• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Blue Green Algae Help Needed

AverageWhiteBloke

AverageWhiteBloke

Member
Joined
27 Oct 2009
Messages
2,906
Location
Cumbria
Can anyone help with this, never experienced it before. Firstly some details tank dimensions are roughly 18km x 1.5km volume couple of hundred thousand gallons but recently it's been lower. Lighting unfortunately isn't dimmable so I'm stuck with what I've got lighting is on about 15 hours a day. Haven't done a decent size water change since probably around may. Substrate is soil and gravel with a few plants and no co2 injection.

Journal for it is here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-44730910 I've tried everything, haven't washed my car since last time it rained, Stopped having baths favouring showers but I'm running out of ideas. I'm wondering if the people who live round me who are now unnecessarily using hose pipes on their grass or buying totally over the top paddling pools that seem to be going cheap at Aldii at the minute that hold hundreds of gallons might be the issue? Thanks in advance for any help, picture of my tank below.

42044d20b0d7da609e54dc7fb5e69706.jpg


Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk
 
Thanks, I've went for the naturescape look. Will look a lot better when it grows in. I've heard hydrogen peroxide might help but not sure where I could buy it in enough quantity without it setting alarm bells off at mi6. I wonder if flourish excel sell it in 45 gallon drums?

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk
 
Wasn't this the lake that 1.6 tons of potassium phosphate was unofficially "test" dumped to prove that phosphate doesn't cause algae ?

Algae appeared but lasted not very long (couple of days) as the flora/fauna next up the food chain scoffed it all. This doesn't/didn't happen in the US freshwater lakes due to industrial pollution killing off the flora/fauna next up the food chain and thus not consuming the algae.
 
It's a shame that Cyanobacteria is such a pain. I've seen it in Richmond Park before in summer months with warning signs about its toxicity to dogs. In the aquarium I've also experienced it with the solution appearing to be ecological balance, manual removal and lowering of light intensity. I've also read that Ramshorn Snails have an appetite for it, but I don't think they are native so their addition to a huge lake could be detrimental to sensitive native species. Perhaps some native snail species also enjoy Cyanobacteria as a snack.

In my Geography lessons I've heard that in the Lake District there have been problems with phosphate run off from detergents and local farms and I think that if it's the lake that had 1.6 tonnes of Potassium Phosphate added this would play a part. I've heard low Nitrates being accused as responsible for Cyanobacteria and perhaps it's actually caused by the ratio of Nitrate to Phosphate being out of whack which I think I've heard as an principle attributed to Tom Barr. However this is just a stab in the dark. I agree that a black out would work the best, but I think it would leave the tourists a little confused. I think natures seasonal dimming of the lights would be the easiest route as in my experience Cyanobacteria has been a seasonal affliction. Maybe planting some massive beds of Yellow Iris would help as it's been used in sewage and water treatment or maybe floating plants which would both absorb some of the nutrients and also block out the light hitting the lake. Anyway, big problems need big solutions and you also have to be careful of the consequences of the solution, so I wish you good luck!
 
I think there might be a little bit of scare tactics going on at the moment. United Utilities are introducing a hose pipe ban on the 5th of August and they're currently restructuring the water supply. They've been installing a new pipeline to Thirlmere to draw drinking water instead of Ennerdale due to quite a significant increase in population brought on by builders capitalising on government subsidies and building two affordable house out of 500 new ones. According to EU directives you can't take too much water from Ennerdale as its classed as a nature reserve. In the mean time they're using under ground water to back the system up and boy as that be causing some ripples locally. No doubt the water levels are down, I passed a couple on the way to work today and there's places in them you could walk out to which I've never seen in my lifetime.

Having said that, having lived here 48 years the one thing I do know is when it's been this hot and dry for this long when the rain does come it will come big style. I've no doubt there'll be flood warnings by next week. The roads around these lakes will be closed and ironically all the over the top paddling pools will be getting emptied back out on the garden. Won't be long before the first big water change, in fact it's been water changing it down all day today so far. Already started building my ark.
 
Very low turnover this one mate. Mainly relying on water changes and letting the plants do most of the filtering. The last few months the water changes have been few and far between but looking at the sky I can see this changing quite soon.
 
What about using a sonoff wifi switch.
I'm using a 4 way to control 2 lights and co2.
Really easy to program from your phone.
They also now do one with temperature input.

I think mine cost £15 including postage.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top