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Green dust Algae break out Up date & conclusion

Joined
26 Oct 2008
Messages
1,649
Location
Cheshire
Gang@ukaps

Break out of the above algae

Tank specifications - 39" x 15" x 12" - 217 lyr
Lighting - T8's 96 watts - on for 9hrs
CO2 - Pressurised
Filtration - Filter Ehiem 2080 flow rate 1700lph - no spray bar - one outlet pipe placed in the left hand rear corner forcing water across the tank to the front glass approx. angle 40 degrees from the rear left hand side of tank.
Fertilisation routine - EI dosing as per Clives article NPK 50 mls - Sat, Mon & Wed, Trace mix 25mls Sun and Tues, rest days Thurs & Fri.
Water Change - 50% on Sat.

Scraped algae of glass tonight any ideas.

Regards
Paul.
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Without reading too deep into your spec, and taking into account the weather over the last few days, is your tank getting more natural sunlight that it's used to? Just a thought! ;)
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Simon D said:
Without reading too deep into your spec, and taking into account the weather over the last few days, is your tank getting more natural sunlight that it's used to? Just a thought! ;)

No Simon

Thx

paul
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

OK, how long has the tank been set-up?
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Simon

Just under 12 months, I have added the new filter about six weeks ago - mixture of media from my old filter ex1200 and new media from my new filter I have been palying about with the spray bar ie adding an extra length - cutting bits off etc. Everything has been ok until this week - I have just put the spray bar back in "just now" to see what happens.

Paul
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

GDA is a tenacious species and is linked to a combination of poor CO2 and poor nutrients. Since you are dosing EI and using T8 instead of T5 the likely culprit is poor flow/distribution and/or inadequate injection rate. The recommended procedure is to leave it alone for 3-4 weeks before scraping it off. Often this has to be repeated as it returns with a vengeance. Very disagreeable.

Sunlight shouldn't be an issue if distribution of CO2 and nutrient levels are adequate.

Cheers,
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

ceg4048 said:
GDA is a tenacious species and is linked to a combination of poor CO2 and poor nutrients. Since you are dosing EI and using T8 instead of T5 the likely culprit is poor flow/distribution and/or inadequate injection rate. The recommended procedure is to leave it alone for 3-4 weeks before scraping it off. Often this has to be repeated as it returns with a vengeance. Very disagreeable.

Sunlight shouldn't be an issue if distribution of CO2 and nutrient levels are adequate.

Cheers,

Clive

DC indicates green - not lime green but lighter than grass green - EI as per your article - you know I have been playing with water distribution - more of direction of water flow in the tank could this is the issue. I have increase the Co2 slightly tonight and put the spray bar back in.

Paul
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

ceg4048 said:
Sunlight shouldn't be an issue if distribution of CO2 and nutrient levels are adequate.

Cheers,

Assuming that the photo-period is in line with any natural sunlight?
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Simon D said:
ceg4048 said:
Sunlight shouldn't be an issue if distribution of CO2 and nutrient levels are adequate.

Cheers,

Assuming that the photo-period is in line with any natural sunlight?

Simon

Co2 comes on @ 13:00, lights on at 14:00 - lights off @ 23:00, co2 off @ 23:30.

Paul.
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

You could try putting CO2 on an hour earlier and off an hour (and a half?) earlier, that wouldn't hurt at all and probably benefit but it's not the solution to the problem.
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Simon D said:
ceg4048 said:
Sunlight shouldn't be an issue if distribution of CO2 and nutrient levels are adequate.
Cheers,

Assuming that the photo-period is in line with any natural sunlight?
Well, yes, too much sunlight definitely can wreak havoc in a tank, however GDA is not specifically linked to sunlight. GDA appears is many new setups that are not located anywhere near daylight and can be traced to a combination of poor CO2/nutrient delivery for their given artificial lighting level. This is why flow/distribution as well as injection rates and dosing are critical when initially setting up a tank.

I've kept tanks in glass conservatories and have never seen GDA, regardless of artificial photoperiod, so the spectral quality of sunlight by itself cannot be a specific causal factor. The fundamental cause, regardless of the lighting source, can only be traced to poor nutrient delivery relative to the lighting intensity.

Summer photo taken at dusk facing east. Sunrise 4:45AM, CO2 on at 7:30AM lights on at 9:30AM
2115952650038170470S600x600Q85.jpg


Cheers,
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Good move

The plants will not use CO2 to photosynthesise if there is no light so there is no point in having it on for half an hour after lights out. One should have adequate CO2 (and other ferts) available at lights up so 1 hour before is OK but many say 2 hours. I think this depends on your distribution method (diffusers against reactors) and how you can maximise the Co2 in the water column.

If you have sufficient Co2 in the water column at the start of the photo-period the plants are ready to go (or grow) as soon as the light kick in. Likewise this Co2 will remain in the water for an hour or so after the injection is off (assuming decent diffusion).

But as I alluded to earlier, I don't think this is the solution to your problem.
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Ceg, did you have any fish in there? I'm about to have an east facing conservatiory built and would love to have a tank like that in there as it will be my retreat. I'm very wary about doing this without more info. I notice it faces away from the glass (obviously) has a black-out background and is hooded. Is there anything else I should be looking out for apart from ambient temperature?

Paul, sorry to sort of hijack.
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Simon D said:
Ceg, did you have any fish in there? I'm about to have an east facing conservatiory built and would love to have a tank like that in there as it will be my retreat. I'm very wary about doing this without more info. I notice it faces away from the glass (obviously) has a black-out background and is hooded. Is there anything else I should be looking out for apart from ambient temperature?

Paul, sorry to sort of hijack.
Yes, this was great because it facilitated water changes using the garden hose. :idea: Temperature is a problem, but I just kept the windows open and on really hot days I kept the overhead fans running. I guess discus wouldn't mind the heat. In this tank I kept dwarf chiclids and some small tetras. This is the same tank of which photos were taken for the EI tutorial. This project is not for the faint of heart, however the background, hood and side coverings were subsequently added primarily because I felt that the aesthetic qualities of the sunlight was absolutely awful and it washed every color out, not because I was afraid of sun induced algae. In fact that tank was lit by 1/2 kilowatt of T5 CF + gull-wing reflectors and I never got GDA.

At high noon the sunlight completely overrides the tank lighting so this is not a great time for viewing and in the late afternoon the sunlight is very yellow. Instead of facing the tank east it might have been wiser to mount it along the south wall of the conservatory.

In winter one has the opposite problem as it needs a serious heating strategy, hence the double Eheim 2180.

Again, if the tank is hooded then it holds a goodly amount of CO2 overnight so that the morning sunlight isn't too much of a problem prior to gas turn-on. I might have to rethink if this were an open top tank, probably turn the gas on sooner.
Incidentally, this is another scenario in which double and triple EI dosing and tap water was employed, as the added sunlight meant that I was effectively approaching the kilowatt barrier. No toxic effects were noted.

Always remember that massive flow and efficient CO2 erase a lot of foolhardiness. 8)

Cheers,
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Thanks Ceg, that makes sense to me but also worries me.

I'll need to give it some serious thought before I attempt it (if I do).
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Master Po of the Shaolin Temple advises that it is prudent to fear those forces greater than oneself. This is the beginning of wisdom. However, if I may borrow from Life of Brian...consider the lilies in the field. Are they worried? No, and how much greater are you than them? Implement the fundamental stratagem learned here; continually question your CO2 levels, add excellent flow, dose at awe inspiring nutrient levels and adhere to stringent maintenance practices, recognize and have faith in your knowledge of observed deficiency symptoms, respond instantly to those symptoms and you'll do fine. :D

Cheers,
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Simon D said:
Ceg, did you have any fish in there? I'm about to have an east facing conservatiory built and would love to have a tank like that in there as it will be my retreat. I'm very wary about doing this without more info. I notice it faces away from the glass (obviously) has a black-out background and is hooded. Is there anything else I should be looking out for apart from ambient temperature?

Paul, sorry to sort of hijack.

Simon

No worries - I will post more info on my activities over the past two weeks tonight and what I did last night when I am in my hotel room tonight - email you later.

Regards
Paul.
 
Re: Green dust Algae break out

Thanks Mark! I was going to rename this tank The MythBuster. :D

Cheers,
 
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