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new tank problems.

tyke_uk

Member
Joined
10 Feb 2009
Messages
40
Location
Wakefield
hiya i wonder if anyone could help me out. My planted tank has been set up for a week and a half now (im going to do a journal when i get chance) the problem im having is im getting some vivid green alge on my bog wood its mostly on some moss i have tied to the wood. The tank is at trigon 190 which im maturing with ammonia the lighting is 56w of t5 on for 3hours in the morning and 6hours from tea time pressurised co2 thats been 24/7 2 bubbles per sec now changed to when the lights come on and go off. PH 7.2 i do weeky water changes of 25% using RO water im adding 4ml of each macro and micro solutions everyday using the ppe system thanks for any advice. id put a pic of the alge on but i know how to upload the photo from image shack.
 
sorry but struggling with photo never upload 1 before its in image shack and when i try i just get a long address instead of a photo ill try again :?
 
sorry i was getting a bit confused for a moment i am adding nitrate in the solution i made up in a litre of ro water is
59g potass sulfate
65g potass nitrate
6g mono potass phosphate
41g magnesium sulfate

80g trace element mixed to a litre of ro water
i am adding 4.5 mls of each a day an hour before the lights come on should i continue with the alge present.

and do i stop the ammonia even though the tank hasnt matured yet.
do i need to do anything else to get rid of the alge?
 
Whilst there are several people championing the fishless cycle on other forums, they don`t seem to realise that planted tanks and this process do not necessarily go well together. I don`t think they have made the link between ammonia and light and algae. IMO, a fishless cycle should be done in the dark, with no plants, or not at all in a healthy planted tank.

Do yourself a favour by covering the substrate 75% in fast growing weeds, get the CO2 levels up above the recommended 30ppm and stop adding ammonia. When ever I start a new planted tank I rabidly remove ammonia with Zeolite and plant turbo growth.

You will ultimately end up with a bacteria colony without adding ammonia, but it is unlikely to be as numerous as one processing the ammonia at 5ppm that you are adding. However, there will be no need to propogate such a large colony, as the efficiency of plants at sequestering ammonia, when you eventually plant them, will mean less ammonia for your bacteria colony. Why spend all that time nurturing algae and a large bacteria colony when you don`t have to?

Dave.
 
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