Algae Everywhere! :(

[CrazyDiamond88]

I'm starting to get really disheartened!
 
I've had my tank up and cycled for about 2 months.
 
I am still getting diatoms everywhere, as well as blue green algae (or is it cyanobacteria), and black hairy algae on my rocks.
 
I am so very frustrated!
 
I do water changes every 1.5 weeks. 
 
Tank is 12 gallons and has 11 pygmy cories, a betta, and a MTS living in it.
 
I'll post readings of the water here in a bit.
 
What could it be? I'm ready to give up here

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

pH 7.6
ammonia 0
niitrite 0
nitrate 5ppm

 

[KirkyArcher]

What are you doing in the way of Plant fertiliser? Co2 injection or liquid dosing?  What is the lighting period and output rating?  Could you possibly be overfeeding, (despite feed getting consumed in the often quoted 2-3minutes fish can eat more than they need in 2-3 minutes and instead of just having waste food in the tank you just get more fish poo this can have the effect of rocketing nitrate and or phosphate levels) Algae outbreaks are usually caused to any one or a combination of these being too strong or weak for the amount of plants and their growth rate, and some times even just the slightest traces of ammonia can contribute to an out break of certain types of Algae, 3-4 day black outs will kill off most forms of algae, but you need to find out why it's happened to prevent it re occurring. edit could be something as simple as a low flow rate either edit

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

liquid dosing - as close to a drop a day as possible, sometimes a few drops as it's hard to pour out.
Lighting period is about 7 hours a day. Output is A150W (kessil light)
I don't feed my betta more than about 5 pellets a day, and often only feed him every second day.
The pygmys don't seem to eat much at all... so every second day i put a few sinking micro pellets in.

 

[levahe]

BBA = low co2 or fluctuating co2, and/or low flow
 
BGA = low nitrates, and/or dirty substrate or filter

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

BBA = low co2 or fluctuating co2, and/or low flow
 
how do I control that?
 
and BGA? Isn't low nitrates a good thing? 
How do I clean the filter without removing the good bacteria?

 

[levahe]

Low nitrates definitely isn't a good thing in a planted tank, if you have nitrates in your tap water you can just do more water changes to increase the level otherwise look at products for planted tanks that contain nitrates.

If you have bba caused by low co2, you need to add more

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Wow thank you!! I never knew low nitrates could be bad.
This is my first go at fish keeping and scaping so there's a lot I just don't know

 

[SO19Firearms]

.....this can have the effect of rocketing nitrate and or phosphate levels.....

And that wouldn't matter.

 
 

Lighting period is about 7 hours a day. Output is A150W (kessil light)

Levahe nailed it and I'd guess that the fancy light over such a tiny tank is where the lack of CO2 is coming from.

Invest in a Complete plant food with Nitrate and Phosphate, look to raising that light as high above your tank as you can and cutting the hrs down to 5 maybe.

Look to maybe using a liquid carbon product to increase your carbon - or better yet pressurised CO2. If you do that you'll be in a better position to deal with the miniture sun above the tank......

IMO

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

I do have tab ferts under the soil, is that a complete plant food?

And I currently dose flourish excel every day.

So if I'm doing that what else can I do? There is no way I can raise the light any higher unless I hang it from the ceiling which is not possible.

Should I have a lower level light? It cost a lot and I thought I was buying the right thing at the time *sigh*

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

I don't have brown diatoms anymore... Now I have a dark brown/red smelly algae
From another forum:

"Some "plant" bulbs were developed using algae as their "plant" subject, susequently thats waht they are great at growing Also some manufacturers produce marine/fw bulbs for plants but the marine bulb is to hepl grow beneficial alage in the corals."

Is this true? Because the kessil 6700 light I have is primarily for marine tanks. Could it actually be fueling algae growth?

 

[SO19Firearms]

Probably not really. It's just too bright.
 
 
IMO

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

So what should I do?

 

[Ch4rlie]

IMO, think you have 3 options really,
 
Consider lowering the amount of hours the light is on, down to 6 or even 5 hours per day and see what happens over a period of time.
 
If algae still persists, would then consider adding C02 or Liquid Carbon as SO19 says.
 
Or if these don't appeal, change light to a lower level one, save this particular 6700 light for when you get another tank one day perhaps.

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Okay thanks Charlie

As I said before I do dose co2 every day.

I will lower the photo period too.

Say I do switch lights, what kind/strength should I go for?