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Hair algae - is the Fluval Ebi light too much?

LancsRick

LancsRick

Member
Joined
18 Apr 2012
Messages
683
Doing my weekly inspection of my tanks, I was amazed to see a fair amount of hair algae on some of the ele. acic. in my Fluval Ebi tank. The reason I say amazed is that I'm just using the Ebi light (4 hour photoperiod), and have a JBL e700 (at half throttle) on it, which is giving significant movement on all stems within the tank. I'm double dosing all-in-one ferts at the moment, but I'm not aware of that having a bearing on hair algae?

Regardless of that, the fact is that hair algae is there, and since (as far as I know), it's always too much light/too little CO2, so I'll have to either reduce my lighting duration, or put some frosted film on the top lid of the tank.

My question is - from other people's experiences out there, is the Fluval Ebi light too much for the tank, or is this potentially just the tank getting established, and something that will subside once I've got a plethora of cherry shrimp in there?
 
I had a fluval ebi light on for 10hours a day mate with no algae. I'm currently running 27w for 8 hours over mine with non.

Get co2 :)


Cheeeeeeeeeers
 
Not going for CO2 just yet :p. I'll drop it to 3 hours, but it seems like a very low photoperiod for a low tech tank!
 
The light is really bright. I have an 18w thats half as bright as the fluval I sold.

Mate 3 hours your never gonna get time to admire the tank, treat yourself to co2.

Whats LPH on the filter? Even if you injected 1bubble every 3 seconds 24-7 you'd be tons better off.
 
Whitey89 said:
Or go easy carbo. Simples
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Or get a lower wattage light and add easy carbo ;) 3 hours is silly so just reduce the light wattage, eventually u can build it back up too.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
Looks like I'm going to be buying some glut!

If I was to sometimes go away for, say, 3 days, how big a problem would that be if I was dosing liquid carbon every day?
 
LancsRick said:
Looks like I'm going to be buying some glut!

If I was to sometimes go away for, say, 3 days, how big a problem would that be if I was dosing liquid carbon every day?
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I'm not sure if u wanna be doing it every day, it would ultimately cost far to much in the long run. I use it once or 2ce a week..but I guess this is preference. It all depends on your overall tank balance bud.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
I'm not a fan of the light on the ebi. Mine faded considerably within 6 months and the bulbs are a pain to change (dremmel helps), so if you have the same bulb as me then there is an option to hang in there and wait for it to fade. Personally I'd just replace the light, but I think that's just because I've got sick of the stock one.
 
I've just put frosted film over the glass this morning, so I'll see what effect that has over the next week or so.

I'd really rather avoid the need to go high tech, so I'm more likely to get a weaker bulb if needs be I think (or maybe mask the reflective coating on the inside of the lamp.
 
Hi Rick,
It's the lighting intensity rather than the duration that causes issues. The issue will also be that there is no co2, the 11w light over the 30l tank would drive the plants need for co2. I run the same light over my 55l nano and add 1 ml liquid carbon per day, I have hair grass which is far from prolific, but is algae free.
If your set on not going the liquid carbon route then what you have done already with....
LancsRick said:
I've just put frosted film over the glass this morning, so I'll see what effect that has over the next week
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....is by far the best thing to do. Reducing lighting intensity is the key. I'd increase water changes for a week or two also to try and eradicate the algae.


jack-rythm said:
I'm not sure if u wanna be doing it every day, it would ultimately cost far to much in the long run. I use it once or 2ce a week..but I guess this is preference. It all depends on your overall tank balance bud.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
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If your dosing liquid carbon, then it's high tech and you ideally need to be dosing consistently every day at around the same time. If you don't you risk running into co2 related algae issues as fluctuating co2 levels stress the plants and allow the algae to thrive.

Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Ady34 said:
If your dosing liquid carbon, then it's high tech and you ideally need to be dosing consistently every day at around the same time. If you don't you risk running into co2 related algae issues as fluctuating co2 levels stress the plants and allow the algae to thrive.
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Sorry Ady,
I guess I have never experienced problems with this before, Are you suggesting smaller amounts daily? So if you were initially dosing 6ml a week you would do 1ml a day with a break period on another day? I guess I have never done this before. I do 6ml every 3 days on a guess. With a water change on the 4th day. I have not seen signs of depletion or algae as of yet, and being 4 months in do you think it will ever set in?. I believe that my dosing methods are key to my plants success, including my cuba and my P. helferi. Ill keep a closer eye on this from now on and remember your advice in case I start to notice fluctuations for sure :) It makes sense to divide the 6ml amount over the 3 days but then I feel having a water change every 4th day of the schedule would mean I would need to dose 2ml per day to balance it out and that just seems to little amount?. Is this what you suggest? I will of course be open to advice :)
 
Ady34 said:
If your dosing liquid carbon, then it's high tech and you ideally need to be dosing consistently every day at around the same time. If you don't you risk running into co2 related algae issues as fluctuating co2 levels stress the plants and allow the algae to thrive.
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If this is true then I believe a automatic dosing device is in order! lol or just come away from hightech as i have a memory like an actual sieve! lol
 
jack-rythm said:
If this is true then I believe a automatic dosing device is in order! lol or just come away from hightech as i have a memory like an actual sieve! lol
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Sure is, if your lights are still coming on and your not dosing liquid carbon consistently then they're starving on the days they don't get it!
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Ady34 said:
Sure is, if your lights are still coming on and your not dosing liquid carbon consistently then they're starving on the days they don't get it!
Cheerio,
Ady.
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Ok understood, I'll go to 2ml a day, I'll have to start setting a reminder on my damn phone!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
jack-rythm said:
Sorry Ady,
I guess I have never experienced problems with this before, Are you suggesting smaller amounts daily? So if you were initially dosing 6ml a week you would do 1ml a day with a break period on another day? I guess I have never done this before. I do 6ml every 3 days on a guess. With a water change on the 4th day. I have not seen signs of depletion or algae as of yet, and being 4 months in do you think it will ever set in?. I believe that my dosing methods are key to my plants success, including my cuba and my P. helferi. Ill keep a closer eye on this from now on and remember your advice in case I start to notice fluctuations for sure :) It makes sense to divide the 6ml amount over the 3 days but then I feel having a water change every 4th day of the schedule would mean I would need to dose 2ml per day to balance it out and that just seems to little amount?. Is this what you suggest? I will of course be open to advice :)
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The thing with liquid carbon is that it only has a maximum of 24hr active life once in the aquarium before it is either used up by your plants or broken down into ineffective compounds. If you put 6ml in one day, then leave it for three days, then your plants are getting a huge hit of carbon for the first 24hrs, then going hungry for the rest of the time.....additionally it is more likely to have a detrimental effect on livestock overdosing in such a way. There is also no benefit to having a rest day with carbon either as you cannot build up an excess as with pressurised it gasses off continuously, and with liquid products it has a shelf life in the water. I'm sure if you offered less, but every day things would improve further for you. You just need to get the right amount to feed their needs. I'd start at double the recommended dosage on your mature systems.
Here's a nice synopsis of liquid carbon from Richard at Aquaessentials:
Liquid Carbon in a planted aquarium | The Planted Aquarium Blog
Having said all that, if your tanks are working for you then happy days, but do you not also dose carbonated water to boost co2? This could be helping the plants get the extra carbon......what days do you add the carbonated water, consistently, the days you don't dose liquid carbon?
Cheerio,
 
Sorry to diverse a bit just read Ady wrote LC has a 24 hour active life.I have been dosing mine normaly with water flow off just before lights off would it be better to do this just before lights on?Cheers mark
 
MARKCOUSINS said:
Sorry to diverse a bit just read Ady wrote LC has a 24 hour active life.I have been dosing mine normaly with water flow off just before lights off would it be better to do this just before lights on?Cheers mark
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In my opinion yes, the closer to lights on the better as you get the maximum benefit.....just like pressurised co2, on during the photoperiod when plants need it, off at lights off when they don't.
Why do you turn your flow off? Are you spot dosing as an algaecide or using it for carbon enrichment as if its the latter your better keeping flow on to distribute the product to the plants :)
Cheerio,
Ady
 
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