Diagnosing algae/bacteria problems

[dsm7]

Hey everyone!

I have a bacteria/algae question for the group. Somehow, 2 out of the 5 tanks I'm currently running seem to be out of balance in some way.

I haven't had any of these issues on any other tanks I've ever run, so I was hoping someone might be able to help me diagnose and correct the problem.

Descriptions are below. Thanks in advance for the help!

TANK 1:

• On the surface, there is a film, as well as what appears to be a bacterial goop built up around the output of the HOB filter.
• The plants have some sort of algae that I'm having trouble identifying. I believe it is either fuzz, hair, or staghorn, as it appears to be a fuzz that hangs off of the leaves, particularly the closer you get towards their tips. To my eyes, the fuzz appears to lean towards white or translucent. On a couple leaves, it perhaps has the slightest brown tinge, but I can't really detect that on roughly 90% of the plants.
• I change 20-50% of the water weekly, depending on the condition at the time (e.g., my automatic feeders suck, so I usually have to change a bit more when I come back from vacations). Of course, if there were any other issues (e.g., needing to medicate sick fish, getting a tank back on track after a power outage, etc.), I change the water more frequently if needed.
• This tank probably has lights on for 8 hours per day at most. While it is in a room with windows that have their blinds open during the day, it is quite a ways away from the window and the line of sight is partially obstructed, so I don't believe light is a huge factor here.
• I feed the plants in this tank using Niloc Thrive All-In-One liquid fertilizer as directed, as well as using Seachem Root Tabs where necessary.
• I don't run C02 injection machines on my tanks, but they each have HOB filters made for tanks larger than their respective tanks, as well as sponge filters of various strengths depending on the inhabitants' ability to withstand greater levels of current. I haven't had issues with not utilizing C02 injection in any of the other tanks I've ever run, and I'm working with the same types of fish and plants.
• I have corydora, farlowella, and yo-yo loaches working as my cleanup crew. I feed 5-6 times per week, and, if I ever feel like there's a risk I may have let too much slip, I get the gravel vac out for a quick touch-up and will usually skip feeding the next day.
• Nitrites are at the bottom end of the spectrum, and nitrates are slightly higher but still relatively low.
• I don't believe the tanks are overstocked, as each one had more-or-less the same fish together in smaller tanks before I moved them into the bigger tanks they're in currently, and I didn't encounter any of these issues before.
• All of the fish are healthy. The plants could grow faster and stay darker, but are otherwise healthy. The water is otherwise crystal clear.

TANK 2:

• While there is no film on the surface of this tank, there has occasionally been a bacteria-like buildup of goop around the output of the HOB filter as well. When this has happened, however, it still seems to be less prevalent than it has been in Tank 1.
• The plants have a touch of the fuzz-like algae described for Tank 1; however, the main thing that's noticeable is the slight buildup of brown algae. I scrub this off each time I clean, but it ends up recurring in patches on the glass around the bottom half of the tank, as well as one the substrate (an extremely fine gravel). These patches are not very dense at all, in that you can still see through them and they can be scrubbed off easily.
• I change 20-50% of the water weekly, depending on the condition at the time (e.g., my automatic feeders suck, so I usually have to change a bit more when I come back from vacations). Of course, if there were any other issues (e.g., needing to medicate sick fish, getting a tank back on track after a power outage, etc.), I change the water more frequently if needed.
• Since this tank is closer to a window than I would like, this tank has its lights on for 5 hours per day at most. (Some days I leave the blinds closed all day, but some sunlight still gets through.)
• I feed the plants in this tank using Niloc Thrive All-In-One liquid fertilizer as directed, as well as using Seachem Root Tabs where necessary.
• I don't run C02 injection machines on my tanks, but they each have HOB filters made for tanks larger than their respective tanks, as well as sponge filters of various strengths depending on the inhabitants' ability to withstand greater levels of current. I haven't had issues with not utilizing C02 injection in any of the other tanks I've ever run, and I'm working with the same types of fish and plants.
• I have corydora, farlowella, and yo-yo loaches working as my cleanup crew. I feed 5-6 times per week, and, if I ever feel like there's a risk I may have let too much slip, I get the gravel vac out for a quick touch-up and will usually skip feeding the next day.
• Nitrites are at the bottom end of the spectrum, and nitrates are slightly higher but still relatively low.
• I don't believe the tanks are overstocked, as each one had more-or-less the same fish together in smaller tanks before I moved them into the bigger tanks they're in currently, and I didn't encounter any of these issues before.
• All of the fish are healthy. The plants could grow faster and stay darker, but are otherwise healthy. The water is otherwise crystal clear.

 

[Colin_T]

Pictures?