I cannot shake this algae and it’s starting to starve my plants

[newmag1659]

I just tested my parameters about 10 minutes ago so I know they’re pretty accurate.
pH: 8.4 (tap is nearly 9.0)
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm

It is a 20 gallon high with 6 corys, 2 adult Gardneri killifish, and a couple Gardneri fry. Relatively under stocked I think, but fully planted.I was noticing occasional brown algae showing up and when I did, I would turn off the finnex stingray lights off for a full 48 hours to try and kill it off. Currently the tank is on an 8 hour cycle of light. Leaves on my two amazon swords (along with about half of the Rotala indica) are fading and eventually dying, but some other plants in the tank seem to have no algae on them at all. I dose once weekly with ferts, have root tabs added once every 6 weeks. I’m starting liquid CO2 today to see if that helps.

Help?

 

[itiwhetu]

pH may just be to high for these plants

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Hi, Newmag. Your plants aren't dying because of the algae. Diatoms (brown algae) appear in a lot of new tanks and go away eventually, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. What sort of substrate are you using? How deep is it? How long have these plants been in your tank? The swords look like they might just be experiencing some new-tank melt. Keep the dead or damaged leaves trimmed off (cut the stems where they emerge from the root crown), and hopefully new ones will replace them soon.

itiwhetu might be right about the pH--that seems pretty high for rotalla.

For lighting that's great for plants and tough on algae, I recommend a twelve hour cycle: five hours on in the morning, a couple hours off mid-day, and five hours on again in the evening. A timer can really help with that.

 

[newmag1659]

Hi, Newmag. Your plants aren't dying because of the algae. Diatoms (brown algae) appear in a lot of new tanks and go away eventually, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. What sort of substrate are you using? How deep is it? How long have these plants been in your tank? The swords look like they might just be experiencing some new-tank melt. Keep the dead or damaged leaves trimmed off (cut the stems where they emerge from the root crown), and hopefully new ones will replace them soon.

itiwhetu might be right about the pH--that seems pretty high for rotalla.

For lighting that's great for plants and tough on algae, I recommend a twelve hour cycle: five hours on in the morning, a couple hours off mid-day, and five hours on again in the evening. A timer can really help with that.

Thanks! The tank isn’t super new, I set it up in the beginning of September, but I’ve had the amazon sword plants themselves since April or so.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Thanks! The tank isn’t super new, I set it up in the beginning of September, but I’ve had the amazon sword plants themselves since April or so.

Hm, so it isn't plants going for emergent into submersed mode. Try changing up the lights. How deep is your substrate? Swords really like room to spread out their roots.

 

[Seb2502]

I seem to be having the same issue. My ph is about the same. So I’m beginning to think that’s the cause.

 

[StevenF]

Algae typically does best when there is a lack of nutrients in the water needed fro growth. Plants typically do better in water with more nutrients. You plants are probably not being killed by the algae. Instead there is a nutrient deficiency thant is preventing plant growth. This favors algae growth.

The nutrients you need to look at are nitrogen potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, sulfur, and chloride.These are called macro nutrients because they are typically found in water at a level above 1part per million. Then there are the micro nutrients iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and nickel. These are found in water at less than 1ppm. If just one of these is missing your plants are either not going to grow, grow slowly , or die. IF you are not using a fertilizer you need to start using one.

If you have every soft water you probably don't have enough calcium or magnesium in the water. If your GH is below 3 increase it using a GH bboster. which will typicallyhave chloride or sulfate which the plants also need., For plants you do not want zero nitrate. 5 to 10ppm is a good level for plants and is generally sate for fish. Only one nutrient is affected by PH and that is iron. At a PH of 8 or higher a fertilizer containing iron gluconate is preferred. PH doesn't affect iron cluconate but it needs to be added about 3 or 4 times a week. I recommend a maximum weekly dose of 0.1ppm for iron. Note when I say chloride I am talking about a chlorine salt such as sodium chloride or calcium chloride which are safe in a aquarium. I am not talking about chlorine gas or chloramine which are toxic. Due to the water treatment process tap water typically hose chloride in it and due to water pipes Copper also

 

[Discus_phil]

Have you looked into Siamese algae eaters, ottos, or amano shrimp. All these have worked wonders eating up algae in my tanks in the past...