Hi all, I've read a few posts on here about dosing ferts when there is phosphate in source water. I've had a bit of an algae bloom so decided to do some water tests and my phosphates were very high in the tank possibly getting towards 10ppm using an API test kit. I tested my tap water and they're coming out around 3-4ppm. I've just checked my water companies water report and they have phosphate at 1.3ppm. I know some of you don't believe test kits are reliable and I understand why but I guess we need something to go on?
Some information about my tank and setup
Superfish Scaper 60 with Oase Biosmaster 250 Thermal so approximately 60 litres of water. I run a 7 hour photo period with the stock superfish light that comes with the set on max and C02 comes on 1 hour before lights on and goes off 1 hour before lights off. I dose 1.5 squirts of APT 3 daily and feed once a day. Inhabitants are 9 x Lemon Tetra, 6 x Pygmy Coreys, 6 x Bumble Bee Nerites and a Inspector Snowball Plec which is about 8-9cm.
The algae is black fuzz, green hair and some string algae so a general outbreak, I had a tonne of red root floaters in the tank which were blocking out a lot of light and caused my ludwigia to melt and die so I removed about 80% of the floaters. The tank is relatively well planted and the plants are doing okay at the moment but I want to get the algae under control before the plants start really suffering.
My plan is is to just up the water changes currently but with my API test kit reading 3ppm of phosphate I'm concerned that my source water is the problem. I'm also thinking about changing my ferts to APT 1. Does this sound like a plan or is there anything else I can do to help?
Picture attached for reference.
Some information about my tank and setup
Superfish Scaper 60 with Oase Biosmaster 250 Thermal so approximately 60 litres of water. I run a 7 hour photo period with the stock superfish light that comes with the set on max and C02 comes on 1 hour before lights on and goes off 1 hour before lights off. I dose 1.5 squirts of APT 3 daily and feed once a day. Inhabitants are 9 x Lemon Tetra, 6 x Pygmy Coreys, 6 x Bumble Bee Nerites and a Inspector Snowball Plec which is about 8-9cm.
The algae is black fuzz, green hair and some string algae so a general outbreak, I had a tonne of red root floaters in the tank which were blocking out a lot of light and caused my ludwigia to melt and die so I removed about 80% of the floaters. The tank is relatively well planted and the plants are doing okay at the moment but I want to get the algae under control before the plants start really suffering.
My plan is is to just up the water changes currently but with my API test kit reading 3ppm of phosphate I'm concerned that my source water is the problem. I'm also thinking about changing my ferts to APT 1. Does this sound like a plan or is there anything else I can do to help?
Picture attached for reference.
