HC carpet melting, algae has set in. Help required please!

[Emyr]

Hello everyone,

After things were going so well for a number of months unfortunately I am having major issues with algae - mainly green and blue green algae in the substrate and covering the HC carpet - as you can see in the photos. Some of the HC is now melting, presumably as a result of the algae. I had to remove some sections of the HC as they had really died off but now it is all deteriorating.

Its a 60L tank, I have a good flow rate - which I have increased a little more, lime green drop checker and am EI dosing with Tropica ferts, so nutrients shouldn't be a problem. X2 24W T5 6500K fluorescents for 7 hours a day.

I'm a bit puzzled as to what the best course of action against it is, any help would be hugely appreciated as I really don't want to loose the carpet.

Thanks

 

[ceg4048]

Some of the HC is now melting, presumably as a result of the algae

No, more like a result of poor CO2.

so nutrients shouldn't be a problem.

BGA = problem with nutrients, particularly lack of NO3.

Cheers,

 

[Emyr]

So what would you recommend that I do now to tackle the issue and get it back to full health?

Clean algae, large water change, up nutrients and Co2? Blackout?

How do I get rid of the algae in the substrate?

 

[parotet]

Hi Emyr, I follow your journal cause I copied your cabinet, I have the same tank size and I nearly copied your light fixture...and because I like your setup
I finally purchased a 2x24w light fixture and I was quite amazed how close to the water surface it was in the last pictures. Amazed because with the same light (but less demanding plants) I have been putting my lights higher and higher over the last weeks to sort out thread algae. Don't know if it is the solution for your algae problem but I guess that, at least for me, playing with 48w T5HO is too much for a 60cm tank. Look at the graph about PAR and distance for T5 fixtures, published originally in another forum but posted here in other threads (sorry on my phone now, can't do much more). Looks like this fixture can deliver a very high PAR... not impossible but it's a bit like playing with fire. I guess Co2, flow, ferts, etc. should be absolutely perfect otherwise... boom!
Looking forward to seeing your progress, your tank was inspiring to me

 

[parotet]

This is the figure I mentioned...

Take 17 inches (light 15 cm above the water surface and considering you have some cm of substrate), take several readings and you will notice you are in the border of what is considered high PAR values (=perfectly CO2 deliver)

 

[ceg4048]

Clean algae, large water change, up nutrients and Co2? Blackout?

Yes, basically you'll need to add more CO2 or adjust the timing so that it comes on earlier before the lights come on. You should probably trim as well. As mentioned by parotet, you should at least temporarily disable some of the lighting. That will help to get rid of the algae more quickly but long term, higher KNO3 and CO2 are the best path if you intend to keep the same lighting levels.

Unfortunately you'll have to remove the algae by hand, or if you have access to sodium perchlorate powder you can sprinkle small amounts of it over the algae, allow it to sink and make contact. in a few hours the algae usually sloughs off.

Cheers,

 

[Emyr]

Great, thanks for the help guys!

I have removed a lot of the algae, resulting in some of the weak HC going with it unfortunately. I then did a 50% W/C and have increased the co2 bps, the flow restrictor is now wide open. I have also raised the lighting unit a few inches and will start doubling my Macro nutrients.

Does that sound about right?

Hopefully this will resolve the issue.

 

[ceg4048]

Hi Emyr,
You should get into the habit of looking at your pH profile as discussed in the thread My pH profile | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Then that will give you an idea of what's happening to the gas and it might give you someclues as to how to proceed. It's not feasible to suggest some arbitrary bubble rate because the effectiveness of your gas dissolution may depend on a variety of variables, such as gas-on time, flow/distribution, dissolution method, as well as on the bubble rate itself.

All the other things you mentioned like increased water change frequency, reducing light intensity and increased dosing are good. If you have access to liquid carbon products like Excel, and if you don't have plants that respond poorly to liquid carbon, then you can add this as a temporary measure to get instant increase in CO2 until you fixed the problem. HC can sometimes melt into oblivion very rapidly.

Cheers,