Algae Outbreak Question

[Zikofski]

Okay, i have had a huge algae outbreak, mainly black and green algae, now i did some research about it, and apparently UV steriliser supposed to kill the algae all good but i have one, so why the algae, i then did some more research on my UV steriliser because i bought it used, i know the bulb is due a change so this may be it, but i have the v2ectron 300 and it has this UV life thing with a green LED if anyone knows about this, how accurate is it, its still solid green flashing red for 1sec every 60sec

my question is how accurate is that LED

and do the UV filter actually get rid of algae and all types?

 

[daz4321]

A UV clarifier will kill or severely damage (so that they die) single celled algae that passes through them. The passes through is important as thats all it will kill if the algae is attached in your tank then the UV does nothing to it.
If your tank is reasonably planted then the cause of the alage will be either low nutrients, low or fluctuating carbon dioxide levels, lack of flow (resulting in the previous two in low flow area's) or excess light (basically not enough of the previous for the ammount or duration of the lights you have).

 

[Zikofski]

hmm il be honest probably all of it

i have two 54W bulbs lights are only on for 6/7 hours i have no shortened that to 5 hours a day, i dont ad ferts, and dont add Co2, i was planning on adding co2 but seeming im only having the tank for the next year not sure weather to go for that

 

[daz4321]

you don't need co2 with that ammount of light but you will need some ferts, maybe only trace and not macro. Liquid carbon will also help as it is an algaecide.

 

[Zikofski]

hmm okay i shall cancel the co2 then , i do have some ferts that i was using but i stopped because i thought that was causing the problem, i guess not then, i bought some under soil tabs that i shall put in for my amazons and crypts, i shall look at liquid carbon, if thats a algaecide then maybe that will help

sorry forgot to post the ferts i used is called low Green from ebay? another memeber told me it was good but i don't know

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Do you do water changes with lights on?

 

[DrunkenMunky]

Do you do water changes with lights on?

gotta say i've just recently found a small break out of bba too, and have discontinued my water changes with the lights on.
But i've also just fitted a spray bar to my filter and found the bba is retreating so i can only hope i have averted my own break out but seams to be bba are most active during the time when it is disturbed.
is this when it can pick up most co2 or am i barking up the wrong tree and does anyone know if you can ever get rid of it all together is will it lie dorment?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

It can vanish completely, I had a little a while ago and cranked my CO2 up and after a few weeks I looked in and was like, wow, didn't notice it even going.

 

[Zikofski]

haha okay yes i do, do the water changes with the lights on so i can see haha, ive shortened my tank's lighting down to 5 hours, i bought what i think is liquid carbon altho the bottle says one squirt per 15ltrs of water for my tank thats 20 squirts, every day so for me theb ottle will only last me 5 days? is this right dose not seem right to me, i did buy two power heads yesterday one angled at the top to provide surfice movement (not aloud my air stones on anymore aparently there to noisy ) without this my fish bob on the surfice, i have two tetra tec 1200 with both spraybars angled down my plants and my other powerhead angled at my plants, also changed my UV lights as i bout this used and i never cleaned or changed it so it needed to be done

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Best thing to do now you know the cause is to drop the water level and expose the algae, mix some carbon with water 1-20 ratio and spray the algae, refill tank and after a few days it will turn red and vanish. After do the water changes after lights out.

 

[Zikofski]

Best thing to do now you know the cause is to drop the water level and expose the algae, mix some carbon with water 1-20 ratio and spray the algae, refill tank and after a few days it will turn red and vanish. After do the water changes after lights out.

okay thank yuo sadly i go back to work tomo not gona be with my tank for 3 weeks so i will do this after that, hopefully the algue will die off somewhat till then fingers are crossed

 

[Ps3Steveo]

If you don't do a water change in those 3 weeks it might as not water changing also helps.

 

[Zikofski]

If you don't do a water change in those 3 weeks it might as not water changing also helps.

aah okay sadly now i may try and convince my gf to do it but tbh more thanks can go wrong with that if you know what i mean