Brown Algae...cloudy Water....

[MrsM]

dirty substrate will rot corys barbels???

i think ill just keep gravel cleaning once a week, just wont be as thorough and only do small parts each week...just read to vac around 30% each week...i got almost all of mine done twice this week....i think it released too much muck for the tank to handle.... ill WC 40%(as recommended) every other day and a slight gravel vac once a week, if that doesnt clear the diatoms in a few weeks tops, ill get that purigen for the filter and see how that goes.....

what low tech plants do you reccomend...?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Like I say planted people dont do it as there is no need really, any way Echinodorus, Anubias, Cryptocorynes, Microsorum, Hygrophila are all species that work in low tech environments, just make sure any water changes you do are after lights out or at least 3 hours before they come on, don't use air pumps and lower the surface movement from your filter to a ripple as the plants will provide the O2 and too much surface movement from air pumps and surface movement causes nearly all the CO2 in your water to gas off meaning the plants cant photo synthesize.

 

[MrsM]

thanks, ill look into getting some i think, its a good excuse to dump the noisy air pump! im going to google plants now...

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Have a look here.

 

[MrsM]

http/www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1092&bih=514&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=mGc1v9VD5gyflM:&imgrefurl=http/www.aquariumstyles.com/aquarium-articles/about-planted-aquariums/&docid=ClvNbjBZEnfkGM&imgurl=http/farm6.static.flickr.com/5144/5761783663_0c4047fc14.jpg&w=500&h=299&ei=BXWhUPzzMKSf0QW07YHADQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=740&sig=106679240298089359637&page=2&tbnh=144&tbnw=219&start=10&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0,i:102&tx=123&ty=92

how do i get my tank to look like that!!!

 

[Ps3Steveo]

lol with high light, loads of CO2 and full fert regime.

The link I provided above, their site supplies kits of plants with schematics and how to get it to look like theirs.

Have I given you the planted bug.

 

[snazy]

Not cleaning the gravel in a non planted tank is not a good idea as it will create more problems in the long run and all types of bacteria will grow, good and harmful. Rooted plants naturally oxygenate the gravel and the mulm buldup acts as nutritients but you really need to have a lot of plants, not a few here and there to go the route of not siphoning. They need to be growing too, not dying so for that it takes a bit of time.
The problem you need to ask yourself is why is the gravel so dirty in a 70 litre tank with just 3 corys, causing ammonia to be released in the water column and staying there not getting filtered on time, which in turn causes brown algae(diatoms). I know you mentioned your filter is rated 320 L/H only, also that it doesn't pick up larger floating parts and from the video you posted on another thread the flow was to bare minimum, I would suggest you start from upgrading the filter which will help cope with any ammonia faster than the brown algae, and also would provide enough flow for waste not to settle in the gravel but picked up by the filter as it should. With 3 corys only you should have nothing to siphon in the gravel if you had good filtration.
Regardless of that, the tank is new and should eventually balance out with the diatoms disappearing completely. I've had it in all my tanks and I have done nothing to remove it. It just disappears but bad filtration and flow can cause it or cause different even nastier types of algae.

As for the cloudy water, it can be caused again by a substrate that has lots of waste, very low on oxygen and provides a lovely place for a heterotrophic facultative type of bacteria which is harmless and in anaerobic conditions converts organic waste to other stuff, but when in abundance, it will eventually make its way into the water column either by disturbing the gravel or even without, and then instead of eating organics, it starts taking up oxygen and starts multiplying rapidly,taking all available surfaces inside a tank like decorations, filter, etc... and can outcompete the filter bacteria in worse scenarios cause eventual ammonia spikes.

You best bet is good filtration and flow for a start. Plants will definately be a benefit regardless.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Hence my post saying leave substrate and get some plants.

 

[MrsM]

ok so plants... new filter
but the cloudy water...its tiny bits, its like the water is dusty, or has dust floating in it....the cloudyness only appeared after id gravel vacuumed and then these diatoms appeared....i really dont think its debris from 5 rummy and 3 cory.....it must be that bacteria you said...how do i clear it?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Get some filter wool, chuck it in your filter, should clear it, you'd need a new filter anyway if adding plants as they need the flow, aim for a filter that has at least 700lph, I have an 800lph on my 60 from maidenhead called efx200, 70 quid and its bar far the best value for money.

 

[MrsM]

im just looking up filters...there is a filter the same as mine but rather than a 320(what mine is) its a 700...its just under £30...should i go for this..i was looking to get an external filter...if i want real plants do i need a power head then? for flow....

i added some filter wool to the filter in place of the carbon a few days ago and its not even slightly clearing the water....did i over pack it i wonder...the flow from where the water comes out of the filter is much slower now...

if its over packed will it slow the filter flow down and not filter as much water?? i bet its over packed....

the fish still seem happy enough though, i feed once a day now and lights for 8-9hrs...ive read to clear diatoms i should maybe increase lighting??

filter... http/www.seapets.c...ilter-700l.html

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Clearing Diatoms is not done by increasing lighting as light+ammonia=diatoms, the 700 would be fine with plants and would give plenty of flow as well as more biological filtration. Might help the diatoms in future too, wont need more flow than that with plants either, should give enough. If water is still dirty and its particles then remove the filter floss and chuck a bit of cotton wool in there, just make sure it doesn't get in the impeller and make sure it doesn't slow the flow too much as it will damage the filter.

 

[MrsM]

because there is less water coming out of the spray bar,do you think i may have over packed the filter wool?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Yeah.

 

[MrsM]

i moved the wool and took a bit out....flow is back to normal