No algae, no problem?

[Smackbat]

Hi, I'm sure if I look hard enough through the forum I will find the answer, but I'm currently fighting Covid and it's made concentration v difficult, sorry.

I have a new low tech tank Journal here, 1 week old and going well. I have no signs of algae, is that good or bad? Is there any reason why zero algae and plants growing bar a bit of melt would be a bad thing?

I've been doing 50% water changes every day for the 1st week and have now moved to every other day. Lights are on 7 hours a day.

Thanks all

 

[Konsa]

Hi
It seems you are doing the right things atm and harvesting the fruits of your labour.
I have found that it takes a little while longer for things to go downhill in new setup.
Initially plants unless tissue culture are quite strong and have quite a bit of reserves to keep them going while transitions to your particular system conditions happen.I am not telling that once those reserves are gone things always turn for the worse but its on the cards.The large frequent water changes are also helping to keep things in check.
Keep on top of your maintenance and monitor your plants. They will tell you if sth is a miss.
I recently started new low tech setup and it took couple of months for me to notice some plant growth (due to choice of plants) and for some Diatoms (that are common in new setups) to appear.I only started seeing those once I switched to one water change a week and after roughly a month after a major plant melt that happened (again due to my choice of plants and I expected it).Its all good tho.The Diatoms are not overtaking the plants and there is minimal presence of algae on hardscape so to answer your question. Yes no (minimal)algae, no problem
Regards Konstantin

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Is there any reason why zero algae and plants growing bar a bit of melt would be a bad thing?

Just watch the growth of your Salvinia, it is both a <"floating plant"> (not CO2 limited) and <"a rapid grower">.

Keep on top of your maintenance and monitor your plants. They will tell you if something is a miss.

No, as long as your plants are growing it is good.

If you didn't have any algae growth and the plants looked unhealthy? Then you would be deficient in at least <"one of the essential nutrients for plant growth">.

I look on <"all photosynthetic organisms as "plants">, and particularly for the green algae, they have very similar growth requirements to the mosses, ferns and higher plants that we want to grow.

cheers Darrel