Well, CO2 is always an issue and so I never dismiss it, regardless of what the dropchecker says. You could add a Koralia just to see if it has a positive effect. If so then you'll know what the answer is and you can then decide to find a less obtrusive way to get flow to that particular area. It's not clear to me why you have uneven currents or what your configuration looks like so it's difficult to analyze for possible changes. Could you show us an image? Also, which plants are getting the GSA? Anubias is notoriously susceptible to GSA for example.
I'm not sure what purpose adding an airstone would serve. Bubbles would merely outgas the very same CO2 that we're trying to keep dissolved in solution so in my opinion their use would be completely counterproductive.
I also disagree completely with the idea of chucking everything and restarting. The reason you have algae is because of your technique, not because of some alien invader sabotaging the tank. 99 times out of a hundred folks who chuck and restart have exactly the same problems the second time because they have the same equipment and the same mindset so they make the same mistakes. Algae won't go away just because you chuck and restart. Algae spores are in every tank on the planet, waiting for poor technique and waiting for plants to suffer. After implementing good technique it can take weeks or even months for the plants to get healthy enough to resist the attacks. Chucking the lot or dumping algaecide in a tank are desperate resorts. In any case aren't you the guy who is super paranoid about toxic chemicals in the tank? And throwing herbicides in the tank is actually being considered? What's up with that one mate? :? Take a deep breath, brew some tea and take a reality break.
A blackout consists of first doing a massive water change, then shutting down the lights and wrapping the tank in black material such as bin liners so that no ambient light can penetrate the glass. CO2 is shut down, but dosing continues as per schedule - but only dose at night, in the dark. This continues for 3 or even 4 days in extreme cases. At the end of the period another massive water change is done and everything resumes as normal. The plants take a hit but not as much as the algae. They recover much more rapidly that if they were nuked by algecide. That's the only real leveling of playing field. As far as the fish they just get on with it. it's just an extended night time for them so no big deal.
By the way, if a leaf has algae on it, then that means that it's not healthy. This is a fundamental mindset that has to be adopted. Algae is not an accessory or a hitchhiker. It is more like a vulture because it's attacking unhealthy tissue. The leaves are unhealthy because they are suffering from some form of malnutrition. The plants/leaves that are algae free and those that are healthy.
If the tank is 95% algae free then I hardly think it's cause for panic. If you're getting good growth from most plants then you are on the right path and that you just need a bit more tweaking. As the plants grow their needs increase. The mass increase demands more nutrients, more CO2 and more of everything.
You can also move those particular plants that suffer to another location in the tank to troubleshoot. See if they do better. Sometime moving a plant just a few inches has a dramatic impact so that's something else to consider.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
I'm not sure what purpose adding an airstone would serve. Bubbles would merely outgas the very same CO2 that we're trying to keep dissolved in solution so in my opinion their use would be completely counterproductive.
I also disagree completely with the idea of chucking everything and restarting. The reason you have algae is because of your technique, not because of some alien invader sabotaging the tank. 99 times out of a hundred folks who chuck and restart have exactly the same problems the second time because they have the same equipment and the same mindset so they make the same mistakes. Algae won't go away just because you chuck and restart. Algae spores are in every tank on the planet, waiting for poor technique and waiting for plants to suffer. After implementing good technique it can take weeks or even months for the plants to get healthy enough to resist the attacks. Chucking the lot or dumping algaecide in a tank are desperate resorts. In any case aren't you the guy who is super paranoid about toxic chemicals in the tank? And throwing herbicides in the tank is actually being considered? What's up with that one mate? :? Take a deep breath, brew some tea and take a reality break.
A blackout consists of first doing a massive water change, then shutting down the lights and wrapping the tank in black material such as bin liners so that no ambient light can penetrate the glass. CO2 is shut down, but dosing continues as per schedule - but only dose at night, in the dark. This continues for 3 or even 4 days in extreme cases. At the end of the period another massive water change is done and everything resumes as normal. The plants take a hit but not as much as the algae. They recover much more rapidly that if they were nuked by algecide. That's the only real leveling of playing field. As far as the fish they just get on with it. it's just an extended night time for them so no big deal.
By the way, if a leaf has algae on it, then that means that it's not healthy. This is a fundamental mindset that has to be adopted. Algae is not an accessory or a hitchhiker. It is more like a vulture because it's attacking unhealthy tissue. The leaves are unhealthy because they are suffering from some form of malnutrition. The plants/leaves that are algae free and those that are healthy.
If the tank is 95% algae free then I hardly think it's cause for panic. If you're getting good growth from most plants then you are on the right path and that you just need a bit more tweaking. As the plants grow their needs increase. The mass increase demands more nutrients, more CO2 and more of everything.
You can also move those particular plants that suffer to another location in the tank to troubleshoot. See if they do better. Sometime moving a plant just a few inches has a dramatic impact so that's something else to consider.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
