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How to fix this algae in new tank

Adumlee

Member
Joined
22 Oct 2021
Messages
48
Location
Oxford
Hi all. Had my tank running about 2 weeks now generally going OK. I've now got filtration and Co2 running well. I appear to have good flow. I'm dosing tropica fertiliser and liquid carbon ( and api algae prevent as of yesterday) tank is a mixture of crypts anubias buce and some hygrophilia. Alot of of the plants are Pearling and some of the crypts are just starting to melt.

Will this algae pass if I just continue to clean it and do a water change?

Tank is 60x40x40 opti white
Oase Filto smart 200 thermo with spray bar attachment.
Tropica substrate

Many thanks.
 

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Someone will have an idea better than mine.
What is your lighting: Make, Model, How long is it on, What intensity?
How much CO₂, how long and when in relation to the lights?
How much Fert and liquid carbon and when?
The experts will then give you an definitive answer with all that data.

I have found that you have to adjust the lighting to balance the plants growing and the algae growing. Finding the sweet spot. Good plant growth, bad algae growth.

Nice aquascape.
 
Hi @Adumlee If you mean the fungus (the white fuzzy stuff) on the wood scape? It will go away after awhile. Very common. Don't worry about it. Has nothing to do with fertilizer dosing.

You can remove it with a toothbrush, but it will keep coming back until the wood depletes whatever the fungus thrive on.

Unrelated, I would get more plants - the more plants you get in early on the faster the tank will establish / mature.

Cheers,
Michael
 
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You certainly need to keep on top of the water changes with livestock in an immature tank (especially if that's a substrate that leaches ammonia). More plants will help with that as well, especially fast-growing stems; you can remove them later when the tank is more balanced if they don't fit with your plans for the tank.
They will help with the plants too, and help keep algae at bay, although. as @MichaelJ says, what we can see in the pic is fungus rather than algae and it will run its course.
 
You certainly need to keep on top of the water changes with livestock in an immature tank (especially if that's a substrate that leaches ammonia). More plants will help with that as well, especially fast-growing stems; you can remove them later when the tank is more balanced if they don't fit with your plans for the tank.
They will help with the plants too, and help keep algae at bay, although. as @MichaelJ says, what we can see in the pic is fungus rather than algae and it will run its course.
Hi @Adumlee Everything @sparkyweasel says (as always) 👍... plus, I would ditch the "API Algae Prevent" immediately! This is not good for a planted tank - your plants need phosphate and nitrate! The two of the three the key Macro nutrients for plants - the third being Potassium. When the tank matures, and if you still have an algae problem, its because your light intensity is too high vs CO2 application, you're fertilization is inadequate or your maintenance is poor. At best "Algae Prevent" won't do anything, at worst it will delay your plants at settling in.

Cheers,
Michael
 
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this is not an algae, its just a white fungus, which is normal on new "wood" it needs to mature in the tank like others already have said aswell, stop with the algae prevention thing, as it removes things you need.
Also Crypts usually melt, if you transport them and theyre probably transisting from emersed from to submerged form.
 
You certainly need to keep on top of the water changes with livestock in an immature tank (especially if that's a substrate that leaches ammonia).

+1 to this, you have added your stock way too early @Adumlee - Tropica soil puts out a lot of ammonia for the first week or two, which is toxic to aquatic animals, plus your system won't be biologically mature enough yet to process the ammonia produced by the fish. You need to do a couple of immediate large back to back water changes (80%+ each), and then do them daily along with a tank dose of Seachem Prime (in the water change water) for at least a week.

Though we don't generally advocate test kits on this forum, in this case I'd recommend you get an ammonia test kit to keep checking the water and don't stop with the Prime and water changes until you measure zero ammonia levels.
 
Hi all,
Though we don't generally advocate test kits on this forum, in this case I'd recommend you get an ammonia test kit to keep checking the water and don't stop with the Prime and water changes until you measure zero ammonia levels.
You certainly need to keep on top of the water changes with livestock in an immature tank (especially if that's a substrate that leaches ammonia). More plants will help with that as well, especially fast-growing stems; you can remove them later when the tank is more balanced if they don't fit with your plans for the tank.
I would ditch the "API Algae Prevent" immediately! This is not good for a planted tank - your plants need phosphate and nitrate! The two of the three the key Macro nutrients for plants - the third being Potassium.
Those ones really. The danger sign to watch with for the fish are red gills (showing under the gill cover). If fish have <"ammonia damage to their gills"> they are also more at risk from asphyxiation by high CO2 levels.

More, fast growing, plants will help with potential ammonia (NH3) and nitrite (NO2-) issues. I like <"Ceratopteris "thalictroides"> as a "stem" and I would definitely add a <"floating plant"> as well.

cheers Darrel
 
Thanks for the advice everyone ill bin off the algae prevent and get some more plants ordered. I've been doing about 80 percent water change once a week and a smaller probably 30 percent change mid week so far all the fish look OK but I will go to lfs and pick up an ammonia test kit.
 
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