Where am I going wrong?

[sharktale]

Hi all, I have been trying for a while with not much success with my plants I currently have some vallis, 2 onion plants, cryptos and hygro. The hygro is suffering the worst with the black hair algae and I always seem to be cutting off bits of plant covered in it. I have c02 in my tank, I had the lights on for around 12 hours a day and was told this was too much so now I have them on for around 6 hrs but theres no difference, I was also told having on for this short time has an effect on the c02 Please can someone tell me where I'm going wrong, it's driving me mad
thanks

 

[Sime]

i suffered hair algae and traced it down to a result of my phospates being too high. do you have any water readings for your tank / tap water?

 

[sharktale]

Hi, I don't have any phosphate readings, I test with the strips is KH + Gh anything to do with this ? My amm is 0, my nitrIte is 0 and my nitrAtes are 20.
Thanks

 

[Sime]

the nitrate amd nitrite are ok at those readings.

i use a phospate removal tea bag which i replace every month - if i forget, sure as anything i get hair algae back again so it may be worth trying that. most good fish shops sell them, they're ina blue lastic containerand only cost about £3.

hope someone else may know more

 

[sharktale]

Thanks, I'll give them a go for that price. Does the teabag thing go in the filter, I have a juwel system so I presume it would fit on top of the white poly pad
Thanks
Julie

 

[Sime]

i have a juwel too - its realy up to you where it goes so long as it's in the flow of water. you can put it under the white wooly filter pad, or what i do it tie it just where the water comes out of the pipe so that it asses through t and circulates around the tank.

 

[sharktale]

Thanks, I run a steriliser on my tank, will it remove anything that comes from the teabag

 

[George Farmer]

Try this link.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=88353

The Juwel tanks aren't supplied with good lighting for plant growth. Have you upgraded the lighting at all i.e. increased amount of tubes, type of tubes, added reflectors? If not then the species you mention will grow much better with more light than you currently have (especially the Hygrophila and Vallis). You mention CO2 so more light will definitely help.

With more light you should find the plants grow quicker thus beating algae to nutrients. I would definitely use less light though - try 5 on 2 off 5 on. The article explains more.

One last point is how heavily planted are you? More (growing) plants equal less algae.