Help - Algae Outbreak!

[Matt Holbrook-Bull]

Just thought I'd post an update,

I've turned up the co2, got a Rhinox 5000 and am dosing 15ml TPN+ daily with a 50% water change each week. The plants now seem to be growing a lot better than before, the algae does not seem to be spreading anymore and hair algae has reduced.

There is still however quiet a bit of brown algae in the tank which pearls nicely towards the end of the photoperiod !

Otto's, shrimp and snails love the brown if you dont want to black out to get rid 🙂

 

[swackett]

HI Matt,

Yeah got a few otto's although they don't come out of the corner now, not sure if they are being bullied by the SAE's we put.

 

[ceg4048]

Hi,
If it's the brown fluffy brown alage then it should go away after a few weeks by itself. Do multiple water changes to help as well as manual removal.

Cheers,

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Thanks for the quick response and advice guys,

We were initially told by our LFS that Rowaphos will remove phosphate which is the cause of algae, having read some of the articles on this very informative site I can now see this is inaccurate and will remove the Rowaphos straight away. I will also start to dose nutrients more regularly that 1 once a week to try and get a stable environment.

We have some Seachem Potassium on order, should I also be thinking about getting a separate Iron supplement as well as Tropica Plant Nutrient + ?

I know test kits are not 100% accurate, but should I be aiming for as an optimum level of nitrate and phosphate in the tank?

ROWAPHOS Not that old chestnut!! Ditch it and do as Clive says. Don't worry he is not half as scary as his picture. 😀


Steve.

 

[swackett]

hehe thanks,

Clive, I'm getting my new filter tomorrow, I'm putting the spray bars along the back wall pointing forward, and am just wondering if could let me know the best place to put the co2 diffusor? I was thinking at the back so that bubbles go up into the jets but not sure.

Cheers

 

[ceg4048]

Yeah, that sounds like as good a place as any. I have external diffusers so the effluent is already CO2 enriched as it exits the spraybars. If you are using an internal diffusers you'll have to play with locations until you get the best mixture. Just try different mountings and see how quickly your dropchecker changes at each location.

Cheers,

 

[swackett]

Got the Eheim 2078 on Saturday along with an extra 2 spray bars. Very impressed by the quality of the product, only slightly let down by the cheap green plastic fittings. Got the filter up and running with three spray bars along the back wall (no way there are going to be dead spots now!) and I must say it is very quiet, even when running at almost the full fow rate.

The water is now clearer than when I had the fluval running and all the plants are moving as if in a breeze 😀

Hopefully along with a switch to dry ferts soon this will spell the beginning of the end for the algae

I'll post some pics soon

Steve

 

[swackett]

Think the higher temp is just down to the higher room temp now that it's warmer outside.

I've been dosing TPN+ now for a few weeks along with 50% water changes and am now starting to see a change in the plants and a lot more growth. The new filter has definately helped (should have got one ages ago) the detritus is now collecting around the filter intake rather than along the tenelus which it did before with Fluval filter. All the plants are now moving in the "breeze" 😀

Here are a couple of pics (not quiet in focus)



Clive, note I've taken up your idea with the 3 spray bars along the back 🙂 - Excellent flow which gets to all parts of the tank



The Eusteralis Stellata is now growing madly in the middle 😀

Cheers

Steve

 

[ceg4048]

Hi,
Good stuff. 😀 You're on the way. Try to keep everything pruned so you avoid flow blockages.

Cheers,