Flow,co2,bba

[Craig Matthews]

So I'm experiencing BBA, loads of bio film and slightly cloudy water, plants are a little slippery but not major. Don't really get brown on green spot algae after a week like I used to before water change. I'm using the filter that came with my 70 litre tank which is capable upto 80 litres so I'm in need to get a more powerful filter. Valis and sag leaves are propogating quite rapid buy also growing back I'm guessing it's a flow problem? The biofilm is bad after a water change give it an hour and it's back I read something from Clive about good light but not enough ferts,co2 and flow make plants leech sugars, anyone had similar problems? Val's and sag growing but stop and start I think, Val's send runners,grow then stop,then grow.....

 

[Siege]

Surface agitation will sort out the biofilm.

Can you post some pics?

What’s your fert dosing? Co2? Water change regime?

Yes filter seems massively underpowered. What’s your end goal, grow plants in existing set up or change etc?

 

[Craig Matthews]

So yes surface agitation I have tried with the power head pointing upwards and crafting a rough agitation but this did not help also with the Venturi did not help the bubbles actually just accumulate and cover the whole surface. Dosing was 0.2 daily seachem flourish but I've recently upped it too 0.4 daily along with 0.2 daily of seachem iron as Val and sag like the iron. I've used tropica root tabs also. Do Val's and sag take nutrients through water column as well as roots? Co2 is a beginner pressurised co2 system the ista 20g with a bell diffuser. Water change is once weekly of 12-13 litres replacing with 75% to water. I live in a very hard water area but using RO water I've got my ph at 7. Ammonia 0,nitrite 0 nitrate 20-30.Filter I'm looking at the fluval u2 or a eheim biomass 160.

 

[Siege]

Personally I wouldn’t worry about ro water, use the water out of your tap and spend the money on more plants. A higher plant mass will help eat nutrients.

With more plants, and especially that you are using co2, also change the fertiliser to a more complete one, one that contains npk, EA Aquascaper one will be good for your sized tank,

50% weekly water change and a good hoover of substrate and filter clean. Get all the detritus out. Tha is what algae Is feeding on and probably causing the biofilm. It’s defo not the water.

Your tank looks like it’s on a stand. You could change to an external filter?

 

[Craig Matthews]

Yes it's on a pencil type stand so a external would be very visible, I thought that detritus/mulm was good for plants? I'm using RO to keep the pH down for my black phantom and x-ray tetra, I would like more plants so that is a option. The tap water is very hard and nitrates at about 40-50 ppm so very high. I use seachem premier potasium de chlorinator but i was thinking about getting seachem nitrogen but I have 5 black phantom tetra, 4 X ray tetra, 5 cherry barbs and 4 amano shrimp that should be enough nitrogen? The filter is massively under power for all that bio load as well as flow.

 

[Siege]

Plant more heavily and feed a more complete fertiliser to feed the plants. They will be healthier. Your fish will be healthier as a result. They won’t care about ph etc, only when it comes to breeding.

Using ro is stripping out from the Water the nutrient the plants need.

Detritus NEEDS to go. It is an organic form of ammonia etc so bad for fish. Nitrate in water and ferts is inorganic so much less harmful.

 

[Craig Matthews]

Aha ok I've actually stopped gravel vac because I read that mulm is good for the plants? So I'm assuming the detritus build up from not gravel vacuuming is contributing to the bio film!