihiros WRGB2 60cm Led Lamp -> from 9 am to 6 pm, 90% power
Filter -> JBL e902
Ferts: till 2 weeks ago, i use Alxyon protocol: V1 inert substrate, S1 salts for remineralize osmosis water, M1 for micro, N1 and P1 for macro. I switched to Masterline I, Masterline Carbo and still on Alxyon N1 and P1 for macro.
Water changes: 30l weekly.

From the beginning i struggle a bit with algae.
Now i'm cycling between cloud water -> UV lamp -> Plants stopped (i guess the micro oxidized) -> stop UV and give ferts -> algae and cloud water and so on.

Now with the switch on masterline ferts the plants start to grow again, but i have cloud water.
Also the algae are quite strange for me: they are not classic filamentous green algae, nor cyano. They are similar to green slime, some fuzz and some green spot, all toghether.

I really don't know what can i do.

Water tests are:

Ph: 6.6
Gh: 6
Kh: 4
NO3: 10 mg/l (stable without dosing N1)
PO4: 0.5-1 mg/l
Fe: 0.2 - 0.4 mg/l

I'm dosing 5 ml Carbo, 2-4ml Masterline I, 2 ml P1 daily. No nitrates as the value is always on 10 mg/l.

PXL_20240503_122424603.jpg

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hypnogogia said:
Have you tried reducing your lighting period? I'd also suggest doing larger weekly water changes - aiming for at least 50%.
Click to expand...

Lenght or intensity?
About 7 hours should be fine?

Try to do bigger WC.

I have a large number of fish inside, i'm afraid it can be a cause.
I have 2 scalares and about 30 Barbus titteya (they bred inside the tank) plus some otocinclus and 4 neon from the previous tank..
 
Scatto88 said:
Lenght or intensity?
About 7 hours should be fine?
Click to expand...
I'd reduce to 8 hours and also reduce the intensity and see what happens. Algae is often because of excessive light. Also, the water changes will take out excess nutrients and organic waste.

Finally, I wouldn't trust the Nitrate test reading. I'd add full Macro and Micro. However, one change at a time to see what happens.
 
Ok.
I reduced to 8 hours and 10% each color Channel.

The last cloud water was probably caused by prefilter and filter cleaning a week ago.
The days After the cleaning i had a surface opaque layer, resolved with surface skimmer.

Another doubt Is tò not have sufficient movement of water.

Can be useful a small movement pump (like the Reef tank ones) tò Better recirculate water?

Regarding your last answer, have i add also nitrates with phospathes or wait?

Thanks and sorry for my bad english.

Inviato dal mio Pixel 6a utilizzando Tapatalk
 
Scatto88 said:
Thanks and sorry for my bad english.
Click to expand...
Your English is better than my Italian!

Remove algae where you can, trying to get rid of as much as possible. Do a big water change and then fertilise as usual. I’d wait a week or two before changing your fertilisation regime.
 
Hi there
You’ve mentioned
Scatto88 said:
CO2 pressurized with PH control -> set up Ph = 6.65, with 4/5 dKH should be about 30ppm.
Click to expand...
Are you using a table to get ppm? This would be totally wrong in your case.
Check your pH drop instead. It should be drop by 1 pH. So if you have 30ppm CO2 then your degassed water should be at 7.65 pH. Is that correct?

Cheers
 
Scatto88 said:
Ferts: till 2 weeks ago, i use Alxyon protocol: V1 inert substrate, S1 salts for remineralize osmosis water, M1 for micro, N1 and P1 for macro. I switched to Masterline I, Masterline Carbo and still on Alxyon N1 and P1 for macro.
Water changes: 30l weekly.
Click to expand...
Scatto88 said:
Ph: 6.6
Gh: 6
Kh: 4
NO3: 10 mg/l (stable without dosing N1)
PO4: 0.5-1 mg/l
Fe: 0.2 - 0.4 mg/l

I'm dosing 5 ml Carbo, 2-4ml Masterline I, 2 ml P1 daily. No nitrates as the value is always on 10 mg/l.
Click to expand...
As @hypnogogia says above, not to trust your Nitrate test and dose full Macro, I see no mention of Potassium here. Being high tech I would also up your water changes to at least 50%/week slightly more would be better, a couple of back to back changes would be a good to begin with and while doing them get your hand in the tank and waft it around the plants and substrate syphoning off any decaying organic debris. The tank in general looks like it do with a good clean, at the bottom of the 3rd photo I can see algae growing on the glass which looks like it has been there for a while and looking at the lily pipes I can well imagine the filter is also in need of some maintenance. A small powerhead in the bottom left will complement and assist flow at lower levels in the tank if you are having problems now that your plants have grown in. Your lighting has already been covered above.
As always there are many different solutions but this is what I would do to begin with.
Cheers!
 
MrClockOff said:
Hi there
You’ve mentioned

Are you using a table to get ppm? This would be totally wrong in your case.
Check your pH drop instead. It should be drop by 1 pH. So if you have 30ppm CO2 then your degassed water should be at 7.65 pH. Is that correct?

Cheers
Click to expand...
Yes, i use pH meter to adjust CO2 according the Classic pH - Kh table.

I have had a planted tank for about 10 years, then stop for 4-5 years and restart a year ago. In the past the pH meter solution was the best (in Italy), but now i see that a lot of people talk about pH drop. Maybe i can change my approach.
I have also a CO2 checker and looks good (green), Yesterday i tried to do the pH drop test but i have to re-do It because i am not sure of what i did. I do It again today or tomorrow.

Inviato dal mio Pixel 6a utilizzando Tapatalk
 
bazz said:
As @hypnogogia says above, not to trust your Nitrate test and dose full Macro, I see no mention of Potassium here. Being high tech I would also up your water changes to at least 50%/week slightly more would be better, a couple of back to back changes would be a good to begin with and while doing them get your hand in the tank and waft it around the plants and substrate syphoning off any decaying organic debris. The tank in general looks like it do with a good clean, at the bottom of the 3rd photo I can see algae growing on the glass which looks like it has been there for a while and looking at the lily pipes I can well imagine the filter is also in need of some maintenance. A small powerhead in the bottom left will complement and assist flow at lower levels in the tank if you are having problems now that your plants have grown in. Your lighting has already been covered above.
As always there are many different solutions but this is what I would do to begin with.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Ok i dose also NO3.
I dont dose K because the salts i use to prepare the water for WC (Alxyon S1) has 39 mg/l of K. The Alxyon protocol doesn't Need K dosing as It Is provided with WC.

So, to recap:

  • light reduced to 8 hrs / -10%
  • do bigger WC weekly
  • dose also NO3 (maybe start with half dose)
  • check real CO2 quantity
  • increase water movement

Inviato dal mio Pixel 6a utilizzando Tapatalk
 
Scatto88 said:
Yes, i use pH meter to adjust CO2 according the Classic pH - Kh table.

I have had a planted tank for about 10 years, then stop for 4-5 years and restart a year ago. In the past the pH meter solution was the best (in Italy), but now i see that a lot of people talk about pH drop. Maybe i can change my approach.
I have also a CO2 checker and looks good (green), Yesterday i tried to do the pH drop test but i have to re-do It because i am not sure of what i did. I do It again today or tomorrow.

Inviato dal mio Pixel 6a utilizzando Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Yeah, in that case you need to get degassed water pH and it should be at 7.65 pH to prove you have ~30ppm CO2 in your water.

Get glass of water from your tank, leave it for 24 hours to degass, then check it’s pH with the same pH probe.
 
Scatto88 said:
Yes, i use pH meter to adjust CO2 according the Classic pH - Kh table
Click to expand...
This works best if you actually measure KH. Happily, measuring KH by acid titration is easy and reliable - more so than measuring pH which can be tricky to do well. It is easier to measure pH drop than actual pH which is why most people go that way. The drop checker using a properly calibrated solution is also very reliable.

Smaller point, but the most commonly found pH/KH table has an error in the calculations.
 
Add 15 amanos and some ramshorns
Click to expand...
I really love amanos, but im a bit scared the two pterophyllum scalares love them too.



Inviato dal mio Pixel 6a utilizzando Tapatalk
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Small updates:

  • Did the Co2 test, drop is about 1.2 in Ph so i assume i'm ok.
  • Did a big water change
  • Cloud water before the WC, but i insert a lot of filter floss inside the pre filter and now look way better
  • Algae still grow, and have a green dust on the glasses
  • Plants growth is quite good
 
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