xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
People running EI would like a word
But yeah not having a balance between plant mass/growth, available nutrients and lighting is what causes algae.
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But yeah not having a balance between plant mass/growth, available nutrients and lighting is what causes algae.
Bruce Leyland-Jones
Fish Aficionado
EI?People running EI would like a word
xxBarneyxx
Fish Aficionado
Estimative Index
The basic idea is to get a rough idea of how much nutrients your plants needs and make sure that is available (normally by dosing higher than what is needed).
The important part for this discussion is that EI run tanks basically have an abundance of macro and trace nutrients available at all times. If excess nutrients alone caused algae then EI tanks would be swamped in it.
They are not though and that is mostly down to the fact that the plants just out compete algae.
I'm not a botanist so don't know the science but basically if plants are growing well algae wont be, no matter how much light and nutrients you have. The key is having enough plant mass that is growing fast enough. Its not that the plants are taking all the nutrients first because there are always nutrients available.
If you put out a bucket of tapwater in the sun it will have next to no nutrients available but algae will still grow.
The plants just stop algae growth. It seems counter intuitive but I have run it myself in various forms and it works great.
Algae in my experience comes from:
Not enough plant mass.
Not good enough water flow.
Not clean enough water/too much organic waste.
Ammonia.
An imbalance between light, nutrients and CO2 which is effecting plant growth.
I really am not an expert on this so I would suggest reading into it yourself. I just know that it has worked great for me and a LOT of other people.
Bruce Leyland-Jones
Fish Aficionado
Understood.
I just didn't want to guess, in case it was something else you had in mind.
Too much nutrients (primarily fertilizers) can cause problem algae. So can too little. And too intense light, or not intense enough. And light duration (this factors in if the intensity is OK in the first place, as duration does not compensate for intensity issues). I have had problem black brush algae appear twice due to my use of liquid fertilizer; one dose per week, no algae, but two doses per week, algae.
The EI method is dangerous for fish. It should never be necessary except in high-tech systems with mega lighting and diffused CO2--and these are both detrimental to fish as well. Enough on EI, don't do it.
Plants need 17 nutrients, and these nutrients are required in something of a proportion to each other. Overdosing "x" can cause plants to cease assimilation of "y" for example. This is why in low-tech tanks where fish are the primary inhabitant and plants are there for aesthetics and providing water quality you only need "supplemental" fertilizing. The fish load (assuming they are fed!) and water changes will provide nutrients, but depending upon the fish load and GH of the water, and the number and species of plants, this natural nutrition may not be sufficient. And the light must be in balance with the available nutrients. This is why comprehensive liquid fertilizers like Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium and Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti are recommended. In the UK you can get another excellent product, The Nutrient Company's TNC Lite. These contain the necessary nutrients and in proportions to provide for the plants' requirements, and they are supplemental to the natural nutrients. Floating plants and plants not rooted in the substrate benefit from a liquid supplement. For rooted plants like swords especially, the tabs are better.
Not all aquatic plants will do well in the same tank, due to the lighting intensity, nutrients, or simply plant allelopathy. I provide moderate (some would say closer to low) lighting for my fish, and I use plants that over years and years have grown well under this light, and with minimal plant additives. The appearance of problem algae is my indicator of an imbalance. I have not seen problem algae in my tanks for five years now.
To the issue at hand...what is the spectrum of your tank light? This is indicated by the Kelvin rating, see if you can find it. A number of four digits (or five if extreme) with a "K" suffix.
I would reduce the photoperiod to 8 hours. My tanks run 7 hours daily, with no issues because this balances the nutrients. A timer is a good idea to keep the 8 hours consistent each 24-hour period. This is even more important for fish, but it does affect plants too. A continuous period of "daylight" being the tank lighting, and a continuous period of total darkness (no daylight or ambient room light), with the intervening "dawn" and "dusk" periods being whatever results. Avoid direct sunlight. If the room is brightly lit during the day, block the light with blinds or drapes.
The EI method is dangerous for fish. It should never be necessary except in high-tech systems with mega lighting and diffused CO2--and these are both detrimental to fish as well. Enough on EI, don't do it.
Plants need 17 nutrients, and these nutrients are required in something of a proportion to each other. Overdosing "x" can cause plants to cease assimilation of "y" for example. This is why in low-tech tanks where fish are the primary inhabitant and plants are there for aesthetics and providing water quality you only need "supplemental" fertilizing. The fish load (assuming they are fed!) and water changes will provide nutrients, but depending upon the fish load and GH of the water, and the number and species of plants, this natural nutrition may not be sufficient. And the light must be in balance with the available nutrients. This is why comprehensive liquid fertilizers like Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium and Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti are recommended. In the UK you can get another excellent product, The Nutrient Company's TNC Lite. These contain the necessary nutrients and in proportions to provide for the plants' requirements, and they are supplemental to the natural nutrients. Floating plants and plants not rooted in the substrate benefit from a liquid supplement. For rooted plants like swords especially, the tabs are better.
Not all aquatic plants will do well in the same tank, due to the lighting intensity, nutrients, or simply plant allelopathy. I provide moderate (some would say closer to low) lighting for my fish, and I use plants that over years and years have grown well under this light, and with minimal plant additives. The appearance of problem algae is my indicator of an imbalance. I have not seen problem algae in my tanks for five years now.
To the issue at hand...what is the spectrum of your tank light? This is indicated by the Kelvin rating, see if you can find it. A number of four digits (or five if extreme) with a "K" suffix.
I would reduce the photoperiod to 8 hours. My tanks run 7 hours daily, with no issues because this balances the nutrients. A timer is a good idea to keep the 8 hours consistent each 24-hour period. This is even more important for fish, but it does affect plants too. A continuous period of "daylight" being the tank lighting, and a continuous period of total darkness (no daylight or ambient room light), with the intervening "dawn" and "dusk" periods being whatever results. Avoid direct sunlight. If the room is brightly lit during the day, block the light with blinds or drapes.
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