Algae Control And Converting To Live Plants

[LittleMick]

Ok, hi everyone, the main topic of this thread is in the title but I have a another question that is sort of related.

ALGAE CONTROL - Right, I have an out burst of Algae, that is getting quite unsightly, I have shortened the photo period to 6 1/2 hrs a day, I also think I feed the fish enought to be fed but little enough to not contribute a large amounts of excess nutrients to the tank cycle, so I was wondering what other methods I can use, I know there are water treatments out there and there are phosphate removers as well. My local suggested this filter media, initially it would be £14.99 which only lasts for 4-6 weeks, then after that I would switch to a longer lasting one. What are your thoughts on this please? A lttle more on my Phosphate levels later.

CONVERTING TO LIVE PLANTS - When I first set up my aquarium in May, I originally bought loads of live plants and substrate etc, but had a bad experience setting it all up and ended up binning them. But now my aquarium has been running for months now and the inhabitants are settled and breeding well I would love to attempt live plants again to try and contribute to the tank cycle. Only thing is, I don't fancy emptying it all out and starting from scratch, so how would the best way of going about it be? The main concern would be feeding the plants, I was looking at these plant pellets that you can insert next to the roots to feed them. Also, how much plantage would I need to balance out the cycle? My tank has the following specs. As it's a mixed community tank, plant specific doesn't matter, or at least I don't think it doesn't.

300l Juwel Rio
300w heater
Jumbo Filter (Wool, Carbon, Nitrate, Blue Coarse and 2 blue fine filter sponges)
Interpet AV3 Dual Air Pump with 2 air stones
Multiple Plastic Plants
Mixed Community tank (including fish, snails and shrimp)

AERATION - I was told that I would have to remove the air pump and stones if I convert to live plants, if this is the case I might not do it as I have only had that in for about 2 months.

OFF TOPIC.....SORT OF - After having numerous conversation with a few hobbyists (friend at work and my brother amoungst them), the friend at work hardly ever did water changes and NEVER use water treatments and he had a healthy tank, my brother only does a yearly water change and that's only because he keeps moving house and he does weekly water treatments with tress Coat and Stress Zyme and he also has a healthy tank, all he does i tops up the water due to condensaton. My friend at work obviously lives in teh same town so has the same water supply and my bro ives in Ireland so his water will be different.

Normally I do fortnightly 20% water changes with weekly doses of Easy Balance and Nitrate Minus. I have been conducting tests over the last month, missing a water change, and missing the water treatments, monitoring the quality of the water with liquid test kits and I have seen no change in my water quality. What gives? Am I wasting my time and money or something? Are there other factors in the water that I am not looking at? Organisms or chemicals that are not generally tested for? I know phosphates contribute to Algae growth, but I had an Algae problem before I started the testing. The level on Phospahte are 1mg or just below. All other readings (Amonia, Nitrite and Nitrate) are zero, literally, pH is around 7.4.

My live bearers are breeding well, which I think they would in any water (randy little buggers) and my Bristlenoses are breeding as well, which suggests a good water quality, and I don't know whther snails need excellent water quality but they are breeding lots as well.

Kind regards
Mick

 

[aaronnorth]

ALGAE CONTROL - Right, I have an out burst of Algae, that is getting quite unsightly, I have shortened the photo period to 6 1/2 hrs a day, I also think I feed the fish enought to be fed but little enough to not contribute a large amounts of excess nutrients to the tank cycle, so I was wondering what other methods I can use, I know there are water treatments out there and there are phosphate removers as well. My local suggested this filter media, initially it would be £14.99 which only lasts for 4-6 weeks, then after that I would switch to a longer lasting one. What are your thoughts on this please? A lttle more on my Phosphate levels later.

PO4 doesnt cause algae, nor does NO3.
Take a read of this, as it will also help with some of your other questions. There is more links underneath the topic "algae" too.

Back To Basics

CONVERTING TO LIVE PLANTS - When I first set up my aquarium in May, I originally bought loads of live plants and substrate etc, but had a bad experience setting it all up and ended up binning them. But now my aquarium has been running for months now and the inhabitants are settled and breeding well I would love to attempt live plants again to try and contribute to the tank cycle. Only thing is, I don't fancy emptying it all out and starting from scratch, so how would the best way of going about it be? The main concern would be feeding the plants, I was looking at these plant pellets that you can insert next to the roots to feed them. Also, how much plantage would I need to balance out the cycle? My tank has the following specs. As it's a mixed community tank, plant specific doesn't matter, or at least I don't think it doesn't.

just add plants, nothing will be affected negatively.
you can add root tabs if you wish, and dose the water column (the water) with a fertiliser. Or, dont use root tabs and dose the water column more heavily as there will be a greater demand on nutrients when there is only one source. nutrient rich substrates/ root tabs are like a back up source.

AERATION - I was told that I would have to remove the air pump and stones if I convert to live plants, if this is the case I might not do it as I have only had that in for about 2 months.

leave it in, you will be fine as long as you dont inject CO2 otherwise it will gas off.

OFF TOPIC.....SORT OF - After having numerous conversation with a few hobbyists (friend at work and my brother amoungst them), the friend at work hardly ever did water changes and NEVER use water treatments and he had a healthy tank, my brother only does a yearly water change and that's only because he keeps moving house and he does weekly water treatments with tress Coat and Stress Zyme and he also has a healthy tank, all he does i tops up the water due to condensaton. My friend at work obviously lives in teh same town so has the same water supply and my bro ives in Ireland so his water will be different.

Normally I do fortnightly 20% water changes with weekly doses of Easy Balance and Nitrate Minus. I have been conducting tests over the last month, missing a water change, and missing the water treatments, monitoring the quality of the water with liquid test kits and I have seen no change in my water quality. What gives? Am I wasting my time and money or something? Are there other factors in the water that I am not looking at? Organisms or chemicals that are not generally tested for? I know phosphates contribute to Algae growth, but I had an Algae problem before I started the testing. The level on Phospahte are 1mg or just below. All other readings (Amonia, Nitrite and Nitrate) are zero, literally, pH is around 7.4.

simply put you are not allowing enough time for change to take place. you will need to leave water changes at least 1month, prefereably every 2months to limit algae.
The reason for this is plants produce a certain amount of the enzyme RUBISCO, to fixate CO2. when you do a water change the CO2 levels change, so RUNISCO production changes, this takes time for the plants to adapt the higher level of CO2 in the water, algae can do this process much quicker so it takes the opportunity to strike. Here is a good post:

Non CO2 Methods

and some more info if needed.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/296418-planted-aquariums-resource-center/

light plays a massive role in algae growth,

what wattage are the tubes and what is the diamater (T5/ T8 etc)

Thanks, Aaron

 

[waterdrop]

Aaron, many thanks for the Barr link on this topic.. a very, very interesting read for those of us not doing CO2. I had not understood this difference between plants and algae in their reaction rates to differences in CO2. The fact that plants, when faced with a sudden increase in CO2 (eg. a water change in a non-pressurizedCO2 tank) will actually break down their own enzymatic proteins (the RUBISCO) that they've been constructing during the lower CO2 period because they can now just get CO2 more easily without that process is quite disturbing to find out, at least for me.

WD

 

[LittleMick]

Thanks Aaron, that's alot of information to take in, I will print all that out, read and keep with all my fish info. Will post again when I have read through it.

Thanks

Mick