• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

ADA 60F iwagumi

jack-rythm said:
this is interesting, you saying its more likely to happen with low-tech tanks? I have always done water changes with lights on. I never really thought about this? But I have never experienced this problem in 2 years. is there something Im doing that counteracts this?
Click to expand...

Every tank is different, and it's more likely to happen in low tech tanks when water changes are increased.

@ Deano, if you're experiencing algae problems, you don't want to be increasing your photoperiod. Changing water after lights out is fine. Just out of interest have you added and shrimp or ottos yet?
 
Deano3 said:
I change the water after lights out but will the co2 all come out when change 50% water ? Also would you recommend extending my lights time , or photoperiod
Thanks dean
Click to expand...

It doesnt really matter when you change the water as long as its outside the co2/light period.
For as long as you are fighting algae in the tank never even consider upping the light duration or intensity, a better way to think is should i shorten the light period/intensity...
Im not sure what your period is now but ive always found 6 hours to be a happy place even in a mature injected tank.
That grass should have some good roots now, if it were me id up the co2 a little and cut the grass right down to the substrate to ditch the algae, daily water change for a week or so and it should grow back stronger with the additional co2 minus the algae holding it back :)
 
jack-rythm said:
this is interesting, you saying its more likely to happen with low-tech tanks? I have always done water changes with lights on. I never really thought about this? But I have never experienced this problem in 2 years. is there something Im doing that counteracts this?
Click to expand...

Weren't you dosing carbon in the form of fizzy mineral water? That'll help.

Minimal surface agitation in low tech tanks, where no carbon source is added, allows the water to maintain its co2 levels from atmospheric saturation.

Looking good dean, get that grass trimmed if you want to get rid of the algae, and then maintain a consistent level of co2, as Ian says, Im always careful about doing anything with lights on that will cause gas off.

Trimming the grass will help it spread horizontally too mate.

As for filter, i would leave it another week, give bacteria chance to get hold, then clean out. You don't want to be getting rid of any muck till your up to full strength :p


Lovely little tank though ;)


Nice work
 
Iain Sutherland said:
It doesnt really matter when you change the water as long as its outside the co2/light period.
For as long as you are fighting algae in the tank never even consider upping the light duration or intensity, a better way to think is should i shorten the light period/intensity...
Im not sure what your period is now but ive always found 6 hours to be a happy place even in a mature injected tank.
That grass should have some good roots now, if it were me id up the co2 a little and cut the grass right down to the substrate to ditch the algae, daily water change for a week or so and it should grow back stronger with the additional co2 minus the algae holding it back :)
Click to expand...

Bugger, basically what he said :lol:
I just took my time to write ha ha!

Nice one Iain, (notice the second 'i'? I'm very observant :) )

It does get confusing when your both posting at the same time.
 
Thanks a lot for the info very helpful here is pics with lights on this morning and you can see the algie and totally agree I am going to trim right down but here is pics before the trim

dscn0705v.jpg


dscn0704gr.jpg


dscn0703es.jpg


so i will trim in morning at the minute this i what i am doing

co2 on 10am
lights on 12pm
co2 off 4pm
lights off 5pm

water change every other day
dosing 6 days with EI
the co2 had drop checker nice lime green but still no perling and algie

firstly i have a question about the co2 after it is off and before the lights on in morning the drop checker goes dark green does this not matter or do you think it would be better on 24/7 or is it just a waste ?

secondly would you recommend changing anything or raising the lights ?

thirdly i am going to take your great advise and trim to substrate but hope doesn't take long to grow as i wanna start fishless cycling and adding some live stock but getting in routine now

and lastly still not cleaned filter yet so will do it this time next week so will clean the blue and white mesh in the aquarium water and leave the bio media is that correct

Thanks a lot for the great help :thumbup:
Dean
 
here after the trim most the the thick algie cut off and must have been stopping the grass growing as very thick and heavy anyway there are still odd strands but the clumps are gone is there a easy way to get the grass from tank once cut as was on for 45 mins removing with hands and a net, also any info on the post above or any recommendations would be great.also hope the algie doesn't come back as I have changed nothing since ?


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Thanks dean
 
If you change nothing the algae will likely come back dean, look to either increase co2 and distribution, raise your lights or even better both. Dont get to focused on the drop checker, for as long as you have algae then there must be a problem with the light - co2 balance so ruling out co2 because of the DC is fool hearty.
If you do the above and deal with any algae regrowth daily by way of spot dosing liquid carbon then you should start to see improvement... the plants will tell you when its better. In a few weeks you should introduce some amano shrimp to help you with the algae control :thumbup:
 
Thanks Iain I agree I will up my co2 again just a little and raise the lights slightly , what do u mean about dosing liquid ? I have so flourish excel but not using it as co2

Thanks dean
 
When ive suffered from algae in hair grass clumps like that it would often grow back with the clump, improving the co2 will help a lot but one of the best ways to get rid of algae is to harass it as much as possible until it gives up the will to live. If you see it coming back in a clump turn off the filter and use a syringe to dose 1 or 2 ml of liquid carbon directly at it will kill it off. Leave the filters off for 5 minutes so it has a chance to work.
In a few days the algae will change colour then amano shrimp will relish it...
 
Ok I will up co2 a little tomorro morning and then when starting to grow back I will dose with flourish directly I to the infected area, also I will have to start dosing ammonia in order to allow me to get some shrimp when would u advise starting to do the fish less cycle

Dean thanks again Iain
 
Thanks tim I didn't know that so the ada aqua soil will release ammonia to start the beneficial bacteria ? y do I need to dose liquid carbon when co2 working does it carry out a different task ? and will the flourish excel do the job if I dose into the water should it spread ok and how much would you recommend dosing

Thanks Dean
 
Hey mate, excel is a brand of liquid carbon, these products act as an algacide ( spelling ?) as well as being a form of carbon for the plants to use, dosed from a pipette or syringe straight onto the algae makes short work of killing it of in my experience best to leave the filters off for 5 or 10 mins when you do this it will also help with any shortfalls with your co2 levels and distribution if there are any, ammonia from the Ada soil will be more than enough to start bacteria colonies, maybe too much that's why most recommend 50% water changes daily for a week or two. You can double or even triple dose the excel while you have no livestock it only has a 24 hour life in the tank, but and this is just my opinion shrimp are very sensitive to liquid carbon and I would only does to manufacturers recommended dose once livestocks in hope this helps :)
Cheers tim
 
at the minute I can still see loads of the algie even at substrate level on the hair grass on most bunches I wont be able to dose on all of it in one sitting as would overdose the tank is that correct ? I will look at the back and see what the recommended dose is and use 4 times as much to dose at one time onto the hair grass will that be ok ?

Thanks dean
 
Thanks again tim will keep doing it every morning dosing directly onto it, I have upped co2 slightly and raised the lights a small amount hopefully it goes

will keep you posted

Thanks dean
 
  • Like
Reactions: tim
Nice one, Tims right, excel overdosing will make light work of that algae. Combine this as Ian states, of raising the light and/or upping Co2.

When it comes to it, when adding the shrimp, leave the lights off and leave the solenoid off on the co2, then turn it back on (keep it low ish) and let the amano shrimp acclimatise to the levels, otherwise you'll lose them, by either them climbing out the tank and running ( they keep body composition out of water unlike cherries or crystals, and they can run up your arm or more like it, across your carpet! As my Wolfcub found, much to his delight, before i scooped up the amano and dropped him back in his tank :lol: ).

Cheers,
 
thanks for that mate will report back before then, glad I don't need to cycle tank, should I check parameters before get anything ? are amano shrimp best for algae ? also I did raise the lights and up the co2 and dosed flourish this morning so hopefully combats the algae, also I was meaning to ask what type of dog that was mate looks lovely I love dogs always had German shepherds but when I got my own house I got a Blue Staffordshire bull terrier, will post a pic for you tomorrow ;)

Thanks dean
 
algae still going strong and now co2 is constant stream of bubbles , realised yesterday none in tank and after investigating found my bubble counter had hairline crack and must have been not enough pressure into diffuser so ran pipe straight into it today but require one is there one anyone would recommend preferably a cheap one, that one was £10 and didn't last long

Thanks Dean
 
planning my first filter clean tomorrow I am going to rinse the trays with aquarium water but should I replace the filter foam pads the white one and the blue one or just clean them with the water ? also I am going to do a full tank clean I will clean rocks with toothbrush and clean my glass and what is best way to clean the lilly pipes ? little bit worried about cleaning the pipes as will have to remove the filter tubing :confused: hopefully all goes ok should I heat with hair dryer before trying to remove ?

Thanks dean and also any recommendations for a decent but not expensive bubble counter would be great
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top