Algae

[newfishaddict]

Hi, I have heard that different types of algae have different causes....I am having problems with thin, strong, filamentous algae. It grows on the plants and larger rocks. It is very strong and hard to remove. I have read about trimming the affected plants, but in one tank almost all my plants have this problem.

In my 21g with 1.7 wpg and co2 added a few days ago for the first time; there is smaller amounts of this filamentous algae that is dark/black in color.

Im my 55gg with about 2.5 wpg (1wpg until a few days ago-I added more lights recently), I now have 2.5 wpg and I added co2 a few days ago. In this tank the algae is becoming a big problem and "choking"some of my plants....

What should I do?

My water has been: pH 7.7, KH = 90 , AMMONIA and nitrite = 0 , nitrate has been kept below 10-15 ppm....

I use 12 hours a day of lighting......perhaps less light?
-->there is some lighting from the window making total light about 16 hours a day but the widow light from outside is not direct light....

 

[kenneth_kpe]

hi there ! im guessing that when you added more lights it added a booster to the algae and really helped them take off... algae is usually caused by imbalance... are you dosing fertilizers ? how many plants inside the tank ? what are the inhabitants ? how do you feed your fish ? what kind of lighting did you use ?

 

[newfishaddict]

hi there ! im guessing that when you added more lights it added a booster to the algae and really helped them take off... algae is usually caused by imbalance... are you dosing fertilizers ? how many plants inside the tank ? what are the inhabitants ? how do you feed your fish ? what kind of lighting did you use ?

I use liquid fertalizer (a few different brands) and add about half of the recommended amout when I do weekly water changes of 25%. I add one drop per 20g to my tanks every couple of days after that. The tank, 55g is my main concern, is heavlily planted in about 1/3 of the tank and lightly planted in the other 2/3 of the tank. I have 11 rummynose, 4 lake inle rasboras(like a 10cm danio), 5 very young neon rainbows, 3 small corries, and a clown pleco. I feed my fish with flake 90% of the time and frozen bloodworm and brine sh the other 10% of the time, about twice a day. I try to feed light, only what is eaten in about 3 minutes. I have a 68w, and two 28w corallife HO ballasts designed for fresh water use. The 68w and a 28w are on the side of the tank with the most plants (and algae).
I should add, since adding co2 a few days ago the algae "seems" to be declining, but it is hard to tell so soon. I have not added enough co2 and I will increase co2 injection and try to get levels to 25-30 ppm....