What else can I try?! Becoming distraught!

[cookie.dou]

3 bubbles a second! Wow, with my 260L tank I have always had 6/8 and sometimes even higher to try and get enough CO2 into the tank. Yet this yields no plants pearling at all. None of my plants are fast growers though and I want buy some imminently as mentioned above; I do have a carpet plant though and this never pearls either. It is difficult to gauge whether the plants are growing well as they rarely change much. My swords however are generating new growth frequently (as frequently as expected from a sword) so I believe everything to be growing as it should. I will have a better understanding of this when I put my fast growers in at the back of the tank - also hoping they act as a nutrient sponge to remove excess nutrients.

I guess my tap water could be a cause of pH and gH changes so maybe I need to alter these somehow.

Last week I reduced the photoperiod and also extended the duration of the CO2 being on. With my maintenance this week I cleaned all the filter media as these had not been done for a while (they were super grubby), I have now added a note in my diary to do the filter every month. I am also sticking to the 40ml macro/micro dosing in an attempt to get the basics right.

Oops! I didn't take into account the size of your tank (260L) is about 68 gallons according to Google. I would say 5-6 is a tad bit on the low side. My tanks were 25/28 (94/105L) gallons at 2-3 BPS. But as AWB said in the above post, method and distribution of CO2 is also important... Making sure CO2 gets to all areas of your tank with good flow can also be a factor along with how you're injecting CO2. Personally... I've become a fan of reactors haha.

 

[Tom Raffield]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for all the previous help. Just by way of an update:

A week has gone by since I completed the maintenance I mentioned in one of my previous posts.

I have noticed the following so far:
Water clarity is better - I assume the filter clean helped this.
Green algae on the glass seems to have stopped. Algae (green, orangey in colour) on my CO2 JBL tower diffuser is really bad though! Strange.
The black fleck algae and black rim on leaves appears to have got worse. I removed another large batch of bad leaves. Could this be lack of fast growing plants? Excess nutrients?

Tomorrow my new plants should arrive:
Vallisneria spirals Red x 1
Hygrophila polysperma (Indian Swamped) x 2
Hygrophila siamesi 53B x 1
Moss Ball (Chladoflora) x 3

I am hoping that when these have been planted that things will improve further. What are your thoughts everyone?

 

[Tom Raffield]

Update:

The tank is generally looking good. The only issue I still have all is this strange black stuff!

The black 'algae' is spreading fast again with more leaves of all plants getting it. The new plants I put it a week ago are so far unaffected and growing very well. Is this black algae a phosphate issue? Something is 'feeding' this black stuff which surrounds leaf edges with spots and flecks covering leaves too.

I never gravel vac mainly because of the disruption to the bottom of the tank - should I be really trying to vac any areas that I can reach? Should I be looking for a phosphate removal media form for my filter? I always thought that phosphates are required for plant growth but could too much be causing this black algae? I am going to investigate external filters this week.

I have checked the date when my current light tubes went into the tank and they are 50 weeks old now. Could this be contributing to algae due to spectrum changes? I am tempted to swap them over for the Arcadia ones. It surely won't make this black algae any worse!

I feel I have made some progress with your help and guidance, so please offer any more suggestions and we can beat this!!

 

[Tom Raffield]

Another update for anyone reading. Who knows, hopefully one day this thread will help others!

Following advice from my local fish store, who advised that the algae was more of a black slime and therefore required lighting to be drastically cut and nutrients to be reduced, I did the following:

- Cut lighting to a 3.5 hour period but left CO2 as it was to ensure high levels.
- Kept temperature in the tank to 24/25 degrees max (down from 26/27).
- Reduced dosing regime of both micro and macro nutrients.
- On water change day I cleaned the filter again (although I am actively looking for an external that can turn over the 10x capacity - but they are top top dollar).
- Gravel vac'ed some of the more open areas.
- Have a new batch of amano shrimp on order to boost the cleaning crew a little.
- I have ordered sachem flourish excel and will start dosing this on a daily basis as a complement to my pressurised system.

My new plants mentioned in previous posts have taken off. The siamesi is bushing out nicely and the indian swampweed is reaching towards the top of the tank already!

In terms of results this is what I have observed:

- Black algae/slime is no longer appearing as fast (or at all). Some older leaves still showing it though.
- Water clarity this week has been great. It is water change day today and still looks crystal.
- Plants growing well. My monte carlo carpet appears to be doing really well and has started extending across the tank in all directions!
- Some leaves (i believe from the swampweed or the siamesi) have gone transparent and fallen off. They get stuck to my circulation pump. I assume this is the plant growing used to the tank? Or perhaps a deficiency?

I will update this post with some pictures of the tank when I start my water change later.

 

[Tom Raffield]

As promised. Here are my current tanks photos. Some of the leaves still have the black algae remaining but it is better than it was. Still finding a number of leaves on the circulation pump; I imagine these are coming from the new plants and are not a sign that I should be concerned. I hope!
My new amano shrimp are now in the tank and settling in nicely although I have noticed a couple of neons showing signs of a fungal infection which I am now treating. You almost forget you have actual fish in a 'fish' tank when working so hard on the plants!

Thoughts everyone?

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

Yeah, that's the way, basically lowering lighting, cleaning filters, increasing carbon and changing water will solve most ills .
Word to the wise, be very careful with medications especially if they are copper based. Some can kill off shrimp.

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk

 

[Tom Raffield]

Yeah, that's the way, basically lowering lighting, cleaning filters, increasing carbon and changing water will solve most ills .
Word to the wise, be very careful with medications especially if they are copper based. Some can kill off shrimp.

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the tip. I am using eSHa 2000, which I have used in old tanks, and never had a problem. Hopefully this will be the same. The only advice eSHa give is to remove snails from the tank first. As I only have hitchhikers who have got there by accident and my growing population of MTS I won't be too fussed if it does a few of them in!

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

Not familiar with the product mate so I would check if it's shrimp safe. Saying not safe for snails is a worry. Don't want to lose your Amanos.

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk

 

[rebel]

Reduce light by 30% and increase CO2 slightly.

 

[Konsa]

Hi
I have used eSHa 2000 to teat shrimp tanks for Hydra and Planaria ,didn't have any negative impact on the shrimps even some planobris snails made it.
Regards Konsa

 

[Tom Raffield]

It is my third and final dose of eSHa today (and its a 3 day course). No ill effects noticed so far.

In terms of going forward I would like to increase my light period to maybe 5 hours. But to compensate I will also be dosing Excel on a daily basis (which I haven't done before) and will maintain my current level of pressurised CO2 going in as well.

My slight worry is that I am going away for two weeks soon! Not sure how best to prepare and leave the tank. Usually I would dose up on ferts, leave CO2 high and keep lighting reduced but not sure that is the best idea considering the issues I have had. There is also no one who can do my weekly water change for me. Perhaps dose up a little and leave it at that? Any suggestions?

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

Good to hear the meds are shrimp safe. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Tom Raffield]

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!

Well, having perservered I think my tank is actually looking ok! Have a look at the photos.

I have added new light tubes (arcadia) and reflectors, clean the filter media every two weeks with a mini gravel vac and think I have got my gas CO2, liquid carbon and ferts dosing right. My lights are on for almost 4 hours now too and I would like to perhaps extend this, thoughts?

My green algae has totally vanished and the strange black algae appears in very limited quantity. The thing is though, it is still there! And it is now on my new Indian Swampweed leaves too (see photos). Upon close inspection it looks the black lines the leaf edges and appears to have actually broken down the leaf. There are small holes inside the black as if the leaf is dying away. I remove these when I see them. I have only one option left I believe and that is to upgrade my filter.

I am looking at a Fluval FX6 and will potentially remove the internal Juwel filter after the Fluval matures. What are your thoughts? And does anyone else have any bright ideas on this black algae stuff?! It is really stubborn!