Phosphates and Algae

[lizard]

I set up a 10-gallon tank about two (?) months ago. Sand substrate, one piece of driftwood with a bunch of Java Moss and a few Java Ferns on it, some Hygrophilia difformis, some Rosette Sword (don't remember the Latin name), and another Echinodorus spp. are all in there. I also threw in some H. polysperma for awhile, hoping that the extra plants would take nutrients away from the algae. Current residents are eight Corydoras pygmaeus, two otos, two SAEs (little ones), two tiny Platies, and one tiny Guppy. Otos, Platies, and Guppies were added two days ago (babies snuck in net when lfs guy was catching Otos). SAEs have been in there a couple weeks. I borrowed them from work to help control hair algae. It hasn't helped - they've been slacking Either that or they've been eating hair algae, but there's so much that two of them just don't make a difference Tank has lots of hair algae and brown algae (diatoms, perhaps?). I feed sparingly every two to four days. Water changes of a gallon or two get done every two weeks or so. There are lots of snails, too

I finally bought a phosphate test this week (from BigAl's for less than $6!). Just tested the phosphate level and it's between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm. In the last few days, there seems to be less hair algae, but maybe I'm just optimistic Nitrate is testing at less than 5 ppm, but my test is over six months old, so I don't know how accurate it is anymore. I'm testing the phosphate level of my tapwater right now...

In the meantime... My 29-gallon tank has a small amount of hair algae - something it has not ever had. Sam, my SAE in that tank, has been slacking, 'cause the hair algae is still there. Bad fishy! At least he's gotten less bossy recently.

Tapwater phosphate levels looks to be between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm.

I looked at phosphate removing stuff at work today, but didn't get any. I think I'm going to give the little tank a few more days and see how things go.

Since it's a planted tank, do I need ot do anything with a phosphate level that low? If I need to do something to get rid of it, what should I use? Any recommendations?

Thanks!

ETA: The tests I use are made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[iggy01]

I looked at phosphate removing stuff at work today, but didn't get any. I think I'm going to give the little tank a few more days and see how things go.

Since it's a planted tank, do I need ot do anything with a phosphate level that low? If I need to do something to get rid of it, what should I use? Any recommendations?

Thanks!

ETA: The tests I use are made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

I.M.O. your phosphate level is fine. You don't need to buy a phosphate remover. Keep your money in your pocket!

What level of lighting do you have?

Are you injecting CO2? If so, to what level?

 

[houndour]

From what I've been reading on the web I'd say your nitrates are too low. I'm sure I read somewhere that they shouldn't be below 10ppm for planted tanks.

As for snails...I've tried _every_ trick in the book...the only way is snail eating fish IMO. I got 3 botia striata and they eat all the small ones. The only visible snails I have now are the bigger ones. Do you have room for anymore fish? I know botia are sposed to be kept in groups. I could only fit 3 tho. And botia are gorgeous too he's the one in my avatar.

 

[lizard]

IIRC, the tank has 15 watts of light, so that 1.5 WPG. No CO2.

Yeah, my nitrates are low...*if* my test is accurate. The test is probably at least a year old, so whether or not it's accurate, I don't know...

Yep, there's room for more fish in there, but most of the snail-eating ones I know about get too big for a 10-gallon (US gallons). Too bad we're out of YoYo Loaches at work...I could toss a couple in there for a week or two. Borrowing a Dwarf Puffer probably wouldn't be such a great idea - he'd probably takes bites out of my Pygmy Cories. He'd eat the snails, though.

Either the brown algae isn't growing as much, or the Otos are chowing it all down Hair algae isn't growing as crazily either. We'll see if it stays that way, though.

Thanks!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Art_Giacosa]

It would be very helpful to understand your fertilization regime. Your nitrates and phosphates appear to be low.

 

[Nospherith]

The PO4 levels could be lower, but it's still OK. PO4 doesn't necessarily contribute to algae, there's other elements to it. Ammonia is also another algae nutrient and so is (excess) Fe.

I had the same problems with my tank when it was new. Brown algae, hair algae, thread algae, staghorn algae, blue-green algae, brush algae.... Snail infestations...

The snails are gone now for some reason (I'm guessing it's becuase of decreasing my feeding to "< or = 1/day" or dosing traces). And the moderately severe algea blight has quelled quite a bit and I really haven't done much besides increasing the plant biomass, getting a timer for the lights, adding a CO2 bubble ladder, feeding less, and adding 7 oto's to the 20g. (IMO oto's need to be used en masse for them to make a good dent.)

-BTW that's a great deal that you got on the PO4 test kit. They're more than twice that price around here.

 

[lizard]

The PO4 is a little higher than I'd like, but not so high that I'm going to go get anything special to deal with it.

I'm quite happy with the deal I got on the phosphate test kit. One of my LFSs had it for nearly $20. I understand they have to make money somehow, and I wish I had enough money so that buying stuff like that from them wouldn't affect me much, but I don't.

I haven't checked the ammonia in that tank. Plants are growing, but not rapidly (but I don't think I have rapidly growing spp in there, either, save for the Hygro spp).

I don't really have any fertilizing regime for this tank. I've been trying to avoid adding much of anything "extra". I haven't noticed any signs of nutrient deficiencies on the plants, so I don't see much reason to add stuff. I did get some SeaChem Flourish Tabs when I got the PO4 test - maybe I'll stuff a couple of those in the substrate. Harder for algae and snails to utilize it if it's down there, I'd imagine

Thanks again.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard