Is this Diatom algae? :(

[xim]

That's all you need when you do it every week.... If you have more debris you probably didn't your homework or you have too much plant death in the tank.

Jordi

Or excessive biofilm growth from unhealthy system.

 

[Zak Rafik]

Hi Guys.🙂

I'm now full new energy to get up and and not give up so easily.
All thanks to my lovely wife who gave lots of encouragements.
I still remember when she said:
" Why did you get into this hobby? Think about that"
"If you want to bring a piece of nature into your home, you have to accept the fact that algae is also part of nature. Go out there and show me a pond or a lake or a stream which does not have algae" "Just give it some time and everything will work out fine"

I know this may seem simple but when I was confused, I was more focused on trying to think of all the possibilities on where I could have gone wrong. Her words really made a world of a difference to me and helped to reset my thought process.🙂

And I have found out why I had this Diatom bloom all of a sudden.
A few days ago when doing the 50% water change, I had this sudden realization on the mistake I had done when doing the plant rearrangement.
You see, I had an Eheim pump placed near to the substrate a few months back, just as what Paulo Soares had mentioned to improve the flow at the lower level. The new flow did bring much positive growth in plants.
But the mistake I made, was to have the pump running at full speed even when uprooting the plants. I did see much dirt flying about in the water column and I thought that this was good as I can remove them when taking out the water. This must have severely kicked up the ammonia and what not into the water and ultimately lead to a diatom bloom.
Now I realize that was a big NO NO!

Correct me if my observation is not right.

Now I'm in the process of taking off all plants which are not doing so good and put in more new and healthy plants. Previously I was too focused on trying to save dying plants.
Also I have wonderful friend of mine by the name of Dennis Wong in Singapore who has given me much needed tips. Here's a YouTube video of his. Please enjoy.
Cheers.🙂

 

[Paulo Soares]

Man... for god sakes..
Golden rule: Everytime you start maintenance disconect all filters and pumps. And this inlcudes removing or replanting.

I´m with you in that matter. It´s best to remove and put new plants to try to save older or afected ones.

Now, if i were you i remove what i want to remove very slowly and carefully (even with all filters and pumps disconected) but really very very carefully.
Took one plant out and let the tank relaxing for large minutes till the garbage and waste return to the ground. cause you´ll bring garbage in large amounts even taking out very carefully. You can´t do a thoig to avoid it.

Took out each one you intend to remove between large spaces of time.

And don´t worry about the filter and the bacteria in it cause they will remain and live even kept stoped for 4 or 5 hours without any worries. Just dont´open any.

Remove, leave the tank for a week and after that replant 😉
Don´t replant right after you remove older ones.

If you do maybe you´ll see real melt all the way.
Give it a relaxation SPA treatment for a week at list. 🙂

Best Regards

 

[Zak Rafik]

Man... for god sakes..
Golden rule: Everytime you start maintenance disconect all filters and pumps. And this inlcudes removing or replanting.

Yes, lesson learnt. The hard way.

Remove, leave the tank for a week and after that replant 😉
Don´t replant right after you remove older ones.

Good tip.

 

[Zak Rafik]

Just to update on my situation.
Diatoms are still in my tank and covering up much plants. Managed to clean those on glass and lily pipes but that's about it.
The whole tank looks a bit yellowish or orangey with the diatoms all over the tank..😱

A couple of questions:
1. Will water changes done twice a week help to bring down diatoms? Now it's once a week.
2.Some posts advice to bring down light while others mention to up the lighting or not change at all. Which is right?
Quote:
"As this algae grows well in low light, reducing light levels doesn’t help and could out do the green algae, so adding more light could help to rid brown algae."

 

[ajm83]

2.Some posts advice to bring down light while others mention to up the lighting or not change at all. Which is right?
Quote:
"As this algae grows well in low light, reducing light levels doesn’t help and could out do the green algae, so adding more light could help to rid brown algae."

I think they are both right. In my experience get diatoms when the water is polluted with organic waste.

If the reason for the organic waste is because your lighting is a little too high (and therefore damaging the plants) then lowering it may help.

If that is not the reason, then lowering the light probably won't help, since diatoms can flourish even under low light conditions. You need to fix whatever the cause of the waste is (dirty filter, excess poo at the bottom of the tank, etc).

 

[Zak Rafik]

Not so good news.
The diatoms has started to spread even further. The tank condition is taking a nose dive.
PWC of 60% does not seem to help.
What do I do?😕

 

[Iain Sutherland]

Hi Zak, hate to say it but you have a whole mixture of algae in there, looks like a decent amount of BBA which is the black covering to your plants and moss, diatoms on the glass and BGA on the substrate.

You will need a plan to attack all of these with water changes daily, scrubbing, trimming, filter cleans and generally tidiness to even start to get on top of it.... however all of these things are a losing battle unless you resolve the issue in the first place. You most likely have too much light, too little co2 and poor circulation around the tank. You will need to address all of these one by one in order to get back on track.

Unfortunately we see this all too often, try to help with an algae issue via dialog and then later pictures get added that clearly show a dirty tank. Dont let it get you down but you need to realise the correlation between hard work with regular thorough cleaning and good looking tanks that you aspire to. One doesnt come without the other.

Do some reading about the various algae you have here
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

Be meticulous with cleaning, ask questions, do some more cleaning, feed less, clean more, water change then clean a bit more followed by more water changes 🙂
The video of Georges tank really is how a water change should look, if your sucking out loads of grime then something is wrong.

We are here to help so if you would like advise about flow, co2 and light ask away, could be well worth starting a journal and detail everything you are doing with as many pictures of your whole set up as possible, eventually you will get i cracked 🙂)

 

[sinan m.d]

Good morning,
I got the same issue in my previous two tanks. And for my concern that happens cause of revolving the substrate when we do a replant or touch stones or wood that are pretty down assembled in the substrate.

The tank has acumulate so much waste and detritous in the substrate that at the minimum touch there you go.. liberate amonia that is beneith the soil. And produce that effect on plants.

This happens more often in case we do not use fertil substrate but only grain and don´t have a good clean team.

The waste (plants detrit and food remains) that are not being consumed by a clean team or the fish, as you know will slowly desintegrate and in the process passes through the grain and started to acumulate beneith the substrate and all over it as time goes by.

In some cases like previous mine, last time i started to do a replant the amount of amonia relased was so high as soon as i took of a simple root of Pogostemon that my fish run away to a corner and and stay there with their breathe as you might imagine.

I quickly took the amonia test and sudenly got spooked.. hell! Just like that in a blink. Now imagine the amount down there. Did an Imediate water change and of course never touch agais or do any replant, and a few months after the plants started to look much nier but i disassemble the tank anyway.

Now In my new tank i give less food, have less fish also, and put 30 Cristal Red and Amano Shrimp also as Clean Team and others. And of course i have fertil substrate. Not only the Ada Amazonia but all the concept (Power Sand as Fertil)

Also put my Inflows (got 2) Lily Pipes right next to substrate. Really really touching the substrate down there. This way i have water suction right next to the substrate. Some people put their Inflows at the midle of the glass and so they don´t have good circulation where is needed: Down there!

These are my conclusions to that brown colour in plants.

HUgs to all

I've been trying to solve this problem for 2 years. I was try everything, except fertil substrate.. Plants are very good right now. Thank you very much.