I have a 125 litre CO2 injected planted tank that has been set up for 2 years but has only been CO2 injected for the last 2-3 months. Most of the current plants have been added in the last 1-3 months. Tank specs are as follows:
Tank: Fluval Roma 125
Lighting: Fluval AquaSky 16 watt
Substrate: Pool Filter Sand
Fertilisers: Daily TNC lite and EasyLife Root Sticks
Water Parameters:
pH: 6.8-7.4
GH: 7
KH: 5
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 25-30 ppm before 50% partial water change
Phosphate: 0.5 ppm (same as tap)
Silicate: 2 ppm
Water changes 50% every other day to keep nitrates down
Stocking: Bristlenose Pleco, 2 GBR, 2 Guppies, 7 Cardinal tetra, 6 Head and tail light tetra, 3 False Julii Cories, 4 otos, 2 nerite snails
Planting:
- Echindorus argentinesis
- Crypt Wendtii Green
- Crypt Beckettii
- Crypt Petchii
- Twisted Vallis (Vallisneria Torta)
- Hygrophila 'Siamensis 53B'
- Moneywort (Lysimachia Nummularia)
- Brazilian Pennywort (Hydrocotyle Leucocephala)
- Nomaphila Stricta
- Lace Java Fern
- Java Moss
- Ludwigia Repens (diamond red)
- Alternanthera reineckii 'mini'
Question 1. I get a fair amount of brown algae in this tank. Is there anything I can change to try and overcome this? The tank gets plenty of partial water changes, has fast growing plants and I don’t believe the lights are too strong or weak. I have a variety of algae eaters that keep the problem under control somewhat but there is still algae on most of my plants and substrate.
The brown algae has only been a problem in the last 4-5 months, tank has been set up 2 years. I have no idea what triggered the algae
Question 2. In everyone’s experience is sand and root sticks enough for my level and type of planting? Would I benefit from a more specialist plant substrate? Would this give the plants an edge over the brown algae? (One that doesn’t leach ammonia or alter water parameters)
Thanks for any advice and input