Brown Algea And Now Getting Hair Too!

[aibo210]

Hi

I currently have a

• juwel rio 125
• standard high-lite 2x 28w tubes running at 10hrs after increaseing from 8hrs.
• pressurised c02 2 hours on befor lights 2 hour off befor lights off
• doseing tropica nutrition+ 2ml 5days a week sat rest day sunday 3rd water change usuing seachem prime.

My question is why am I gettin brown algea? its covering plants my filter and rocks like brown dusting and now after increasing the lighting im now gettin hair algea on my swords!!!

The tanks been set up 3 weeks it was a transfer from a 65l tank I pulled my old tetra external across to save cyling the tank and used brand new plants and 2 bags of eco complete.

Im only into my 3rd week with this tank and already im gettin the brown stuff and its ruinin my plants.

Please help

Carl

 

[SJ2K]

im not sure if the same rule applies for planted tanks but i know brown and hair algae are common in non-planted tanks in the early stages, usually clears itself up after a while.

Just incase you are interested, Oto's love planted tanks with plenty of brown algae to feed on

 

[aibo210]

I was thinking about getting some ottos. I cant work out what to do with doseing if I should increase to 3ml everyday for 5 days or stop at 2ml it says tropica Nutrition+ makes algea worse if overdosed but I aint sure with co2 and good lighting whats does people think on here?

carl

 

[RadaR]

Well, your brown algae is understandable because it's a new tank, regardless of the mature media, I bet you had some ammonia at some point. It will go and Otocinclus will happily dine upon it.
Hair algae, if it's black and brushy then that is un-stable or/and low CO2.
If it's just strands of hair algae then it's a fertiliser issue.

tropica Nutrition+ makes algea worse if overdosed

Not true I'm afraid. Excess N and P doesn't induce algae. Infact it inhibits it because you are supplying the plants enough nutrients/light/CO2 to out-compete the algae. Your actually not dosing enough of the TNP+. You've got around 1.7WPG. I would be dosing 3-4ml everyday. Doing a third to 50% water change each week and dosing again.
Any idea what your bubble count is on your CO2? How is it being diffused?
If you want to know if your CO2 levels are alright then I would invest in a drop checker and the 4 dKH Solution.
Add 1.5ml of the 4 dKH to the clear plastic bit of the drop checker and also add 3 drops of the reagent that comes with the JBL drop checker kit. Then carefully assemble it back together. Stick the drop checker to the inside glass of the tank. Give it a few hours and if it turns blue then there isnt enoguh CO2. If it's yellow there is too much, and if the colour is green then you got 30ppm of CO2.

 

[aibo210]

Im using a spiro 3000 glass defuser I dont have a clue what the bubble count is as its goin to fast to even count them! I have a boyu drop cheaker with 4dkh and 3 drops of api low ph test my colour at present is lime green on the verge to yellow at the end of co2 diffusing in the day. when lights come on at 1pm my drop cheaker is a dark green colour till about 3-4pm though i do have my co2 on 2 hour befor light.

so drop cheaker:

Grass green at 11pm co2 on
light on 1pm
by 3-4pm light green (leaf colour)
by 9pm light green nerly yellow.
Co2 off at 9pm
light off 11pm

This sound all about right?

I was only dosein 2ml a day as i was adviced the plants would not be established yet.

Carl

 

[RadaR]

so drop cheaker:

Grass green at 11pm co2 on
light on 1pm
by 3-4pm light green (leaf colour)
by 9pm light green nerly yellow.
Co2 off at 9pm
light off 11pm

This sound all about right?

Indeed, it sounds fine. Very efficient

I was only dosein 2ml a day as i was adviced the plants would not be established yet.

Carl

Dis-regard that. The only time when plants "need to establish themselves" is when they've been grown above the water and are getting used to being submerged. Even then you should still dose.
Get dosing!