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Algae Problems

Guys, thank you for the advice. It’s really appreciated.

I have already added seachem tabs under the substrate which I do believe has helped very minimally, but helped.

So my plan is

1 Remove nitrate pad (heard a lot of negative opinions on these not just from here)

Any opinions on how to lay the media out in the Juwel ecoofkow

2 order TNC complete
3 Order more plants
4 Change co2 injection timing to 12pm - 6pm (lights remain on 4pm - 10pm)?
5 give it a clean and prepare etc

What do you mean by high bio load with current stock level? Too many fish?
fish in the tank are
9 neon tetras
8 runnynose
5 HarleyQuinn rasbora’s
Angel fish
5 pepper Cory
 
Problem with removing the poly pad is what sponge media do I use in replacement? As my poly pads look like this in 2 days. And it looks like it’s throwing debris out where it’s suppose to go in. How do I upload a video?
 

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Guys, thank you for the advice. It’s really appreciated.

I have already added seachem tabs under the substrate which I do believe has helped very minimally, but helped.

So my plan is

1 Remove nitrate pad (heard a lot of negative opinions on these not just from here)

Any opinions on how to lay the media out in the Juwel ecoofkow

2 order TNC complete
3 Order more plants
4 Change co2 injection timing to 12pm - 6pm (lights remain on 4pm - 10pm)?
5 give it a clean and prepare etc

What do you mean by high bio load with current stock level? Too many fish?
fish in the tank are
9 neon tetras
8 runnynose
5 HarleyQuinn rasbora’s
Angel fish
5 pepper Cory

Yep, bio-load, I mean the waste producing fish ‘mass’. It’s quite high, not too high, but quite high, so they produce a lot of waste. Again, more plants will help you deal with that.
 
Problem with removing the poly pad is what sponge media do I use in replacement? As my poly pads look like this in 2 days. And it looks like it’s throwing debris out where it’s suppose to go in. How do I upload a video?

I don’t think anyone suggested you stop using the poly pads, it was the Nitrax sponge (the green one). You can replace this with a standard blue sponge, or better still a bag of media like Seachem Matrix that has a far larger surface area for bacterial colonisation.

Your poly pad does look very dirty for only two days use, though if I understand your filter layout correctly, it does work from the top down, so that is the first media layer.

How much are you feeding your fish?
 
Someone on the page before suggested removing the poly pad.
I haven’t but I have removed the nitrate sponge. Past week everything has seemed better. Got home today and the tank is worse than ever. Don’t know what to do
 
I used to have a Juwel ecoflow and reversed the media, so that the coarse sponge was at the tip, followed by medium sponge and then the poly pad. That way the filter works better and requires less maintenance.
 
Someone on the page before suggested removing the poly pad.
I haven’t but I have removed the nitrate sponge. Past week everything has seemed better. Got home today and the tank is worse than ever. Don’t know what to do

Have you implemented everything we suggested?

Do you have a full tank shot with the new plant mass?
 
I’ve added 4 more large plants and floating plants.
Dosing a complete tropica fert
Changed co2 12-6pm left lights 4-10pm
Removed nitrate sponge
It’s changed it’s toll now, it’s not on the ornaments anymore, only the background and leaves. It’s slightly better but slightly worse lol
 
I’ve added 4 more large plants and floating plants.
Dosing a complete tropica fert
Changed co2 12-6pm left lights 4-10pm
Removed nitrate sponge
It’s changed it’s toll now, it’s not on the ornaments anymore, only the background and leaves. It’s slightly better but slightly worse lol

Keep your CO2 on until 9pm. Which Tropica product are you using, and how much of it?

What plants did you add?
 
So co2 is on for 9 hours? Ive left it on too long before and all my fish were half dead. I’m scared to do that again.

I added another amazon sword, 2 Anubias and another one of the type you can see at the front (Xmas tree style looking plant) also floating plants

Using the fertiliser in pic attached.
 

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Ive left it on too long before and all my fish were half dead. I’m scared to do that again.
You're right to be cautious. It's best to make any changes to your CO2 in small increments, and only on a day when you will be able to check on your fish every few minutes thoughout the day.

What is your water change routine? Sorry if you've already mentioned it and I missed it.
 
It looks like your plants have a coating of dust on them.
Do you have a soil type substrate behind the rocks?
 
I have tropica soil under the sand?
I use to change 30% a week but lately I have been doing 50% which admittedly has been better.
I’ve just cut back all dead leafs and leafs which are covered in algae. Done a 50% water change and siphoned the filter casing out which was black water lol.
 
Problem with removing the poly pad is what sponge media do I use in replacement? As my poly pads look like this in 2 days. And it looks like it’s throwing debris out where it’s suppose to go in. How do I upload a video?
Haven't read the thread save the last few replies... however this looks like a standard Juwel in tank filter. And thats the top 'cage' of pads. If so, then change the order, as your coarse sponges will be doing nothing and that poly pad will be doing everything.

the top cageof pads is mechanical filtration, and filters from top downwards.
Coarsest sponge on top
working down
polypad on the bottom

the bottom cage is for biological filtration.
 
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