Pmdd, Algae And High Phosphates!

[aquarimum]

I am beginning to wish Id never started with PMDD in my 200 liter tank. Algae is taking over everthing...horrible brown algae on my BTN background and green algae on plants, rocks and glass. My phosphate levels are high...last reading was 0.8 and im having to do regular PWC to keep it under control. Ive stopped using PMDD but the algae keeps on growing. Will it ever stop? Am I doing something wrong? My plants that I paid alot of money for now look horrible....one in particular is dying as every morning I have to pick out dead matter floating on the surface (tall grass like plant cant remember name sorry). I need some help!!!
Thanks
Karen

 

[GrayScale]

What kind of lighting do you have and for how long is it on?

 

[ian]

and the biggie...have you got C02 running?

with all of these styles of dosing ferts a large water change once or twice a week it always needed to reduce organic waste build ups.

 

[aquarimum]

Sorry should have mentioned I have two 30w t8 lamps and no Co2. Lamps are on for about 12 hours per day. Just ran a PO4 test and its 0.8 again! Ammonia and nitrites are 0. Nitrates are at 10. Dont know if this is a factor but Ive recently started using Happy Life Liquid Filter Medium. My water has never been so clear since then! Thanks
Karen

 

[ian]

TBH, i'm not sure why you'd need to use pmdd on a tank like this. The growth will be slow enough without C02. I would only go down the pmdd route in this tank with C02, in a tank like this i would just use some trace a couple of times a week. The lights are also on for to long, maybe start them off at 6 hours and build the time up accordingly.

In a nut shell, stop using the PMDD, theres no need for it. Down the light time to 6 hours a day (for the time being). Manually remove the visible algae. Start using just trace and monitor plants.

 

[aquarimum]

Sorry to sound like an idiot but what do you mean by trace? Ive never heard this term before but I am still relatively new to this!
Thanks for the help Ive just done yet another PWC and will take your advice.
Karen

 

[ian]

you should have the chelated trace element mix, that you have been dosing with PMDD??


If you're struggling with the whole dosing thing then this is a good all round trace.

http/www.aquariumonline.co.uk/seachem_flourish_500ml_P0000000874.html

a bottle like that would last about 6 months as well.

 

[aquarimum]

I have 3 different bottles with PMDD one is KNO3, one is KH2PO4 and the other is a micromix. Which one do you mean?
Sorry for all the questions!!
Thanks
Karen

 

[ian]

Presumably it will be the micro mix. So, it'll be that you'd dose.

 

[aquarimum]

Thankyou very much for that help. Hope it wont take too long before my tank is back to normal.
Karen

 

[ian]

it may take a while, but if you manually remove the algae in question, it should soon get better. Also you mention brown algae as well. That sounds like Diatoms, this is quite normal for a immature system. You can either wait for them to go, or get some Amano shrimp, they love the stuff.

 

[aquarimum]

Will shrimp be ok in my community tank? I did buy some zebra snails but they dont eat fast enough! I currently have a 30 liter nano cycling and planned on getting some shrimp when its done.
Thanks again
Karen

 

[ian]

what do you have in it?

 

[aquarimum]

1 molly, 1 platy, 2 dwarf gourami, 5 glass catfish and a few corys. Guess a little shrimp wouldnt stand a chance huh?
Thanks
Karen

 

[ian]

amano shrimp should be OK in there, i wouldn't use any smaller shrimp though.