Algae crisis!

[JamieB]

Hi all

My Fluval Spec V is having crazy algae issues. I am not sure what I have but I believe I have hair algae, rhizoclonium, bba and probably others.

Help?

Tank specs
Fluval Spec V 19l
Aquatlantis 438mm freshwater light
4 bps co2
EI kit with standard salt amounts.. 4ml a day
Easy Carbo 0.4ml a day

I think the light is too close for a start as since the ludwigia and rotala have grown high the rhizoclonium has died down on the fissidens fontanus which has less light hitting it so I've ordered the following to raise the light:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fish...-transparent-aquarium-stands/32379796916.html

But I think something else is wrong.. 4bps seems a LOT for this size of tank?

Can you help me guys! I am going to do a big trim on the rotala and ludwigia today as well.

Also of note is I have bumblebee shrimp in the tank and they keep dying no idea why, the tank parameters look good... However, the red cherrys seem to be thriving and I have one with eggs at the moment

Pics below:

Drop checker as the light comes on

 

[Ryan Thang To]

you have way too much light for a small tank. lower the light and fert to 1-2ml and day and add carbon. remove as much algae as you can follow with a 30-50% water change every day or two.

cheers
ryan

 

[Martin in Holland]

It does seem a lot of light.. . How long is the lighting period?

 

[Ryan Thang To]

i got this info from all pond solution.

Using one Easy LED Universal system is the equivalent of using two T5 luminaires on your fish tank. The beam has an angle of 120 degrees, high power, giving an excellent quality to the emitted light. This system has low power consumption, is more eco-friendly, safer and gives the LED greater durability.

if you still have the original fluval led use that and hopfully it will be back to normal.

cheers
ryan

 

[JamieB]

Lighting period is 7 hours, it was recommended by TGM... I can't lower the light amount as I don't have a controller, I've just this minute bought it.. £47.. Expensive for what it is!

I was using the original fluval LED before and it's absolutely useless, it's barely enough light to even reach the bottom of the tank! I couldn't grow anything with it

 

[Worshiper]

Way too much of light! I have the same lighting so I put a frosted plastic sheet below it and its way better.
I had algae issues so covered the tank completely for 2 days. Black out.. then performed water changes and its back to normal now.

 

[JamieB]

I was sure it was too much light but was told just not enough CO2!!

I've just given it a trim and water change, will try to get more algae off as well

 

[Worshiper]

If poss, raise the light by a few cms as that will help reduce the intensity until your controller is delivered.

 

[Greenfinger2]

Hi Jamie, I would go a little further in the trimming and cut off the affected leaves too. As they will only spread the algae. The plant will soon recover with fresh leaves

 

[Jose]

Co2 diffusion is really bad in that tank. You should see microbubbles going near the substrate. It also looks like you might have a nutrient imbalance. Are you sure you are dosing true EI?

 

[GTL_UK]

If you keep plants only do massive overdose of liquid carbon and put back stock light.

Thanks

 

[Ryan Thang To]

I was sure it was too much light but was told just not enough CO2!!

I've just given it a trim and water change, will try to get more algae off as well

i would use a co2 diffuser inside the filter champer just unerneth the powerhead

 

[JamieB]

Co2 diffusion is really bad in that tank. You should see microbubbles going near the substrate. It also looks like you might have a nutrient imbalance. Are you sure you are dosing true EI?

Definitely dosing EI as I got it from Aquarium Plant Food and I'm using their standard measurements and dosage.

If you keep plants only do massive overdose of liquid carbon and put back stock light.

Thanks

I have cut back the plants (see post #7), bit scared to overdose LC as I do have livestock in the tank

i would use a co2 diffuser inside the filter champer just unerneth the powerhead

Unfortunately the powerhead is at the base of the aquarium and a pipe pumps it to the top.

 

[JamieB]

Right, the LED controller came today, disappointed as it offers no brightness level, just 2 on and off cycles with a mandatory 1 hour ramp up and down... Guess I should have read into it first as that's £48 for a ramp up/down option...

 

[Worshiper]

That's really sad! check the returns policy. I suggest you get one of those frosted plastic files and put them under the light. I do the same. Or you can use plexi glass.

Another option is floating plants but never tried it successfully. Really sorry youve spent a lot of money to sort all these issues out. Ive followed your thread and know you have put in a lot of money on this tank!

 

[xim]

The dominating one seems to be the green short algae Oedogonium.
https://reflex.at/~heinz.jaksch/Unterseiten/Fotoseiten/Algen_im_Wassertropfen/oedogonium.htm

I've found Amano Shrimp really love to eat it.

From this

To this

May be your RCS like it as well, just not enough in number to tip the balance.

 

[JamieB]

Thank you Xim, I've just actually had some of my RCS hatch and have another berried so I'm really happy, I will try and get some more amano when my LFS gets them in.

I was thinking that was hair algae so I'm glad you've corrected me and I can research properly.

I've also now got a stand for the tank, I'll take a pic later, it raises the light a good 20cm or so from the water so that should help a bit.

 

[Masatomo]

Greetings from Italy! I can see this is a relatively recent issue, but there have been no updates since August, so I'll bump this thread up, considering I'm having the same issue: a damn algae explosion.

I have the exact same light in a 45 litres tank, so it should be around 1 W/l on the paper (IF the light is really as powerful as 2x24 W T5, as per Aquatlantis claims), which should be a good value, not too much.
The algae explosion is more present on the right side, where the light is not covered by some Salvinia natans, but at the same time it's present among the Lymnophila heterophylla, even though the lower part of it is covered by shadows cast by the higher part. All chemical values are within range, so I don't really think that's the problem. I also tried to raise the light by some 5 cm for a couple of weeks, but the algae didn't disappear.

How did you solve your problem, if you did? Was the light causing it?

I don't want to solve the issue by buying shrimps, because that would be fixing the effect, not the cause.

Here's a pic of the tank with the light on, taken today (light is now right on top of the aquarium again)



And here is a photo from the beginning of october, when the light was right above the aquarium, before I moved it up. Unfortunately I don't have a before and after picture, but this is possibly the worst I ever got (I didn't remove much algae in that period, hoping it would go away by itself).



I'm just going crazy removing algae by hand every day, twice a day.. and I can't even remove all of it, obviously.

 

[JamieB]

Mine did indeed get resolved. I raised the light by around 15cm, bought the controller than slowly increased the light intensity over an hour and then dims it as well. I also increased the co2 slightly. All worked

 

[Masatomo]

15 cm, right? I'll give it a try as well, then! Thanks for the tip!