Lighting requirements for Anubias and Microsorum

[Hokum]

I have a 100Litre 36x12x18 tank with a 39W T5. I'm struggling against BGA. I've been lighting the tank for 7hrs a day is this too long and just helping the BGA?

Tank is low tech no CO2 and filtered by an Aquaclear 50 powerhead with quick filter and an Aquaball 160 atm. I'm getting a 2213 classic as the Aquaball is going to become a running spare/quarantine filter. Stats are fin at 0,0,20 PH 7.4 Phosphates 3ppm. The tank is not heavily planted, 1 large and 1 small Anubias Nana and 5 small Java Fern. The tank is a river tank so I need enough light for the algae for the Garra and Hillstream loach.

I’ve tried increasing the light and that made the BGA grown faster, I’ve tried stopping the Easy Profito and other Fertilisers but it made no difference.


Thoughts?

 

[ceg4048]

Hi,
BGA is linked to low nitrates or dirty filters. You can mechanically remove as much of it by hand as possible and then do a three day blackout, but you need to increase your nitrate level to prevent a recurrence.

Cheers,

 

[Hokum]

Nitrates are at 20ppm, its hardly low. I've had Nitrates at 50ppm but it made little difference. I had hoped that the plants would out compete the BGA and it would go away as i clean it out.

 

[ceg4048]

Plants cannot compete with BGA, or any algae for that matter. They would lose miserably if they tried. This is false assumption numero uno.

How do you know nitrates are at 20ppm, is that from your dosing calculations or the results of a test kit?

Cheers,

 

[Hokum]

Test kit results.

 

[ceg4048]

OK, that figures. That means it's more likely to be 0.002ppm. Don't even get me started on test kits, especially nitrate test kits.

You need to dose KNO3. In a low tech tank you only need a very small amount, only 1/8 teaspoon per 20 gallons weekly. I assume your filter is clean correct? That is the other cause.

Cheers,

 

[ColinTomson]

As far as I know using lots of light and especially stonger one increase BGA
so try to lower it or at least check your light and change it if it is neccessary
Cheers

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I'm struggling against BGA

I'd keep the filter clean as Clive suggests, it is a strange one because BGA and lots of flow don't usually get on very well. If you can keep the tank fairly low in organic matter (by syphoning) and direct the flow along the bottom rocks, you should be able to remove the BGA and encourage the green algae you want. I would expect that as the tank matures the BGA will disappear, only to re-appear if the filter becomes choked and flow drops or you have an ammonia spike .

You've probably seen these <http://www.loaches.com/articles/river-tank-manifold-design> & <http://www.loaches.com/articles/hillstream-loaches-the-specialists-at-life-in-the-fast-lane> but they are well worth a read.

Personally I would dose a small amount of KNO3 (fixed N and K are the 2 elements plants need most of ), it won't do any harm and as BGA are nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria so their growth will never be nitrogen limited. I know you want to generate green algae for your Hill stream Loaches, but I would up the plant biomass. This is an image from the "Loaches on-line" thread.

cheers Darrel