Do I Need To Change My Dose?

[coldcazzie]

Currently dosing 30ppm nitrate, 2ppm phosphate plus trace twice weekly, with weekly 50% water change/gravel vac, and monthly filter cleaning.

However, I bought a bunch of plants from a forum member, there were about 60 in the bundle, so do I need to up the amount I dose? If so by how much?

Also, how long should it take plants to recover? They are mostly vallis, plus a tiny bit of anubias and 4 crypts, but some of the vallis are very tall and were folded in the envelope so the leaves have snapped. I know the snapped bit has no chance and I've removed them, but what about the rest of those leaves? Amd I right in thinking they'll eventually die and rot? Plus the plants are not in great condition: they are not vibrant green, sort of wishywashy and some look like they are covered in cracks/veins. I'll see if I can take a picture to show what I mean. How long should it take them to start to recover/improve in condition?

Also, still fighting with the BGA, from reading mark's thread am I right to understand you AC that you think that more cleaning and higher nitrates would help get rid, or is it simply a case of those are the causes (mucky filter/low nitrates) and it makes no nevermind whether you fix them now because the damage is already done (not implying the causes shouldn't be fixed, just meaning that fixing them wont help now the BGA is already present!)

Any thoughts welcome

 

[SuperColey1]

To be honest I have no experience with BGA. Fortunately not something I have ever encountered.

So in effect I am just repeating what I have been told, or more accurately repeating what I have read after weaning out the chaff.

This is a good site with algae guides and much more that speaks in understandable language rather than puzzling terminology:

http/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/PMDD.htm

AC

 

[mark4785]

Currently dosing 30ppm nitrate, 2ppm phosphate plus trace twice weekly, with weekly 50% water change/gravel vac, and monthly filter cleaning.

However, I bought a bunch of plants from a forum member, there were about 60 in the bundle, so do I need to up the amount I dose? If so by how much?

Also, how long should it take plants to recover? They are mostly vallis, plus a tiny bit of anubias and 4 crypts, but some of the vallis are very tall and were folded in the envelope so the leaves have snapped. I know the snapped bit has no chance and I've removed them, but what about the rest of those leaves? Amd I right in thinking they'll eventually die and rot? Plus the plants are not in great condition: they are not vibrant green, sort of wishywashy and some look like they are covered in cracks/veins. I'll see if I can take a picture to show what I mean. How long should it take them to start to recover/improve in condition?

Also, still fighting with the BGA, from reading mark's thread am I right to understand you AC that you think that more cleaning and higher nitrates would help get rid, or is it simply a case of those are the causes (mucky filter/low nitrates) and it makes no nevermind whether you fix them now because the damage is already done (not implying the causes shouldn't be fixed, just meaning that fixing them wont help now the BGA is already present!)

Any thoughts welcome

I think a 5-day-blackout is the only answer to getting rid of BGA due to the fact that it will exist at a microscopic level making it near impossible to remove it as you can't see it.

I've tried to manually remove BGA but it grows from a microscopic level to a highly visible level within 3 days so it's really a waste of time.

I think with other forms of algae, you can deplete their growth rate by putting a stop to what caused it in the first place but I think BGA is in a league of it's own.

 

[RadaR]

Manually removing the BGA (cyanobacteria)does indeed help. Anything you can physically see, hoover it up.
Then it's just a case of rectifying the parameters that encourage BGA.

Dirty substrate
Dirty filter
Levels of ammonia (detectable and undetecable)
Lack of flow
Low NO3

All algae has microscopic stages...

I think with other forms of algae, you can deplete their growth rate by putting a stop to what caused it in the first place but I think BGA is in a league of it's own.

Therefore, would that not suggest manual removal is a good thing to do with BGA.

 

[myrtle]

Can't help with the bga but vallis is often trimmed so the leaves that have had the ends snapped should be ok. If they've been damaged further down or crushed they'll probably die off though (the leaves, not the whole plant). Just keep n eye out for any leaves that look like they're dying and remove them if and when they need it.

 

[mark4785]

Manually removing the BGA (cyanobacteria)does indeed help. Anything you can physically see, hoover it up.
Then it's just a case of rectifying the parameters that encourage BGA.

Dirty substrate
Dirty filter
Levels of ammonia (detectable and undetecable)
Lack of flow
Low NO3

All algae has microscopic stages...

I think with other forms of algae, you can deplete their growth rate by putting a stop to what caused it in the first place but I think BGA is in a league of it's own.

Therefore, would that not suggest manual removal is a good thing to do with BGA.

No because its impossible to remove it all. To remove it all it seems depriving it of light is the only thing that helps. By the way, of the above trigger factors for BGA I only have low N03 and some traces of ammonium which I inadvertently added with TPN+.

 

[coldcazzie]

Can't help with the bga but vallis is often trimmed so the leaves that have had the ends snapped should be ok. If they've been damaged further down or crushed they'll probably die off though (the leaves, not the whole plant). Just keep n eye out for any leaves that look like they're dying and remove them if and when they need it.

Thanks that's reassuring!

With regards to the BGA the only thing I can't fix (which I believe is the biggest problem) is bad flow. Can't fix that until new filter arrives.

Can anybody answer my dosing question?

 

[RadaR]

Currently dosing 30ppm nitrate, 2ppm phosphate plus trace twice weekly, with weekly 50% water change/gravel vac, and monthly filter cleaning.

However, I bought a bunch of plants from a forum member, there were about 60 in the bundle, so do I need to up the amount I dose? If so by how much?

You shouldnt need to increase the dose. If you do start seeing deficiencies after two weeks though, then there is no harm in increasing the dose. But like I said, you shouldnt have to.

 

[myrtle]

Sorry, I completely missed the original point of your post
I agree with RadaR, you shouldn't need to up the dose.

 

[coldcazzie]

Awesome thanks guys!