JamesC kindly sent a PM offering help and I spent some time putting the reply together, I thought it has the potential to help other so thought I would post it...
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Tank is an 180ltr, Eheim 2224 with Tetrapro, laterite and JBL proflora substrate. I have approx 200 fast stems (Egeria etc) along with crypts, wisteria, and hygrophilia. I have pressurised CO2 diffused into an eheim pump that circulates diffused CO2 bubbles in the current around the roots of the plants, lighting was originally 2 x 25w T8's of which I then added another 25w T8. I initially started the tank off and an experienced diatom, that's fine and normal then after 2 days of CO2 regulator playing up I noticed a green fuzz algae appearing.
At this point I did not have nowhere near enough fast growers. I increased plant mass and started dosing trace then moved onto dosing EI Lite (2 x 1/2dose weekly), fuzz algae went mad so I dropped the PO4 and just dosed KNO3. I noticed that nitrate levels were rising dramatically and therefore suspect a nutrient deficiency so I started dosing K2SO4, nitrates almost feel over night so I concluded I had hit the missing nutrient. Algae continued to grow at an amazing rate. I changed my lighting period to add a siesta 5 - 2 - 5 which seemed to stunt algae growth slightly. After reading some Barr reports the siesta is efficient but only works if you do not have enough CO2 to cover the lighting period. I upped CO2 and did away with the siesta; my live check was bust, went about 4weeks at approx 75ppm. After measuring and adjusting a zillion times I am stable at approx 30ppm (have got an electric PH tester coming to verify). Around this time I started getting a brown spider web like algae which was not actually attached to the plants it just caught on their leaves. This algae can grow about 4inches over night.
Then the lighting upgrade, removed 1 x 25wT8 and added 2 x 55w T5's with Daylight Plus, here I believe I made a mistake, I have about 3.33wpg which was not introduced over a good time period - within 3days the lights full lighting was introduced. First observation here was the rate of CO2 needed to increase, I increased about .5BPS and 30ppm is achieved, loss over night is approx .2PH - the CO2 comes on 2hrs before the 10hr photoperiod to ensure 30ppm is available for plants, also CO2 carries on for 2hrs after lights off to smooth the PH loss over night. Dosing is full EI, 3 x 10ppm of KNO3, 3 x 2ppm PO4, 3 x 4ml Flourish trace as per Barrs recommendations. Plant growth is amazing - approx 6inch of Egeria growth in 5days and plants are pearling like crazy, I mean crazy! The tank is one massive torrent of bubbles. I first noticed a haze appearing on the glass, wiped it off only to see it coming back within hours, water had a haze. This quickly turned into a full blown GDA, 2 days after the water has green algae in suspense (visibility approx 7 inches). Fuzz algae is non existent now, brown long spider web algae is no longer growing although there is some that needs removing at next water change. I have noticed an increase in stag horn (points to low CO2/nutrients?) as well as the GDA and green water.
Since the tank was introduced, I can only really remember the water being crystal clear once or twice, always contained a slight misty haze, ammonia and nitrites always at zero. I use Seachem Prime to treat tap water, when changing water I usually just add prime, poor tap water into bucket then into the tank (approx 5mins per 16ltr bucket). Water is circulated via a spray bar fitted horizontally at the top of tank that just ripples the water; a 300pa pump pushes co2 around for the co2 dosing period then shuts off. Tank temp is around 27-28c.
I'm at a loss to what I may be doing wrong, maybe things are right and its just time now for the tank to adjust? Any help gratefully receive
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Tank is an 180ltr, Eheim 2224 with Tetrapro, laterite and JBL proflora substrate. I have approx 200 fast stems (Egeria etc) along with crypts, wisteria, and hygrophilia. I have pressurised CO2 diffused into an eheim pump that circulates diffused CO2 bubbles in the current around the roots of the plants, lighting was originally 2 x 25w T8's of which I then added another 25w T8. I initially started the tank off and an experienced diatom, that's fine and normal then after 2 days of CO2 regulator playing up I noticed a green fuzz algae appearing.
At this point I did not have nowhere near enough fast growers. I increased plant mass and started dosing trace then moved onto dosing EI Lite (2 x 1/2dose weekly), fuzz algae went mad so I dropped the PO4 and just dosed KNO3. I noticed that nitrate levels were rising dramatically and therefore suspect a nutrient deficiency so I started dosing K2SO4, nitrates almost feel over night so I concluded I had hit the missing nutrient. Algae continued to grow at an amazing rate. I changed my lighting period to add a siesta 5 - 2 - 5 which seemed to stunt algae growth slightly. After reading some Barr reports the siesta is efficient but only works if you do not have enough CO2 to cover the lighting period. I upped CO2 and did away with the siesta; my live check was bust, went about 4weeks at approx 75ppm. After measuring and adjusting a zillion times I am stable at approx 30ppm (have got an electric PH tester coming to verify). Around this time I started getting a brown spider web like algae which was not actually attached to the plants it just caught on their leaves. This algae can grow about 4inches over night.
Then the lighting upgrade, removed 1 x 25wT8 and added 2 x 55w T5's with Daylight Plus, here I believe I made a mistake, I have about 3.33wpg which was not introduced over a good time period - within 3days the lights full lighting was introduced. First observation here was the rate of CO2 needed to increase, I increased about .5BPS and 30ppm is achieved, loss over night is approx .2PH - the CO2 comes on 2hrs before the 10hr photoperiod to ensure 30ppm is available for plants, also CO2 carries on for 2hrs after lights off to smooth the PH loss over night. Dosing is full EI, 3 x 10ppm of KNO3, 3 x 2ppm PO4, 3 x 4ml Flourish trace as per Barrs recommendations. Plant growth is amazing - approx 6inch of Egeria growth in 5days and plants are pearling like crazy, I mean crazy! The tank is one massive torrent of bubbles. I first noticed a haze appearing on the glass, wiped it off only to see it coming back within hours, water had a haze. This quickly turned into a full blown GDA, 2 days after the water has green algae in suspense (visibility approx 7 inches). Fuzz algae is non existent now, brown long spider web algae is no longer growing although there is some that needs removing at next water change. I have noticed an increase in stag horn (points to low CO2/nutrients?) as well as the GDA and green water.
Since the tank was introduced, I can only really remember the water being crystal clear once or twice, always contained a slight misty haze, ammonia and nitrites always at zero. I use Seachem Prime to treat tap water, when changing water I usually just add prime, poor tap water into bucket then into the tank (approx 5mins per 16ltr bucket). Water is circulated via a spray bar fitted horizontally at the top of tank that just ripples the water; a 300pa pump pushes co2 around for the co2 dosing period then shuts off. Tank temp is around 27-28c.
I'm at a loss to what I may be doing wrong, maybe things are right and its just time now for the tank to adjust? Any help gratefully receive
) Will see what that does for the hazy water!
