Hair Algea Treatment

[Aqua Tom]

I have recently had a Hair Algea explosion in my tank, it is very unsightly & very depressing after all my hard work.

Here is my Tank information.

Tank size 180 litres.
Lights 2 x full length t8 tubes with reflectors.
Homemade Pressurised CO2 system.
Plants = Vallis, Crypts, Anubis & Java Fern.
Fertilizer is Tropica Aquacare that I dose at 18ml weekly.
Bogwood & Slate
Sand Substrate (playsand)
Filter Fluval 205
Fish Stocklist is in my sig.

After reading James' website & other posts on here I have started my treatment.

I have reduced the light by 1 hour so they are on for 6 hours a day
I have increased the CO2
I have increased the circulation by adding a 800 l/h pump
I have increased the ferz to 25ml per week

I am a bit worried that I may gas my fish by increasing the CO2, the drop checker was yellow yesterday so I had to reduce it again.

Is there anything else I should be doing? Is there anything I should be doing differently?


Thanks

Tom

 

[RadaR]

Hair algae is CO2 related however you should be dosing nutrients daily, not weekly. Also, it should be the "+" version of the tropica plant nutrition as this contains macro and micro nutrients which the plants need due to the CO2 injection.

A slight ripple on the surface of the water is good as it promotes good surface gas exchange. Too much will drive off CO2 though. The fish are the best thing to look at in terms of overdosing CO2. Some fish do fine with yellow drop checker. Observation and act accordinly. Your drop checker is filled with 4dkh water and bromo blue isnt it?
CO2 should come on 2hours before lights come on and CO2 should turn off 2hours before lights go off.
Water changes should be large and weekly. Nutrients dosed straight afterwards.
Ensure good circulation is being achieved by the new pump. You want the plants swaying. Two filters or powerheads opposing one another isn't good. They should be working together (if that makes sense).

EDIT: Having a tank with 75% plant coverage will help too. Chuck some fast growers in there.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Hair algae is CO2 related however you should be dosing nutrients daily, not weekly. Also, it should be the "+" version of the tropica plant nutrition as this contains macro and micro nutrients which the plants need due to the CO2 injection.

I cant realy start dosing fertz daily until next weekend as I have just done the weekly dose .It is the "+" version.

A slight ripple on the surface of the water is good as it promotes good surface gas exchange. Too much will drive off CO2 though.

I have adjusted my spraybar accordingly.

The fish are the best thing to look at in terms of overdosing CO2. Some fish do fine with yellow drop checker. Observation and act accordinly. Your drop checker is filled with 4dkh water and bromo blue isnt it?

Yes it is filled with 4dkh bromo blue

CO2 should come on 2hours before lights come on and CO2 should turn off 2hours before lights go off.

They do

Water changes should be large and weekly. Nutrients dosed straight afterwards.

They are

Ensure good circulation is being achieved by the new pump. You want the plants swaying. Two filters or powerheads opposing one another isn't good. They should be working together (if that makes sense).

Plants are swaying nicely.

EDIT: Having a tank with 75% plant coverage will help too. Chuck some fast growers in there.

Thats what I thought the vallis was.




Thanks

 

[StandbySetting]

How many ml's of TPN+ did you dose today?

You should be dosing 9ml's daily.

 

[RadaR]

Sounds good.
Missed the vallis.
Also forgot to mention that manual removal is important.

 

[Aqua Tom]

How many ml's of TPN+ did you dose today?

You should be dosing 9ml's daily.

25ml, yesterday

Have been dosing 18ml weekly before that.

Aha, methinks I see a problem here.

so 9ml daily = 63mls weekly, I have been no-where near that dose.

 

[StandbySetting]

Increase your dosing in that case then, it'll help with the algae problem as nutrients aren't limited.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Increase your dosing in that case then, it'll help with the algae problem as nutrients aren't limited.

Great. I dose 25ml yetserday so will start dosing 9ml daily from tomorow.


Tom