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Green hair algea

Martty

Seedling
Joined
7 May 2018
Messages
22
Location
Czech Republic
Hello,

I have probem with green hair algea. I dont know where is problem. What can I do? Check a photo.

TANK SETUP
- 8 weeks old scape
- 60x30x36cm (60 liters)
- bottom ADA Power sand Special + ADA Amazonia (6l Normal + 3l Powder)
- lighting Twinstar 600S (50% intensity and 8 hours period)
- filter Eheim Ecco Pro 300 (2036) with original media (+ Seachem Matrix and Purigen 100ml)
- CO2 bottle 2l + EMG valve + Aquario Neo Diffusor Mini + Dropchecker (Lime Green), starting and ending with light
- external heater to 24°C
- no day light from outside
- glass skimmer

PLANTS
Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'
Anubias barteri var. nana 'Mini'
Cryptocoryne parva
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Fissidens fontanus
Glossostigma elatinoides
Helanthium bolivianum 'Isthmicus'
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Lobelia cardinalis 'mini'
Ludwigia palustris
Ludwigia sp. 'Mini Super Red'
Micranthemum callitrichoides 'Cuba'
Microsorum pteropus 'Trident'
Pogostemon stellatus
Rotala indica
Rotala rotundifolia
Staurogyne repens

FISH

Puntius titteya 6x
Caridina multidentata (Amano Shrimp) 3x (was 10x, but they are dyed at filter)


FERTS
- Seachem Flourish 1ml/week (dosing daily)
- Seachem Nitrogen 2ml/week (dosing daily)
- Seachem Excel 1ml/day (4ml after waterchange)
- Seachem Stability 4ml/after waterchange

WATER
pH: 6,5
GH 8 °dH
KH 10 °dH
NO3 10mg/l (with no Seachem Nitrogen)
NO2 0mg/l
Cl2 0mg/l


before maintanance
IMG-20180423-WA0000.jpg


after maintanance

aqua.jpg
 
Matty,

Sorry no solution but I'll be watching this thread like a hawk, same problem it with a different method.

I use EI dosed by pumps and never missed. CO2 is at 1 point drop before lights....just can't get a handle on what the cause is....
 
Too much light, and maybe too high an organic conc. Reduce photoperiod to 6hrs and maybe try reduce the intensity as well...I'd try 40% for a while., at least until your plants establish and grow in. Make sure your filter is clean, and cary out a few water changes of at least 50%. Thereafter, make sure you keep up regular an substantial water changes, at least 50% once a week.
 
Too much light, and maybe too high an organic conc. Reduce photoperiod to 6hrs and maybe try reduce the intensity as well...I'd try 40% for a while., at least until your plants establish and grow in. Make sure your filter is clean, and cary out a few water changes of at least 50%. Thereafter, make sure you keep up regular an substantial water changes, at least 50% once a week.
Yes, Im doing 50-70% waterchanges per week
Im cleaning pre-filter every weak, biological media per month

I dont know about light. If I reduce intensity and photoperiod .. so I reduce plant grow too. But I need plant grow for reducing algea grow, right? So, Im confused :)
 
I dont know about light. If I reduce intensity and photoperiod .. so I reduce plant grow too. But I need plant grow for reducing algea grow, right?
Wrong.
The plants need to be healthy to avoid algae. Right now they are unhealthy due to poor implementation of CO2.
The immediate fix is to reduce intensity as much as possible and examine your CO2/flow/distribution.

Cheers,
 
Wrong.
The immediate fix is to reduce intensity as much as possible and examine your CO2/flow/distribution.
,
Ok. So, 40% and 6 hours per day?
CO2 flow is good. Filtr out flow is strong and distribution in this small tank is good. Leaves are moving. Water circulation is enough.

Should I cut off all algea leaves? But some plants are infected by algea over 70%.
 
Cut the light down to 25% and hours max, how many WC a week have you been doing and how much? Need quite few a week for first few weeks with ADA AS once established 50% weekly. Would be better of using EI ferts with macros one day then micros next works out cheap with a starter kit from aquarium plant foods UK easy toix too. Filter should be up to the job but removing some of the ceramic media as well as the finest foam will help improve the filters output which will also help. Also adding some more stem plants will help short term or floating plants to increase the plant bio mass.
When did you add the livestock? ADA AS releases alot of nutrients in the first few weeks which renders the tank unsuitable for livestock until the tank has cycled which i think has happen to the amanos tank wasn't ready

Tim and Clive got in first and there more knowable than me

But that light is powerful even at 50%
 
how many WC a week have you been doing and how much?
When did you add the livestock?
50-70% waterchange per week
I have followed the ADA recommendations on water exchanges
Fishes and shrimps jump in at 6 week (no one shrimp escape out of tank, 7 out of 10 amanos came into filter and died)

ok, I try 30% intensity and 6 hour per day

morning pH before CO2 injection and lighting is 7.0-7.2
evening pH after CO2 infection and lighting off is 6.5
 
Hi
Defo too much light and insufficient nutrients.
It seems quite bad atm and is not only hair algae in there too.
Don't quite get your fert dosing regime.
With Flourish are U dosing 1 ml per week spliting it on daily doses or is 1ml every day?Same for the other nutrients.
The Excel wont do anything to the green algae unfortunately.
Your CO2 should start an hour or 2 before your lights so your water is saturated with it and your dropchecker is lime green when the light kick in.
What I will suggest is after adjusting your CO2 to start earlier to do a full tank blackout for 5 days. No peeping whatsoever.When that is done clean tank(trim plants and scrub surfaces ) and filter followed by a massive waterchange.After that start with lower light for no more than 6 hours.Aquasoil is nutrient rich but is lacking K and micros make sure U dose them in sufficient ammount daily.
Regards Konsa
 
Hi
Defo too much light and insufficient nutrients.
It seems quite bad atm and is not only hair algae in there too.
Don't quite get your fert dosing regime.
With Flourish are U dosing 1 ml per week spliting it on daily doses or is 1ml every day?Same for the other nutrients.
The Excel wont do anything to the green algae unfortunately.
Your CO2 should start an hour or 2 before your lights so your water is saturated with it and your dropchecker is lime green when the light kick in.
What I will suggest is after adjusting your CO2 to start earlier to do a full tank blackout for 5 days. No peeping whatsoever.When that is done clean tank(trim plants and scrub surfaces ) and filter followed by a massive waterchange.After that start with lower light for no more than 6 hours.Aquasoil is nutrient rich but is lacking K and micros make sure U dose them in sufficient ammount daily.
Regards Konsa
1ml per week (dose recommended by Seachem), but diluted and dosed daily (Nitrogen same)
Do you think, that is it not enough? Should I dose more then recommendation of Seachem?

I had shifted CO2 about 3 hours before lights, but local aquascape guru and proffesional aquascaper told me, that CO2/light with same time is better due to pH or somethink . So, Im doing it.
 
Hi
The dosages on bottle of branded fertilisers are just a guide wich is aimed towards the general user.U have CO2 and high light them 2 increase the demand for other nutrients.Your tank is quite well planted too so yes I dont think you are dosing enough.I will dose sth like 3ml daily.
Its well worth to have a thought about getting yourself some complete fertiliser like TCN complete or The Aquascaper from Evolution Aqua or even EI starter pack from APF and mix your own solutions this way U wont have to buy so many different bottles and U will know U have all ferts covered.
Regards Konsa
 
Last edited:
Hi
The dosages on bottle of branded fertilisers are just a guide wich is aimed towards the general user.U have CO2 and high light them 2 increase the demand for other nutrients.Your tank is quite well planted too so yes I dont think you are dosing enough.I will dose sth like 3ml daily.
Regards Konsa
Ok...so, I do maintanace tomorow and waterchange 50%, cut all algea leaves and blackout tank for 5 days. Then I set up Twinstar to 30% intensity and 6 hours per day and I start dosing Flourish 2ml per week (+100% recomm.dose)
 
Hi
I will do maintenance and waterchange after the blackout as then will be more needed.
Regards Konsa
 
Have you done a pH profile? Eg take pH before CO2 comes on then every 30mins for till the lights go off. This will give a good indication of how stable your [CO2] is. Ideally it should max at lights on then remain stable till CO2 off. The reason for this is the plants adjust there internal growth mechanisms to suit the [CO2]. So doing a pH profile is a great way to check the relative [CO2].
When the light intensity is changed it affects the CO2 uptake of the plants so the pH profile needs to be checked again and BPS adjusted accordingly.
I use Flourish on one of my low tech tanks 20l I dose about 0.5ml a week or twice weekly. I wouldn't use it on my 500l tank for two reasons 1. Cost 2. Better ferts available more suited for high tech tanks.
Son has a 60l aqua nano he has been using the EI Starter kit from APFUK for well over a year, never bought any more salts in that time. No aglea.

In a high tech tank plant growth and toxin production is up to X10 of low tech tanks.
If there isn't enough nutrients to match the light plants suffer produce toxins and aglea thrives.

Clive was dosing X3 to x4 the recommended EI dose in his tank. Plants looked amazing. High light and High CO2. Not sure what is WC regiume was at the time!

Not sure if your baby tears are strong enough to survive a blackout and recover!
 
Have you done a pH profile? Eg take pH before CO2 comes on then every 30mins for till the lights go off. This will give a good indication of how stable your [CO2] is. Ideally it should max at lights on then remain stable till CO2 off. The reason for this is the plants adjust there internal growth mechanisms to suit the [CO2]. So doing a pH profile is a great way to check the relative [CO2].
When the light intensity is changed it affects the CO2 uptake of the plants so the pH profile needs to be checked again and BPS adjusted accordingly.
No, profile must do. Thanks.

I use Flourish on one of my low tech tanks 20l I dose about 0.5ml a week or twice weekly. I wouldn't use it on my 500l tank for two reasons 1. Cost 2. Better ferts available more suited for high tech tanks.
Son has a 60l aqua nano he has been using the EI Starter kit from APFUK for well over a year, never bought any more salts in that time. No aglea.

In a high tech tank plant growth and toxin production is up to X10 of low tech tanks.
If there isn't enough nutrients to match the light plants suffer produce toxins and aglea thrives.

Clive was dosing X3 to x4 the recommended EI dose in his tank. Plants looked amazing. High light and High CO2. Not sure what is WC regiume was at the time!
yea, it seems, that I can dose more then seachem recomend.

Not sure if your baby tears are strong enough to survive a blackout and recover!
Good point. What do you think? Maybe only 3 days blackout? Or reducing light to 30% only. No blackout. ??
 
Clive was dosing X3 to x4 the recommended EI dose in his tank.

I'm not sure why you would ever need 3 to 4 x the dose, EI is worked out to be the maximum that a heavily planted tank could ever use and ensure that you always have excess.
Spot dosing with flourish excel works well to reduce algae but takes a while,

Agree completely with decreasing the light, big clean followed big water change.
Increasing circulation can also help ensure you get the co2 around the tank.
 
No, profile must do. Thanks.


yea, it seems, that I can dose more then seachem recomend.


Good point. What do you think? Maybe only 3 days blackout? Or reducing light to 30% only. No blackout. ??

Regards the baby tears and blackout, judgement call. If I was doing the blackout I would go for 5 days as even with 3 days the baby tears may not make it. They will put all there energy in trying to reach the light so will grow long stems. Just worth bearing in mind so you have a backup plan.

I'm not sure why you would ever need 3 to 4 x the dose, EI is worked out to be the maximum that a heavily planted tank could ever use and ensure that you always have excess.
Spot dosing with flourish excel works well to reduce algae but takes a while,

Agree completely with decreasing the light, big clean followed big water change.
Increasing circulation can also help ensure you get the co2 around the tank.

Well Clive is our CO2 guru and nutritional expert on here so it wasn't done without a good reason. His plants did look great on it.

As to the EI dose being the maximum dose I disagree it's the dose advised as a good starting point for high tech tanks. Dependant on your lights intensity, [CO2] with sufficient turnover and stable [CO2] you may need less but you also may need more also depends on which AS you use and how old the AS is. Obviously if using an inert substrate your dosing ferts and WC need to be better as there's no AS buffering the ferts and toxins
 
Folks,
Filamentous algae is strictly a CO2 related issue. There is no nutritional problems at the moment.
If the OP is using new Amazonia then he is meeting the nutritional requirement. There is no need to change that right now.
Simple water changes and reduction of light is all that is needed to fix this problem.
I suggest no more than 20% power for the moment and that the injection rate should be adjusted so that the pH is dropped to 6.0-6.2 BEFORE the light is turned on, based on the OP's report :
morning pH before CO2 injection and lighting is 7.0-7.2

That is all he needs to adjust. The basic problem is that the OP followed the advice of so called Aquascaping gurus, who advised him to turn the lights on at the same time that the gas is turned on. This is a basic flaw in the CO2 administration.

Fix these simple things and carry on.

Brand new ADA Aquasoil is fortified to approximately 100X EI concentration levels, so there is no need to adjust the dosing for now.
When someone has a CO2 proble, and especially when they encounter hair algae, please do not advise them to stop Excel dosing.
Excel = CO2, so it cannot be a mistake to add Excel. The Excel is a good thing as it supplements the gas injection and should be added at or prior to lights on.

When someone has a nutritional problem they will see nutritionally related symptoms and we can advise them to adjust their dosing scheme.
As far as I can see in the photo, the predominant fault being displayed is filamentous algae, which is ONLY EVER caused by CO2 related issues.

Do not therefore apply nutritional related fault resolution to a CO2 related symptom, as this only causes confusion for the OP and others with similar symptoms who read the thread.

Concentrate on the fundamental problem of excessive light and poor CO2, remove as much algae and get on with it.

Cheers,
 
Hi
Agree with light reduction and CO2 adjustment 100%.But dont think that
with that much algae present simple tank maintenance will cut it as while U are able to trim some leaves on some plants there will be more U will not in carpet for example.All plants are stunted by the algae atm.And will be difficult for them to take over the algae. If U do the 5 day blackout this will kill a lot of the algae and while some weaked pants might not make it and will have to be removed most will and will have better chance against the algae.If U are worried about the HC or other plant U can always replant some fresh once the tank is in good shape
Regards Konsa
 
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