Algae and co2 question

[willmort56]

Hello, I have a reasonably new aquascape 243l setup with co2 injection and ei dosing (tnc complete 25ml per day)

I seem to be struggling with algae and diatoms, the tank has been running for about a month and is already stocked with torpedo barbs, Pygmy Corydoras, a pair of pearl gouramis (which have already spawned and I’m currently rasing the fry in another tank!) and a few other small fish I had to move from another tank. The tank was setup with cycled media and nitrico goop so the cycle is going fine. (Nitrate, ammonia 0ppm)

Recently I have had a lot of algae grow on the wood and glass (photos attached) my local aquatic shop told me to up the co2 but on the drop checker it looks about right and if I use the ph/kh chart it seems way too high but the fish are happy so that seems wrong!

Ignore the failed carpet plants the gouramis ruined it for there bubble nest !

Does anyone have any advice on what i should do !

 

[willmort56]

Sorry to add water parameters:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
Kh 9
Ph 6.5

 

[LMuhlen]

I believe the standard understanding is that diatoms are pretty common at the first few months and the best thing to do is to keep up with maintenance and give it time.

Maturing a tank goes way beyond cycling it. The nitrogen cycle microbes are but a fraction of the microbiota that develops at startup. Algae and other microbes battle for unoccupied space in every surface and adapt to each other's development until eventually something close to an equilibrium is reached. At this point, the tank is considered mature and it should become more stable.

You could also consider reducing the light intensity until things get smoother.

 

[willmort56]

Thankyou for the reply! So leave the co2 and ferts alone s they are and just keep up with the cleaning and hope the plants out compete the algae ?

 

[willmort56]

Oh and the light is 4 14w aquael tubes 2 “plant” and 2 day and night for 8 hours a day would it be ok to have just one of each on for the time being to help?

 

[hypnogogia]

my local aquatic shop told me to up the co2 but on the drop checker it looks about right and if I use the ph/kh chart it seems way too high but the fish are happy so that seems wrong!

Ignore pH/KH tables and trust your drop checker, although I can't see its colour. it looks more blue than green.

 

[willmort56]

Ignore pH/KH tables and trust your drop checker, although I can't see its colour. it looks more blue than green.

There are 2 in the tank one nearer the top one nearer the bottom (I had a spare one) I just took the bottom one out to take a better photo and have just seen how yellow it is 😬 I will turn it back down! It’s only 1.5/2bps but inline diffuser.

Supprised that the algae is thriving with such high co2/ and that the fish haven’t shown any signs of stress

 

[hypnogogia]

Are they both yellow? if not, then you have a problem with CO2 distribution.

 

[willmort56]

The

Are they both yellow? if not, then you have a problem with CO2 distribution.

The bottom one is more yellow. I have pretty high flow with Lilly pipes not sure how to increase distribution

 

[nijat11]

Diatom is okay for a new tank, Regarding CO2, the drop checker is inaccurate. Best is pH profiling, just get -1 pH point during the photoperiod.

 

[Wookii]

Regarding CO2, the drop checker is inaccurate. Best is pH profiling, just get -1 pH point during the photoperiod.

There is no difference in my view. pH profiling only appears more accurate as it gives an absolute value, but is still entirely dependent on where you take the measurements, the acuracy of the meter, the reliability of the person taking the measurements etc - as with the drop checker in this case, if distribution isn't up to snuff you'll get greatly different readings depending on where you take them in the tank. Most hobby pH probes are hand held and can only measure a inch or two below the surface - at least the drop check can be placed in a number of places around the tank to get a visual idea of CO2 distribution.

 

[nijat11]

There is no difference in my view. pH profiling only appears more accurate as it gives an absolute value, but is still entirely dependent on where you take the measurements, the acuracy of the meter, the reliability of the person taking the measurements etc - as with the drop checker in this case, if distribution isn't up to snuff you'll get greatly different readings depending on where you take them in the tank. Most hobby pH probes are hand held and can only measure a inch or two below the surface - at least the drop check can be placed in a number of places around the tank to get a visual idea of CO2 distribution.

I still believe that drop checker not accurate How to measure CO2 levels in an aquarium. I had tank where drop checker is yellow, but all livestock were good. The best for profiling take a glass of warer from the tank left if for 24 hours, thank measure ph and make -1 point from that one.

 

[Andy Pierce]

There is no difference in my view. pH profiling only appears more accurate as it gives an absolute value, but is still entirely dependent on where you take the measurements, the acuracy of the meter, the reliability of the person taking the measurements etc - as with the drop checker in this case, if distribution isn't up to snuff you'll get greatly different readings depending on where you take them in the tank. Most hobby pH probes are hand held and can only measure a inch or two below the surface - at least the drop check can be placed in a number of places around the tank to get a visual idea of CO2 distribution.

There is a huge difference. The drop checker measures the amount of dissolved CO2. The pH profiling measures fold-change in dissolved CO2 from whatever the baseline value was. The similarities are that both can be wrong if you screw up the test and they are both sensitive to where you take the measurements if your water flow is uneven/erratic/poor.

 

[Wookii]

I had tank where drop checker is yellow, but all livestock were good.

And how did you judge that the livestock were 'good' - the simple fact that they weren't gasping at the surface, or some analysis of their body and gill tissues or long term study of their lifespan and behaviours under those conditions? The drop checker is perfectly accurate for our purposes. It is in isolated solution unaffected by tank water parameters, that reacts by simple gas exchange.

The best for profiling take a glass of warer from the tank left if for 24 hours, thank measure ph and make -1 point from that one.

Of course, but then where do you take your subsequent measurement? At the bottom of the tank, or the top, near the filter inlet, or near the outlet, or somewhere else? All will affect accuracy.

There is a huge difference.

I meant in terms of the accuracy and our use, interpretation and application of the result.

The pH profiling measures fold-change in dissolved CO2 from whatever the baseline value was

Agreed, but if done properly the baseline is the same for both - i.e. atmospheric levels of dissolved CO2, and the final reading is the same for both - i.e. the injected levels of CO2 at that spot in the tank. Sure the production of the result is different for each, one is a numerical value, the other is a colour, but they are subject to the same errors, and I don't believe one is 'more accurate' than the other simply because one produces a numerical value, which is where I was disagreeing with @nijat11

 

[nijat11]

And how did you judge that the livestock were 'good' - the simple fact that they weren't gasping at the surface, or some analysis of their body and gill tissues or long term study of their lifespan and behaviours under those conditions? The drop checker is perfectly accurate for our purposes. It is in isolated solution unaffected by tank water parameters, that reacts by simple gas exchange.



Of course, but then where do you take your subsequent measurement? At the bottom of the tank, or the top, near the filter inlet, or near the outlet, or somewhere else? All will affect accuracy.



I meant in terms of the accuracy and our use, interpretation and application of the result.



Agreed, but if done properly the baseline is the same for both - i.e. atmospheric levels of dissolved CO2, and the final reading is the same for both - i.e. the injected levels of CO2 at that spot in the tank. Sure the production of the result is different for each, one is a numerical value, the other is a colour, but they are subject to the same errors, and I don't believe one is 'more accurate' than the other simply because one produces a numerical value, which is where I was disagreeing with @nijat11

The tank running for 1+ year, shrimp and fish spawnning constantly, no any death at all. I think this is good judging point 😀 When I used the drop checker (green) method for co2 level I got some algae , when I switched to pH drop method, almost zero algae. And the flow rate and direction was the same.

 

[nijat11]

Look at this one, the co2 started 3 hours ago, after 1 hour drop checker will be completely yellow. hundred of shrimps in this aquarium, however I started with 30-40. Chihiros WRGB2 running for full power for 10 hours.