Some Questions - Plant Id/algae/carbon Source

[Majjie]

OK this may not be the right forum to ask these questions. I'm not into high tech, high light or messing about with CO2 - I like to buy my tanks off the shelf and adding reflectors is the most advanced modification I go in for. I have enough trouble keeping up with modest water changes and trimming the plants once every two or three weeks! But I do like planted tanks.

Recently I moved house and took the opportunity to replace three of my small tanks with a Juwel Rio 300. I've been really pleased with the result. Two months on, the tank looks like this:

The tank has the new Juwel T5 lights and the plants obviously appreciate the better light levels (the brown Cryptocoryne wendtii has started growing for the first time in over a year). My questions are as follows:

Does anyone know what this very pale green plant is? I bought it from a good small lfs (where they're much more interested in the fish than the plants ... and they didn't know what it was)

I have a variety of algal problems, especially on the anubia spp (photos below)

Any ideas for getting rid of the algae ... that don't involve extra light or CO2? I've just ordered some Easy Life EasyCarbo. Have any of you tried this? Will it help with the algae. I've already got some fast growing Limnophila and hornwort in the tank.

And finally, in another tank, I've got an outbreak of blue-green/slime algae (which has got much worse since the move). It's fairly heavily planted, including with hornwort - but none of the plants seem able to outgrow the bacteria. Apart from a blackout ... any suggestions? Perhaps it would be worth trying the EasyCarbo for that too?

Any comments/suggestions for the lazy aquarist would be very welcome

 

[SuperColey1]

The light plant looks to me like Myacca Fluvitalis.

The algae looks like BBA and you guessed it. First port of call would be CO2.

Quick bust for it would be to turn filter off. Let water current grind to a halt. Get a syringe and squirt Seachem Flourish Excel onto it. Will go red after a day or 2 and be grey after a week at which point Otos, Plecs and other algae eaters will clear off the dead algae.

This of course does not cure it as it will most probably come back.

Can you answer the following questions:

How long is your photoperiod?
What are the wattages of the bulbs?
Are they independently switched or do they both need to be on at the same time?
Do you regularly disturb the substrate? (for cleaning hardscape or re-positioning plants etc.)
Are the Anubias shaded at all by other plants?

Reason I ask is you may be able to reduce the risk of algae by shortening the photoperiod or if possible to have 1 light spanning the photoperiod with the other only used in the centre as a 'noon burst'.

Disturbing the substrate will release ammonia that is in the substrate which the algae readily accepts and thrives on.

Andy

 

[Majjie]

The light plant looks to me like Myacca Fluvitalis.

Thanks for your reply Andy - I found a couple of pics of Myacca - it does look like it, although mine's a bit weedy in comparison.

How long is your photoperiod?

10 hours

What are the wattages of the bulbs?

2 x 54 watts

Are they independently switched or do they both need to be on at the same time?

No, they are switched together and have to be on at the same time

Do you regularly disturb the substrate? (for cleaning hardscape or re-positioning plants etc.)

No I haven't been ... although I did give a vigorous vacuuming this weekend because I felt guilty about not doing it ... can't have affected the algae yet but maybe they'll now grow even better !

Are the Anubias shaded at all by other plants?

Some are, some aren't ... some are sometimes (when the Limnophila grows across the top of the tank) and not at other times (when I cut it back) ... doesn't seem to correlate with the amount of algae.

CO2 isn't an option I'm interested in ... too high maintenance ... I'd rather live with the algae.
I could add more lights, I guess, and have them on a separate timer ... if that would be a help without CO2.

I read somewhere that Flourish Excel wasn't good for shrimp (I have six Amanos in there which make a good job of removing any thread algae) ... do you know if that's true? How long would it take the algae to grow back again if I used it?

Have you heard of "EasyCarbo"?

 

[SuperColey1]

I've heard of Easy-Carbo but I've never paid much attention to the threads. I don't like anything when it has Easy as part of the name. This usually says to me 'not as good as the real thing' lol

Excel is known to be deadly to inverts but I'm not sure if this is when overdosing or at suggested levels. I would wait for confirmation on that.

For it to grow back would probs be the same as the timespan it first took to grow.

People always seem to thing CO2 is high maintenance. It isn't.
It can be costly but my setup was approx £100. 1 fire extinguisher should last approx 1 year for your tank. Once the levels are right you never touch it again.

I haven't touched or adjusted mine for over 2 months!!! The only maintenance part is cleaning the diffusor which I do while I change the water (5 mins in bleach, rinse thoroughly, 5 mins in dechlor water, 5 mins in dechlor water, back in the tank.

Drop checker is the easiest thing in the world. You buy the drop checker (£10 max off ebay) Buy some 4dKH reference solution (£5ish off AquaEssentials) Put 3ml of this solution in the checker. Add 3-4 drops of your low range Ph test kit solution. Solution will go blue. Put it in the tank opposite the diffusor. Change the solution in the checker every 3 weeks.

Whenever you are passing the tank a quick look and you can see what colour the solution in the checker is (Blue-CO2 too low, Green - CO2 OK, Yellow - CO2 too high)

As I say once you've rigged it up (1 hour max) then as long as you can spare a few minutes each hour on the first day just to check the drop checker and fine adjust the CO2 then on the second day just make sure it is still in the green then you shouldn't have to do anything with it again for a year except clean the diffusor every couple of weeks.

Its the best solution really.

I make your lights around the 1.4WPG mark which is fine (although the Myacca may want more) I wouldn't suggest adding more lighting as this will mean an increase of algae as well as the plants growing faster.

Take a look on barrreport.com and find a thread on non CO2 tanks. As long as you have good substrate and under 2WPG then it will mean you can do virtually zero water changes but I am guessing you will need to add some small doses of ferts (weekly should be fine)

Andy

 

[Majjie]

Thanks very much for your detailed reply Andy.

I'll bear in mind what you said about "proper" CO2 .... but in the meantime I might just try the "Easy" version
I half expected the Myacca to die, after I'd bought it. Pale leaves presumably means less chlorophyll and less efficient use of light, but actually the main hazard for the poor thing is that the angelfish find it quite tasty!

I'll have a search for those threads on EasyCarbo and I'll certainly look up your link. It's not one I've come across before. I'm trying to spend less time on the internet/forums because I work from home and it just takes up too much time ....

Majjie

 

[Underwurlde]

Easy? Low maintenance?

Tha's me!

Use a UV sterilizer?

Andy

 

[Majjie]

Easy? Low maintenance?

Tha's me!

Use a UV sterilizer?

Andy

Are you all called Andy on here?
I've yet to meet a low maintenance man!! Easy yes ... but low maintenance? (Mind you, it's perhaps too late now)

I already have UV sterilisers on both tanks. They're a pain because they clog up and die when Malaysian trumpet snails crawl in looking for grub ... and you have to pry them apart and rinse them out (the sterilizers that is, not the snails). The first time I used one I sent it back to the shop, saying it had already broken. They kindly sent back both the sterilizer and the snail.

I'm convinced the fish are healthier with the UV, but it doesn't seem to affect the little brush algae or the slimy stuff.

Seems that EasyCarbo is just a different formulation/trade name for the stuff in Excel.
Anyone used either without affecting your shrimp?

 

[Underwurlde]

Isn't your name Andy then?

BTW, all men are low maintenance.... Women on the other hand..... (Ah, I see from your profile 'female', so you should know all about that! )

Andy (Mk I).

 

[SuperColey1]

Low maintenenance is definately me.

Low lights to slow the plants growth (its not working too well. lol)
pressurised CO2 so I don't have to fiddle with it for months.
Lean dosing so I don't have to water change as much
Water change - 10-15% weekly

By the way are your snails crawling into an internal UV? If so have you thought about externals? Thats what I have and have never had a blockage problem.

Andy (The real MkI as the other is an imposter. lol)

 

[Majjie]

By the way are your snails crawling into an internal UV? If so have you thought about externals? Thats what I have and have never had a blockage problem.

Andy (The real MkI as the other is an imposter. lol)

Thanks Andy - yes the UV's are internal. I'll defo think about externals in the future - but I need to get my moneys worth from these first. At least wait until the lamps need replacing!

Have none of you Andy's used excel with shrimp??

 

[iSnail]

Hi Majjie, haven't seen you for a while and just want to say hello

I'm no good at keeping plants alive myself but I have read from quite a few different forums (including shrimp forums) that shrimps should be fine with normal Excel dosage. I have been using Excel for my Dwarf Puffer tank with Amano shrimps for a few months now, maybe less than the recommended dosage, and they have been fine.

Your tank looks great btw

 

[Majjie]

Hi i-Snail (..... or is it Andy?)

No I haven't been around for quite a while - moving house was a lot more hassle than I anticipated (and not just because of moving the fish from six tanks. I'm not good at throwing stuff out ... just because I haven't used something for ten years doesn't mean that I won't need it in the near future!). I got behind with work and had to stop spending so much time on forums.

Thanks for your comments on the new tank - I love it (down to four now).

And thanks too for the info on shrimps and Excel ... I'll stick strictly to the recommended dose then.

Sorry to hear about you and plants. Did the frogbit not survive? I can send you some more if you want to try it again.
Or what about Java fern, or hornwort? They're fairly forgiving. (I may not be in to the maintenance ... but I love the plants!)

Majjie

 

[poopsydrew]

Hi Majjie, haven't seen you for a while and just want to say hello

I'm no good at keeping plants alive myself but I have read from quite a few different forums (including shrimp forums) that shrimps should be fine with normal Excel dosage. I have been using Excel for my Dwarf Puffer tank with Amano shrimps for a few months now, maybe less than the recommended dosage, and they have been fine.

Your tank looks great btw

same here, I use flourish excel in all my planted tanks with inverts and never had a problem. This is the first time I have ever heard or read something like that but IME it isnt deadly at all. Like Isnail said your tank looks very nice. Your plants look better than some of my tanks with c02, high lights, and fancy substrate.

Drew

 

[Majjie]

Thanks Drew

It's good to hear about the shrimps and Excel.
As for the plants growing well - I think the T5 lights make all the difference ... but then, of course, I haven't tried the same tank with the original T8's they used to come with!

Majjie

 

[iSnail]

Hi i-Snail (..... or is it Andy?)

I wish I was one of the green-fingered Andys

No I haven't been around for quite a while - moving house was a lot more hassle than I anticipated (and not just because of moving the fish from six tanks. I'm not good at throwing stuff out ... just because I haven't used something for ten years doesn't mean that I won't need it in the near future!).

Hope you are settling down well in your new house. I'm a terrible hoarder myself I wouldn't even know where to put my cache of "stuff" if I were to move

Sorry to hear about you and plants. Did the frogbit not survive? I can send you some more if you want to try it again.
Or what about Java fern, or hornwort? They're fairly forgiving. (I may not be in to the maintenance ... but I love the plants!)

I'm almost too embarrassed to tell you that I've lost all the frogbits you sent me. They were growing well and spreading for a few months and then I got some sort of short green hair algae (Cladophora I think) covering a lot of my floating plants then all frogbits gone I would love to give it another try. Do you mind if I pm you sometime in the New Year?

I don't have any luck growing Java ferns and mosses either. Time to save up for some decent lighting and fancy substrate I guess.