Need Plant Advice

[JJJ]

Hi
I have a 40gal tank, am planning to stock it with Tetras I have 7 at the moment. A hang on filter with a sponge with no bio carbon. Is this required?

Plants: 2 Hygros, 1 anbulia, and 3 cypts

Lights- ( 2 w/gal) 10 hrs a day, have reduced to 6 hrs in the last 3 days

I have just cycled my tank and now have some algae, there is some hair algae/green algae which is removable . however I have also noticed this blue green algae , it is actually a dark green ( like a bottle green) it covers plants /ornament or gravel, I removed it last week and can already see signs of it comming back, so i redused the lights per day .

Is it cyanobacteria? there any thing more I can do to remove it?

Is it toxic? I read somewhere that it is.

I am currently using florish 2 timed a week and Excell every second day as recommended, could that be causing this algae?

Do I require a CO2 injector, is there any benefit? (would it help with Cyanobacteria Algae)

How much Co2 do I need? Are the ferts enough?

I also have a pleco he has the green glass algae, I am planning to buysome SAE or Ottos, I'm not sure if they could help?

water parameters:
ph-7
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-10
Kh- 5dh
Gh-10dh

I have had the plants for month (just before the cycle) they have been loosing some leaves (last week), there also have some brown edges/algae on leaves . There was some new growth while I was cycling, but now algea and this bluegreen algae has grown on some plants (ambulia and1 Hygro)

I am doing water changes 2 times a week around 30%. water parameters have remained constant in the last 2 weeks

Any advice is useful, I read on a tread that this blue/green algae can become a problem if not treated early..

thanks

 

[Wolfenrook]

With your lighting CO2 will help a bit, but you are already adding Excel which is a liquid carbon source, so it's not such a problem. You could try using a slightly higher dosage of this as at higher dosages it does actually fight algae. I beleive that the insturctions that come with it give details of using it to fight algae?

Your water changes seem fine, are you cleaning any detritus from the substrate at the same time? If so all good there.

Next on the list is your filtration. Is your hang on the only filter you have? If so you need to add some powerheads or flow pumps. Circulation is very important in planted tanks in order to circulate the nutrients to all corners of the tank, without any dead spots or nutrient pools forming. Often cyanobacter is an indicator that water circulation isn't adequate. Also hang on filters aren't ideal for planted tanks, they do little for circulation but do a good job of driving off needed CO2 through surface agitation.

Finally your planting, by 2 hygros do you mean 2 stems? If so you need a lot more. Really in a planted tank you want at least 50% substrate coverage from the word go, preferably fast growing plants (like the hygros you have). Also your fert dosing, be aware that with higher light levels and desner planting you do really need to be dosing something with nitrate, phosphate and potassium in it. All you are dosing at the moment is trace elements and iron, oh and carbon. Contrary to old opinions nutrients don't cuase algae, quite often the lack of nutrients does however.

Ade

 

[JJJ]

With your lighting CO2 will help a bit, but you are already adding Excel which is a liquid carbon source, so it's not such a problem. You could try using a slightly higher dosage of this as at higher dosages it does actually fight algae. I beleive that the insturctions that come with it give details of using it to fight algae?

Your water changes seem fine, are you cleaning any detritus from the substrate at the same time? If so all good there.

Next on the list is your filtration. Is your hang on the only filter you have? If so you need to add some powerheads or flow pumps. Circulation is very important in planted tanks in order to circulate the nutrients to all corners of the tank, without any dead spots or nutrient pools forming. Often cyanobacter is an indicator that water circulation isn't adequate. Also hang on filters aren't ideal for planted tanks, they do little for circulation but do a good job of driving off needed CO2 through surface agitation.

Finally your planting, by 2 hygros do you mean 2 stems? If so you need a lot more. Really in a planted tank you want at least 50% substrate coverage from the word go, preferably fast growing plants (like the hygros you have). Also your fert dosing, be aware that with higher light levels and desner planting you do really need to be dosing something with nitrate, phosphate and potassium in it. All you are dosing at the moment is trace elements and iron, oh and carbon. Contrary to old opinions nutrients don't cuase algae, quite often the lack of nutrients does however.

Ade

I will start the double excell treatment to clear the Algae. does this get rid of the Blue green(Cyanobacteria) as well?
will it effect the fish , do I need more fish? (currently 8 tetras and 1 pleco)

Yes, gravel vac is included in water changes .

The hang on is the only filter I have, I also have an airstone at the opposite end if the tank , would this help with circulation? I have it on occassionally( every third day) I have reduced the aeration rate to about half . If I still need powerhead does it suite Tetras and plecos?
What would be a recommended filtration method for planted tanks?

The plants are bunched Hygros, so thats about 5 stems in each bunch,( i have sperated the stems about 10mm apart) the baby tears there is about 7 stems (see attacted photo, that was 2 weeks ago)
the hygro are growing roots higher up the stem, therefore the top of the stem is hangs lower now, is there a pruning guide as i would like the it to grow along the top.

I have possasuim in my kh powder, I use every time I do a water change, my nitrate levels are around 10 ppm. is there any fert with possasuim and nitrate?

I have planted some offshoots from the hygro to fill up more of the tank, they a growing slowly, would you reccomend this or just to get another few more hygro stems

BTW I have noticed some ramshorn snails ( about 10, I try the vac them when cleanning) are they a danger to my plants or do they prefer algae?

Thank again for the advice.