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A Fluval Flora Newbie

It's looking better mate, a yellow leaf is normally a sign of lack of nutrients - are you dosing anything else apart from the liquid carbon? If not add some TPN+
 
Thanks G, there are a few yellow leaves in there.
Yup I dose Easylife NO3, PO4, Fe and the Profito fert which has potassium/manganese etc.

I use 3ml of each once a week after my 50% water change, is that okay?
 
That maybe a little on the low side - I have the same tank and I dose 1.5ml of TPN+ every day... never had any algea or plants yellow-ish. I might be worth uping the dose a bit more.
 
Well it was officially 3 months since I got the tank wet this week and although I've been seeing good growth I've been struggling with one major headache...yup algae.

I've been regularly dosing fert's and carbon as well as my 50% weekly water change, and the algae just doesn't seem to be improving, if anything its getting worse :(


These are photos after I've done a water change and have removed much of the algae by hand:

P1040250.jpg

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I'm not getting despondent though I shall keep soldiering on despite visitors to the flat asking why I have a black lagoon on the shelf and where's the creature gone?

I need help peeps :(
 
Your algae is very similar to the type i get, i've had mine for about 2 months roughly and get brown patches of algae on the glass and i have noticed some brown bits on some plants but i haven't got anywhere near as much as you. I also dose aqua CO2 and ferts daily so not sure why i've still got it, i just presumed it was new tank syndrome. Hopefully someone can help you out more than i can. I have got this site bookmarked though which may help:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm
 
Thanks for the link matey, yup looks like diatoms and brown algae to me but I'm surprised the tank isn't maturing yet after 3 months.

Are my water changes too big at nearly 50% weekly, so im exporting too many nutrients and not allowing the filter to mature?

I think CO2 should be the first thing I change to see if it has an effect though, I'll turn it up a notch.

Any other advice guys?
 
What are your nitrate levels like? Algae loves nitrates, I would test your tanks nitrate levels if you haven't done so and also test your water supply nitrate levels, this could be a problem. If your nitrate level is high, twice weekly water changes till its reduced.

Your plants might still be adjusting to the new environment though and haven't took off yet. I remember my DHG when that got attacked by hair algae then more and more runners came and eventually it fought back. And I was only dosing Liquid carbo.
 
Well I've finally got round to posting on the forum again and so here are my results from my last test yesterday.

Tank water:
Nitrate NO3 = 0
Nirtrite NO2 = 0
Phospahate PO4 = 0.015
Ammonia NH4 = 0

Tap water:
Nitrate NO3 = 0.1

So I seem to have very low nitrates in the tank and what little is making its way from the tap seems to be processing well and the tank on paper at lease appears to be cycled.

Plants are still growing well enough but any ideas to what's causing the algae?
 
Hi Jamie,

I've just got some filter floss/pads and Fluval biomax filter media. I just spot dose liquid carbon directly at the areas where the algae is worst with a big pipette, a couple times a week along with the ferts.

:)
 
Time for an update as it's been a while.

My algae issues have subsided massively in the last month or two since I removed most of the moss and a few tall plants from the rear, and the tank is looking halfway pretty again.

What algae that is left is mostly just detritus on the leaves and I think a clean up crew would manage it nicely, so on the way home from work I spontaneously decided to stop by the LFS just as they were about to lock the door.

Luckily they decided that they did want my money and happily sold me 4 amano shrimps (including one huge one) and being ever the impulse buyer I decided to get 6 tetra neons as they were on display in the same tank.

Here's some snaps

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Hi Dazza,
any more progress reports? Are you still winning the algae battle?
Im thinking of getting one of these set ups and coincidentally was going to put my spare fluval 205 on it. Love the glass lily pipe and outlet and would be interested to know how you fitted them up to your 205. Think you said they are 13mm glassware, but piping for 205 is 22mm? Also what c02 kit did you upgrade too and does the background remove easily? Sorry for all the questions, but this is pretty much exactly the same spec set up as i was going to attempt. Only thing i was considering was the single light unit and maybe dosing liquid carbon as opposed to pressurised c02.
Anyway, the scape looks great and i hope its still going well.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Ady34 said:
Hi Dazza,
any more progress reports? Are you still winning the algae battle?
Im thinking of getting one of these set ups and coincidentally was going to put my spare fluval 205 on it. Love the glass lily pipe and outlet and would be interested to know how you fitted them up to your 205. Think you said they are 13mm glassware, but piping for 205 is 22mm? Also what c02 kit did you upgrade too and does the background remove easily? Sorry for all the questions, but this is pretty much exactly the same spec set up as i was going to attempt. Only thing i was considering was the single light unit and maybe dosing liquid carbon as opposed to pressurised c02.
Anyway, the scape looks great and i hope its still going well.
Cheerio,
Ady.
Click to expand...


Hey Ady,

I know you weren't speaking to me :rolleyes: but I thought I would give you an answer for one,
the background comes off very easily.. so easily infact, I came home to find it had flew up in my tank (as polystyrene floats ha) and knocked the glass top nearly off.

so yeah, Fairly easy. I didnt even need to touch it. BOOM

:thumbup:
 
Whitey89 said:
Hey Ady,

I know you weren't speaking to me but I thought I would give you an answer for one,
the background comes off very easily.. so easily infact, I came home to find it had flew up in my tank (as polystyrene floats ha) and knocked the glass top nearly off.

so yeah, Fairly easy. I didnt even need to touch it. BOOM
Click to expand...

:lol: Cheers :thumbup:
Ady.
 
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