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Blue Green Algae linked to low/no co2?

BBA, GSA, BGA and Rhizo are the algae's I have, when you say clean the tank I don't see how I can get it any cleaner, I clean it as best I can without stripping the thing down. :?
 
Just looks like in some of the photo's there is some muck mixed in with the algae. BBA always suggests low/poor circulation of CO2.

James
 
Then it's odd that the bba has formed just underneath the diffuser in line with where bubbles flow...
I'll do what I can to get rid of what muck and mulm I can, can't hurt to do another water change.
 
Garuf said:
Then it's odd that the bba has formed just underneath the diffuser in line with where bubbles flow...
Click to expand...

Ha ha, that has always confused me. You're not the only one to get BBA where there is water flow rich in CO2. Do you know the KH of your tank water?

James
 
Not a clue, I'm seven trent water board and guessing by the limescale in my kettle, quiet high. I didn't bother buying a kh test kit after I only used my nitrate nitrite and ammonia test's twice.
 
People disagree with me, and they may be right, but I've noticed a trend with this type of BBA appearing in CO2 rich water flow and having a high KH. Not everyone gets it with high KH so it's not directly to blame.

James
 
Everything was fine for ages, Saturday I did a water change and tried to clean out as much mank as I could and well you better believe it, a layer of bga over everything all over again in a matter of days.
I'm going to do a black out, Ceg you recommend dosing during the black out, would this mean kno3 one day trace the next for the whole 4 days or just kno3 every day?
Also, I'm dosing following the tutorial on dosing with dry ferts (except I'm using the mixtures) would it be worth double dosing for the time being or just sticking to what I'm already dosing?
Also, I've got some BBA and rhizo (?) still in my moss which I never managed to get rid of, would it be worth while dosing easycarbo during the blackout?
 
Yes I would continue everything except CO2 during the blackout, including Easycarbo. The trick is to avoid getting any light into the tank while you do this so it would be better to do all the dosing at night making sure there are no lights or reflections anywhere. You shouldn't need to change the rhythm of the dosing, just follow the same routine. Do a max water change just before and after the blackout.

Cheers,

Edit: There must be something wrong with your dosing or flow. GSA doesn't just show up widescale unless there is a PO4 shortage. Neither does BBA. Could your powders be mixed up or could you have massively miscalculated? This is very strange.
 
I really don't know, the flow has always seemed low but every variation of theme to improve it does nothing.
I'm dosing MGSO4, KNO3 and KSO4
My recipe is
1teaspoon of KSO4* (this is what AE sent me when I ordered KH2PO4)
2 1/2 teaspoons of KNO3
6 teaspoons of MGSO4

All teaspoons are heaped and well on the generous side. I then add this to water and dose accordingly every other day.
*typo
 
And I only get bba where the water is flowing fast and CO2 rich...
 
Garuf said:
I really don't know, the flow has always seemed low but every variation of theme to improve it does nothing.
I'm dosing MGSO4, KNO3 and KSO4
My recipe is
1teaspoon of KSO4* (this is what AE sent me when I ordered KH2PO4)
2 1/2 teaspoons of KNO3
6 teaspoons of MGSO4

All teaspoons are heaped and well on the generous side. I then add this to water and dose accordingly every other day.
*typo
Click to expand...
OK Gareth, I'm confused. You ordered phosphate salt, which is a critical requirement and the vendor sends you sulfate salt, of which you need very little...and you continue to use the sulfate in lieu of getting the order corrected to phosphate? There is no way on Gods green earth that K2SO4 can make up for a PO4 shortage. It's not even remotely possible. Furthermore, since you are already dosing KNO3 you have all the K you'll ever need. In this context the K2SO4 is completely useless. Am I missing something? :shock:

Have you tried adding a powerhead, or even a second filter? We might have already been over this but you need more flow. If you cannot have the leaves swaying by mounting the spraybar on the back wall then you need more flow regardless of the rating.

Cheers,
 
I don't understand the chemical symbols I just assumed that it must be the right stuff...

I get the leaves moving... all through the tank, only when its on the side wall though on the back wall the water comes out as little more than a trickle.
 
1 ea. Magnesium Sulphate - 1000g £12.99
1 ea. Mono Potassium Phosphate - 1000g £12.99
1 ea. Potassium Nitrate - 1000g £12.99
There's what I ordered, I assume I'd got the wrong stuff or did AE really send out the wrong stuff?
 
Gosh, I have no idea. AE are pretty good at labeling the powders though. What does it say on the labels of the plastic bags that you received?

Cheers,
 
It says on the bags KNO3 KSO4 and MGSO4. because they're all sulphates instead of a phosphate surely that means I have the wrong one?
 
Surely mate. :cry: Ditch the K sulfate as quickly as you can and get some KH2PO4. You'll see some improvement, no doubt...

Cheers,
 
I spoke to Richard over at AE and he's sent out the right chemicals, I can't wait to get it all on track again. If only I'd have known. Thanks Ceg. I'm guessing this means I'll have to run a second black out to re-up the kh2PO4 levels?
 
Nah, that's fine. I'll uncover it tomorrow that'll have been a 2 day black out, then I'll run the tank as normal for 2 days then do a 4 day black out, the 2 days back up and running should give the plants some extra energy to last through the dark as I've known black outs to wipe out hairgrass and hygropholia before.
 
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