Algae/plants Problems

[nerijusa]

I am trying to read a lot about algaes and their removal, plants growing etc. I am trying different methods from forums, but algaes in my aquarium are flourishing (what I can not say about my plants...).

My aquarium:
240 liters (aquarium age- 2 years)
Lighting- 3 lamps of 30 W (Dennerle Amazon day, Color plus, Special Plants)+1 lamp 38 W (Dennerle Special Plants)
2 filters: internal and Eheim 2028
CO2 dosing: 1.3 bubles/second
Water parameters: KH-4, GH-6, PH-7.3, NO3- 10; NO2-0, temperature- 28
Plants: Alternanthera sesilis, Alternanthera latifolia, Anubias, Rotala macranda, Echinodorus amazonicus, Echinodorus osiris, Valisneria spiralis, ceratopteris cornuta, hygrophila polisperma, cabomba aquatica, cryptocryne becketii, lobelia cardinalis, lilaeopsis, nymphea lotus
- Ferts: Fe (suggested dosing), Easy life "Pro-fito" (different elements are included)(60-70 percent of suggested dosing)

Problems:
- algaes are booming (BBA, Hair, Staghorn Algae?). They are growing on plants (it takes 2-3 weeks to take fully the new plant), gravel, glass.
- plants are not growing: rotala, anubias, ceratopteris grow well (but new leaves are becoming full of algaes soon), echinodorus are planting new leaves but they are not developing to normal size (40-50 percent size) and then becoming yellow, alternantheras are full of algaes, lobelia or hygrophila are staying at the same level (they were introduced 2 weeks ago and algaes are taking them...).

What measures I have taken:
- lighting period:5-2-5
- lamps were changed to new ones ( I have bought reflectors);
- Eheim 2028 ensures biological filtration (NO3 level is not too high)
- I have increased CO2 dosing (1.3 bubles/second)
- I am changing water weekly- 20-25 percent with cleaning the gravel (but already the next day after cleaning gravel is full of algaes);
- I have introduced more (mostly fast growing) plants (but now they are almost covered by algaes);
- I have changed the upper part of my gravel (but situation after 2 weeks is the same...);
- trying not to overfeed fishes;
- I have removed algea covered leaves (but after 2-3 weeks situation is the same...)
- I have noticed that after introducing additional Fe, Rotalla, Cabomba is growing more fast but not other plants...
- as I am increasing ferts dosing, more algaes are coming. I have noticed that not all plants have small CO2 bubles on the leaves (sign of photosynthesis?).

My questions:
- what are my mistakes? what wrong I am doing?
- despite the fact that CO2 dosing is quite high, according to the PH, KH, CO2 tables, CO2 level is not sufficient. My KH is stable, the problem is with high PH. I am hesitant to introduce higher CO2 dosing, it could have negative impact for my fishes?
- why some of the plants (as echinodorus, nymhea lotus) have new leaves but they are not developing to normal size? what ferts deficiencies could be?
- should i remove algea infected leaves (but it goes like in the circle: I am removing them, I am introducing new plants, but algeas are taking them...)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions, which I really need a lot (I am losing my hope to win plants-algea battle...)

 

[chibi]

Do you know what degrees in Kelvin your lamp is? That is one thing I'd look into. I have heard 6500 degrees K is natural sunlight and is the best for preventing algae while helping plants grow. Anything higher, particularly any lamp higher than 10000 K, will make algae grow quickly.

If your lamp is suitable, I'd try a algae removal chemical that is plant safe. Be sure it is plant safe though!! I've used it and it makes the algae grow slower and makes it weaker and easier to scrape. It's a dosage every 3 days. I'm not a pro with your types of plants, but it can make weak plants turn a bit yellow and some leaves may die. It's worth looking into.

 

[zig]

I would say you have under dosing fertiliser including CO2 (also a fertiliser) up to now, your tank has just over 2 watts per gallon over the tank in light, with that amount of light the plants will require regular amounts of nitrate, phosphate, potassium (NPK) and also a trace fertiliser, which in this case is the Pro fito, you would also require steady regular amounts of CO2, get these right and you wont have many problems with algae.

Many of us here dose with a method called EI or the estimate index, its basically a method to dose a tank correctly, there is a pinned article at the top of this section about this, you can also read about it Here

 

[plantbrain]

Poor CO2 is a great way to be introduced to all the main species of algae, as you have discovered

Your pH should be about 6.5 or so, lower it only with CO2 gas.
Nothing else.

The goal is add more CO2, the KH/pH table tells you this, so adding other things to lower your pH will not add CO2, only adding CO2 will do that. Sounds odd, but many folks try to lower their pH to get good CO2 by adding acid "buffers", peat moss, soften their water and what not.

This will solve most of the issues you now have.

You are lucky you have low/moderate lighting.
More would make more algae.

To get rid of the algae and correct things:

A good scrub and cleaning of the equipment, filter, glass, trim plant leaves as best you can.
Next: add Seachem Excel, it's available there.
You'll add the rec dose and try to squirt it on the algae with a pipette/turkey baster etc.

You can do daily 50% water changes and add the full amount after a water change(directions on the bottle)
This will knock the algae back and help the plants grow even if you are still having CO2 issues.

You must deal with the CO2 issue.
That is imperative.

You need more gas in the tank. When you do this:
Make sure you have some surface movement, you can always add a bit more CO2, trim off algae, you cannot bring fish back to life.

I typically suggest weekly 50% water change, a python type water changer(or your own DIY version) works well.

To this: I'd add the following all availavle from Aquaessentials.com for dirt cheap:

2x a week:
KNO3: 1/2 teaspoon
Epsom salt: 1/4 teaspoon
KH2PO4: 1/8 teaspoon

Tropica Master grow would be suitable and be fairly cheap there, not sure what they call it these days but the micro nutrient mix from Tropica works the best of all the trace mixes I've used, I've used 90% of the ones on the market for a number of years.

Add 10mls 2-3x a week.

If things are looking bad, or you have neglected the tank, has algae etc, do 2x a week water changes, add the Excel, and dose after you refill the tank.

The dry ferts above are very cheap and a few pounds' worth will last a few decades in most cases.

As things improve, you will up things to 3x a week perhaps if the fish load is light, although it's unlikely you'll need it.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[George Farmer]

Obviously Tom and zig's advice is top.

Get dry ferts here
Tropica Plant Nutrition here

If EI is too "daunting" then you could get Plant Nutrition+ that already contains N and P.

A couple of things I'd add is ensure you are planted heavily, which I assume you are by your species listed.

Is the lighting 2 years old too? The Dennerle tubes are good but you can get equal/better results with cheaper tubes. Interpet Daylight Plus, Interpet Triplus and Arcadia Freshwater are all good and commonly available. The Triplus is ideal for bringing out reds and blues, the others for greens. If you do change the tubes then do so gradually.

Once you've sorted CO2 and other nutrients I would also run a constant photoperiod of 8 to 10 hours personally. I know Dennerle recommend a siesta to prevent algae but I would suggest this helps due to the CO2 build in the darker period. If your CO2 is ok to start then siestas are unecessary, they just shorten your tube/ballast life.

 

[nerijusa]

Thank you very much for your replies. Your suggestions are very helpful for me. That inspires me to fight algeas again
I will get more ferts and will try EI method.
But if I may I want to ask follow-up questions (trying to understand better what I am going to do:
- Seachem Excel: what exactly this product will do for algeas (Tom suggested to squirt it on the algae). It has organic carbon, which is needed for plants (but I guess for algues too?). Will this product raise level of CO2 in my aquarium (will it influence PH)? Can I use Excel together with CO2?
- CO2 dosing: now it is 1.3 bubles/second (which I found quite high). How much I can increase CO2 and still to have fishes alive? What is your CO2 dosing? How long you are leaving CO2 working (my CO2 system is working when the lights are on)? How to avoid PH jumps (if it will be high CO2 dosing to lower PH, after disconnection of CO2, PH will jump up again?). I have water surface moving.
- PH level: my PH is quite big (I do not want to use chemicals to lower it). The reason for high PH I guess is RO water. I am using special salt to increase GH of RO water. After RO filtering PH is low, but after adding salt (to have KH-4, GH-6) PH is becoming around 7.2.
- I have tried to change water 3 time per week (15-20 percent each time). I have done that one week. It was less algeas growing, but still they were growing on plants.
Sorry for many questions, which could be funny for you, but I am still learning. Thanks