Easylife Easy Carbo

[Danbarb]

Just wondering as today is the first day of using Easylife Easy Carbo, if it is actually effective at reducing algae along with water changes/scraping off glass.. and general maintenance?

I've read on various places on the web, that it can help reduce algae as it has similar properties to Flourish Excel... in that it is a liquid form of carbon that the plants can utilize, and starve the algae of nutrients as it were.

I have Vallisneria gigantea and I am hoping to not destroy this plant, and I know with flourish some people have reported it dying off.

Also, I have green algae over my bogwood - which I actually like, am hoping this won't die out but if it does "OK"... I will then obviously have to start feeding my bristlenoses more via sinking wafers/algae blocks.

I don't want SAE in my tank, I had thought about it but yeah not my thing really.

Thanks for any info or help you can give!

 

[Danbarb]

Or anyone use this product? Or had problems with algae and successfully helped the issue using?

 

[ian]

it will kill algae when spot dosed, as one of it's bases is an industrial cleaner. This is what kills the algae. I use it in all of my planted tanks. It's a very good product.

Spot dosing is where you switch all filtration off and squirt directly onto the algae with a pipette or syringe. Leave for a few mins and then switch everything back on. It only takes a couple of apps and you algae should go. However, you aren't getting to the root of the problem, so your algae is more than likely gonna come back.

 

[Danbarb]

Thank-you!!

DIY co2 should I take this out overnight or not? I don't use an airpump either, I just have good surface agitation.

What do you think?

I agree, and am trying to get to the root causes. Am going through parameters one by one, and then leaving for a bit to see if I can alter things but like most people am looking for a quick fix to a bigger issue =P

 

[ian]

is the tank planted, Dan? Give us some stats as well, what lighting and size of tank?

 

[Danbarb]

It is planted, I have about 4 varities of plant in there (with a lot of ludwiga). It is a 180 litre Juwel Vision. Nitrates currently are at 60ppm, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, PH 6.6-6.8. GH around 16, KH between 3 and 6. Bit colourblind so was hard to tell on the KH!

Stocked with the following;

13 tiger barbs
7 bristlenose catfish
2 Apistogramma Agassizi
4 dwarf neon rainbowfish
3 yoyo loaches

(the 7 bristlenose are juvies, and am giving away 4 of these after identifying 2m 1f)

I have ludwiga repens (quite a bit), Myriophyllum scabratum (looking a bit dull on the lower branches/leaves), Vallisneria Gigantea Java, Anubias Coffeefolia. Am awaiting a delivery arriving tomorrow of 5 other plants to add to these. (also have another foreground plant that I haven't identified just yet, that has dark leaves as they get older, that get replaced by greener leaves and propogates by a runner underneath the substrate sort of making a sister plant)

Substrate is flourite black, two pieces of reasonably sized bogwood. Eheim 2215 with spray bar, and Eheim Liberty 2014 (I think). DIY co2 goes through the intake to the Liberty and back out into the tank... diffuses quite well as can see fine bubbles flowing into the tank.

I haven't actually done any readings or got any test kits for co2, so that's why I'm not exactly sure of how much is going into the tank tbh.

Had to throw away some java fern as it started to get hair algae on it and diatoms (but think they were eggs! ), and when I cleaned it, it sort of fell apart and I got annoyed with it so threw it all away. Lovely leaves they were and managed to attach them to the bogwood on one side of the tank. Shame, but ah well there is always another time I suppose.

The algae problem started with GSA... which I promptly removed, and used a syphon to clean it from the gravel at the same time and then did a water change. My tank is looking a bit better at the moment, and all I did was use Kordon Amquel Plus - which is odd that it improved the situation really so didn't narrow down the actual issue.

I took plants out this morning, and used my algae scraper to softly brush the leaves and removed some hair algae (it wasn't loads but was still noticeable when getting close to the tank).

I used to run at 27 degrees C, but I run at 24-25 degrees C at the moment. To be fair when it was running 27, because of central heating it fluctuated a bit day to night and wasn't exactly regular. But at the moment temp is regular 24-25.

I also threw away some old food that I had, as I had read some food that is a few months old is not good for fish or water quality and have also started feeding very small amount for two times a day, and placing some sinking wafers near to where my bottom feeders go.

I have also JBL KugeIn balls within the substate, about 6 in total located close to the clumps of plants for root nutrients.

2x 35 watt T5 lights. One Day lite at the back, one nature at the front.

Hope that extra info helps!

EDIT: I add the recommended dosage of EasyLife profito once a week. But only just added the easy carb today so that might also have helped? Also T5 bulbs are only 1 month old.

Another thing I changed that probably helped was I had taken an old T5 daylite that I had, and it was on the T5 unit... I put a new nature light on there instead. Not sure why I decided an old T5 daylite was better than a new nature light to be honest but yeah something else that changed this morning.

Looks similar to that. Except the boesemani's went back to the LFS. =( but yeah most of it looks the same minus the java on the left bogwood now gone.

 

[Danbarb]

Strangely enough my nitrates have gone down to 40ppm today. I personally think this is due to the second HOB filter finally cycling, so my filtration has caught up. Although, I am not 100% sure on this. It has been there for a week now.

On another note I just received an order of Eheim 2215 media pack. I am using fluval rings similar to EHFI mech and 1 blue coarse pad, 1 pack of Fluval nitrate remover, and another blue coarse pad, and then filter wool. Should I leave the fluval rings, and remove the nitrate removal pack and put in the Substrat pro? My feeling is this would increase the filtration capacity of my 2215 giving me much better nitrate levels after a while.

Any ideas?

 

[ian]

I'm on my phone at the min Dan, so will get back later, if no one else does.

 

[Danbarb]

Thank-you! It is really appreciated as I am still learning everyday with this relatively new hobby.

 

[Vin Swords]

I have same problem.. Last time I changed the tank and the stuff when I lost the war with BBA. Now it's come back in the new tanks after year of BBA free.. Used flourish.. But only manage to loose 50% of BBA. What is the root problem anyways.. And what is the proper dose for flourish excel.. To get rid of BBa? I am worried coz it says don't over dose in the bottle. Plus I got some expansive fish. Don't want to loose them. I don't mind the plants.. My bog woods and the 3D backgrounds is the one I need be BBA Free. Thanks.

 

[Danbarb]

The bogwood you could probably use flourish excel in a bucket? It's just an idea, perhaps leave it soaking in a bucket with a high intensity flourish excel and then after that, soak it in a bucket of plain RO water. I've read that some people are deliberately double or triple dosing flourish excel without negative effects to fish (with proper aeration). However, I also read that some people have lost some fish by overdosing as well.

On a standard dosing of flourish I doubt it would kill the fish, but it does have a chemical agent in it that is toxic in higher concentrations...

My tank seems "OK" at the moment, after changing an old T5 tube out for a newer one, and removing most of the GSA by hand... and taking plants out and rinsing them (and scrubbing to an extent) the BBA off. My Valliseria Gigantis...(sp) on the right hand side seems to be getting a slight bit of the stuff again. I swear it is from the bogwood on that side that has quite a bit of algae on it (but the nice green algae that looks natural in a planted tank).

I too am tempted to take that piece of bogwood out and clean it thoroughly but I sort of like that little bit of algae on there and the bristlenoses love it too.

I am not entirely sure, but I think doing water changes with Amquel Plus by Kordon seems to have improved not only water clarity but also has prevented algae build up like I was getting before. Only time will tell I suppose!

Another question I have is... My tank is pretty much stable at 6.6PH, and my tap water is about 7.8. When I add the tap water that is conditioned, would the PH fluctuation/mix be a contributing factor to algae build up.... or is it dispersed in water in such a way that it wouldn't contribute significantly to algae issues.

PS: Love your tank Vin. Looks marvellous, and hope you get the BBA issue sorted.

On another note if you have had your tank BBA free for a year, and now it is appearing could that be old tank syndrome? Just an idea, not too sure the details of what causes that or solutions for that.

 

[Jamepsss]

The Flourish Excel overdose worked for me. I think my BBA outbreak happened because I run a low-tech tank and do large water changes every week which causes fluctuating c02 levels. Now that it's all gone I'm trying to do smaller water changes less often, just means keeping a closer eye on my stats. Have a look at my journal which I've started in the planted section.

Also, SAE's weren't my thing either. But I got one and it quickly became one of my favourite fish I own. Not only are they stunning, peaceful fish which reach a decent size, but they're busy all the time. Cleaning plant leaves and eating BBA. Just make sure you get the right species if you decide to go down that route.

 

[Danbarb]

Tempting tempting! I think I'll take a look for SAE at the LFS soon. But yeah I know, I don't want the chinese algae eaters or something different so I'll probably take an identifying picture with me just to be 100% sure.

Seeing as it is just a bit of brush algae, they'll probably help. I'll also start doing small regular water changes as well. Probably 15 percent just before lights out every 2 days. Also, the time of day you do a water change could have an impact?

Like co2 builds higher during the night, so would it not make more sense to do this later at night just before lights out so that the plants have more nutrient uptake in the morning once the co2 builds up from the plants overnight.

Eg. First thing in morning - High co2...
Lights on
Plants absorb co2 as part of photosynthesis...
Do water change before lights off
Plants dump out co2 as part of the cycle
First thing in morning - High co2.... etc etc.

Jamepsss, will take a look at your journal it will no doubt help me with my tank.

 

[Vin Swords]

Dan, Ur post is very help ful mate..
My t5 is just over 6 months old.. So I planing to replaced with 14k iquatics.. And planing continue with flourish excel. Let see how is it gos.. Thanks

 

[Danbarb]

No problem and I'll be honest, replacing the T5 tube was a big help (amongst over things) for me in combating the algae. I really do hope you solve your BBA problem and you get it all sorted, as you have a LOVELY stocking of fish, and a really nice tank. Good luck mate!