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Fertiliser help, using Tropica... brown algae, iron?

peaches

Member
Joined
29 Dec 2008
Messages
257
Location
Yorkshire - Gods own county
I have a couple of fertiliser questions. My tank has only been set up a few weeks, I have tropica soil and I use plant growth premium fertiliser. At first I read the bottle and put all one weeks fertilisers in at once. I have since realised its better to put a bit in every day so I try and do 1 pump every day. I have a lot of brown algae, maybe this is diatoms. Maybe its caused by the iron, or its just a new tank. Its a mess but I have added amano shrimp to eat it.

As my memory is terrible, I want to set up a dosing system (maybe a pump) for whatever fertiliser I decide to use. I would prefer an all in one fertiliser that preferably doesnt cause too much algae. I dont mind mixing up dry ferts as long as I dont have to remember to dose them myself daily, and they can go in by a dosing machine.

What do you recommend fertiliser wise?

What do you recommend for pump?

The boring details:
125 litres
tropica soil, wood, rocks, dwarf hairgrass carpet, java moss, java fern, anubias and crypts
Fish 12 Dwarf neon rainbows, 6 amano shrimp (more will be added soon plus nerite snails)
pH out of the tap 7.4, pH in tank 6.6 due to CO2.
 
Fertlisers don't cause algae, so your need to look elsewhere for any algae inducing things.

Brown algae, that is dusty and can be brushed usually appears in "new tanks" with too much light. I got brown diatoms as I was impatient with my blocked out no reflectors T8 tubes lighting and removed blocks and put reflectors back. Bang brown diatoms appeared. My diatoms were removed by Ottos which hoovered it up pretty quickly as well as brushing and frequent cleaning water changes.

So way forward is:
- Less light
- Shorted lighting period
- Ottos.
- Frequent cleaning water changes.
- More patience.
 
Fertlisers don't cause algae, so your need to look elsewhere for any algae inducing things.

Brown algae, that is dusty and can be brushed usually appears in "new tanks" with too much light. I got brown diatoms as I was impatient with my blocked out no reflectors T8 tubes lighting and removed blocks and put reflectors back. Bang brown diatoms appeared. My diatoms were removed by Ottos which hoovered it up pretty quickly as well as brushing and frequent cleaning water changes.

So way forward is:
- Less light
- Shorted lighting period
- Ottos.
- Frequent cleaning water changes.
- More patience.

Thank you I will reduce light. Do you mean duration or intensity or both? I had thoughts on reducing the light but I reduced the photoperiod of the most intense light. I have some amano shrimp but have ordered Ottos and some more shrimp and nerite snails. I dont know why but otos are in short supply in South Yorkshire, none of the shops have them.
 
Got a second lot of Amano shrimp today and I am sitting watching the tank saying to the shrimp "now do that leaf" . The tank looks better today and I think its due to taking the fine filter wool out of the filter. I think it clogged up too easily. I have also turned up the air pump on the sponge filter.
 
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