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Cape Clear

Hi @Tim Harrison - if I keep on removing the Rhizoclonium and doing big daily water changes, will it go of its own accord, without a blackout?

I've had a layout that got completely overwhelmed by this type of algae to the point it felt disgusting to reach in and pull out what seemed like an impossibly large amount of crap. I kept up my water changes and removed all that I could with a toothbrush and after a couple weeks it just stopped coming back.
 
Continuing to attack the algae daily, and daily (sometimes double) water changes.
20210109_123857.jpg

Here you can see regrowth in the centres of pogostemon helferi. This was a key diagnostic for me: when this started growing the crisp, cos-lettuce type rosettes in their centres, it was an obvious sign the plants were starting to grow back healthily, after their co2 starvation.

20210109_123836.jpg


You can also see healthy growth at the tips of this rotala 'bonsai'.
 
OK, so I managed to dislodge the plug for the solenoid during a cabinet reorganisation, resulting in no co2 for a whole evening. I've also noted that the new online diffuser, while producing lots of pretty microbubbles, isn't as efficient as the old Aquamedic 1000 reactor, so I've swapped back to that. I've also replaced the 150w metal halide lamp, as the old one was starting to fall apart:
20210113_142316.jpg

In the circumstances. I've decided to go ahead with a blackout. Water change, fert dose, filter on but lights and Co2 off:
20210113_144710.jpg

Wish me luck.
 
Hi @Tim Harrison - if I keep on removing the Rhizoclonium and doing big daily water changes, will it go of its own accord, without a blackout?
Sorry @paul.in.kendal I somehow missed your post. I still have it after it appeared about a month or so ago, but it's almost gone. Good news is it can be eradicated with persistence.
Check out James' Algae Guide. Good CO2, flow and maintenance are essential. Try to maintain a clean filter as well as frequent water changes, and manual removal.

I think what was key for me was to remove as much of the algae as possible by winding around a toothbrush and then spot treat the area on the plant or hardscape etc from where it was growing with LC using a syringe. Turn the filter off first so the LC has time to do it's work. I also removed the worst infected leaves especially those which looked like they were dying and wouldn't recover ;)
 
I agree with Tim. But in your case it seems blackout is a nice option for now, and then you can apply your maintenance routine, don’t forget to get that co2 spot on too.

btw, don’t dose ferts during blackout. ;)
 
Thanks both. Although I was hoping to see the algae off just with determined removal and daily water changes, the variability of light and Co2 I've been using meant that wasn't going to happen, I reckon.

So I'm interested to see the impact of a blackout. I cleaned out the pipework and filter before the blackout, and put some purigen in while I had it open.

So in three days I'm hoping for no (or little) algae, stable lighting and Co2, and a chance to get this back on track.

If it still refuses to play ball I'm prepared to strip it down and restart with fresh plants. As a terrestrial gardener I'm used to losing plants - it's one of the best ways to learn. If it happens with these plants too, so be it.
 
Just fitted three of these Eheim double tap connectors, and what a difference they've made to maintenance!
20210122_134556.jpg

The Eheim 2180 thermofilter (now called the 1200XLT) has always been a pig to prime. It has two inlets, so getting a syphon going is very tricky - even on one inlet. Getting the second one going before the canister is completely full is a right pain. But now, with these valves, I can close off one inlet, get the other inlet syphoning very easily and, as soon as it does, shut that one off and get the other one going. I've just tried it and it's a piece of cake! They're not cheap, but worth every penny.
I'm now wondering whether I should upgrade to the Eheim installation sets (1 & 2), to replace the mixture of bits a have now - some nasty Eheim green, some even nastier JBL.
And I added some phyllanthus fluitans - we'll see how it gets on with the limnobium laevigatum.
 
Hi all,
But now, with these valves, I can close off one inlet, get the other inlet syphoning very easily and, as soon as it does, shut that one off and get the other one going. I've just tried it and it's a piece of cake! They're not cheap, but worth every penny.
I like them as well, <"it just makes things easier">.

cheers Darrel
 
The amount of cursing I've done trying to prime this thing, and now it's a breeze. I remember when I realised these connectors would not only make it so much easier to clean the inlets and outlet, but also facilitate priming, I couldn't quite believe they don't come as standard with the big filters. And they don't seem to get much of a mention on the forum, either.

BUT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THEM!
☺️

(Darrel, you'll have to show me how to do those neat, Ukaps-branded links. I'm blowed if I can work it out!)
 
Hi all,
Darrel, you'll have to show me how to do those neat, Ukaps-branded links. I'm blowed if I can work it out!
<"Cheating really">, I've got a good memory, so I can often remember threads and sometimes <"the protagonists">.

I can find a lot of my posts, relying on unique terms <"Radial oxygen Loss">, <"Plumbosolvency">, <"Groat"> , <"One Legged Irishman"> etc. but that doesn't work as well for other peoples posts.

If it is a plant ID thread, I type the name of the plant and @Mick.Dk into the search bar, I know if he has answered <"the same question"> in the past that his answer will (99.9% of the time) be right.

If I really can't find something then I resort to Google, because <"I may have posted the content on another forum">.

cheers Darrel
 
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Ah, that's very clever, but not what I meant.

Here is a link to a thread I started on suitable fish for this aquarium.


I've tried making it appear with just the little square UKAPS logo and the thread title, but it just won't happen for me.
 
If you put the link in the same line as text -> Taller bodied fish it will show just the link with the correct page title!

if you put it on its own line it will show as the box with a snippet of the destination page:


If you use the link icon on the menu YOUR TEXT you can link to URL and call it whatever you want!!
links.PNG

YOUR TEXT SINGLE LINE!

Hope that helps!
 
That's perfect, Paulo, thank you so much!
No worries' :) forum as so many options that sometimes can be a little overwhelming, but it does cater for every use!
 
Well done on the Algae Battle (such demoralizing stuff)

Just note that your new Metal Halide will be rather more powerful than the old one (not sure how long you ran it previously)

For a tank this size Green Aqua recommends inline reactors over in-tank diffusers (though these can do fine if you add more than one or adjust other parameters), with MH you definitely want to be consistent with CO2, and enough of it
 
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