Need some advice on how to get rid of this algae

[Cuber]

Hello,

I have setup up a 25-gallon heavily planted high tech tank for about 8 months now. And ever since the second month it was set up I have been battling algae. For the most part, it has been blue-green algae but in the past 3 months, it has gotten really worse and now there is a brown looking hair algae in the carpet. And Brown algae on the glass and the filter tubes, as well as the co2 diffuser. There is also green algae on the glass as well as on the filter intake and outtake. The blue-green algae is pretty much everywhere on the rocks in the plants on the log and in the sand. I am really getting discouraged at this point and if I cant get rid of it soon I am getting rid of the tank.

Here is all of the info on the tank
-There is no livestock in the tank and the tank faces no direct sunlight

-Twinstar 600SA that sits 10CM above the tank. It also at 100% intensity (I am unable to get a dimmer where I live and no one will ship one to me either) It is on for 6 hours.

-Co2 is at around 2 bubbles per second it comes one 3 hours before the light does and goes off the same time as the light. Using the Co2 art pro elite regulator

-The fertilizer I am using Tropica specialized dosing 2ml every day

-I am changing about 50% of the water 2 times per week. I am also using RO water. Keeping the TDS around 120 to 150. Using Salty Shrimp GH KH+ for remineralization.

-Water temp stays around 21 to 22 degrees celsius.

-The filter I am using is a Fluval 406 canister filter that outputs 383 gallons per hour

- I have tried dosing hydrogen peroxide and had no luck.

-Ammonia is around 0.25ppm
-Nitrite is 0ppm
-Nitrate is 0ppm
-PH is around 6.7

Here are some pictures of the tank as well


If anybody as any suggestions that would be awesome!

Thanks

 

[roadmaster]

I were it me,knock light back to 5 hours, and get busy cleaning. Would take scissors to brown dead area in photo and use old tooth brush on wood,clean glass,Rake out what algae I could with old comb,tooth bush,bottle brush.
Clean diffuser, and check to make sure CO2 is being distributed properly,clean filter material.Try and determine why there is ammonia and no Nitrogen reading.(plants need nitrogen)
Tank just looks neglected to me and cleaning it up won't be quick so maybe if maint is too much for high tech,maybe consider low tech.
Might also introduce a dozen Amano shrimp after I took care to reduce ammonia level closer to zero if reading is correct. Ammonia could be higher at different point in day and shrimp would not last long. They do provide a small army of algae nibblers.

 

[Cuber]

I were it me,knock light back to 5 hours, and get busy cleaning. Would take scissors to brown dead area in photo and use old tooth brush on wood,clean glass,Rake out what algae I could with old comb,tooth bush,bottle brush.
Clean diffuser, and check to make sure CO2 is being distributed properly,clean filter material.Try and determine why there is ammonia and no Nitrogen reading.(plants need nitrogen)
Tank just looks neglected to me and cleaning it up won't be quick so maybe if maint is too much for high tech,maybe consider low tech.
Might also introduce a dozen Amano shrimp after I took care to reduce ammonia level closer to zero if reading is correct. Ammonia could be higher at different point in day and shrimp would not last long. They do provide a small army of algae nibblers.

Thanks for the suggestions! I will defiantly start working on that. Should. I increase the amount of fertilizer that I am using in order to increase the nitrogen. Right now I am dosing 2ml every day should I do 4 ml? Also should I increase the amount of water changes that I do? I am currently doing 50% twice a week

Thanks

 

[roadmaster]

I would change 50% of water once a week.Sorry I don't know what fertilizer you are using or what directions call for, but 2 ml a day is not much more than a drop or two. I might try 5ml every day just before lights on if I could.

 

[Andrew Butler]

(I am unable to get a dimmer where I live and no one will ship one to me either)

Can you not buy direct from Asia on ebay?
I can probably help get you one sent over from the UK if that helps, shipping costs depend on how desperate you are and something like £20 GBP would cover shipping but I would need to purchase the device for you. It is worth noting you would need an adaptor one side of the dimmer, I can't remember if it's 2.1-2.5mm or vice-versa but the info is on here somewhere.
I only ever run my Twinstar S at around 60%, unsure what others do.

 

[Guest]

Twinstar 600SA that sits 10CM above the tank. It also at 100% intensity (I am unable to get a dimmer where I live and no one will ship one to me either) It is on for 6 hours.

You really need to get a dimmer, that's way too much light. You need to dial it down to 60% for 6 hr photoperiod. This dimmer is from eBay Canada https://www.ebay.ca/itm/LED-Light-D...465130?hash=item2acb998fea:g:ey0AAOSwLdJcwX8e, it's the one most folk use with the Twinstar S series

-Co2 is at around 2 bubbles per second it comes one 3 hours before the light does and goes off the same time as the light. Using the Co2 art pro elite regulator

Bubble rate is not an indication of CO2 conc. It's just a guide to help dial your CO2 in. You need a lime green drop checker at lights on and all the way till lights off.

The fertilizer I am using Tropica specialized dosing 2ml every day

That's probably not enough I'd double it at least, especially with that amount of light.

 

[Guest]

I think it's more likely that the higher plants will starve first, especially with the light on at 100%. In which case your strategy will only benefit algae.

 

[Siege]

I’d go with Tim’s post above.

Also think about oxygen. You have very little surface agitation. Increase this by moving the outlet upwards, get a nice surface ripple. Alternatively get a different outlet, one that points upwards more.
Keep the outlet and inlet where they are they are fine.

It is not flow on its own that helps BGA, it is lack of oxygen.

Running an air pump overnight may help also.

Loads of shrimp - amano will be best.

A massive deep clean. Hardscape, scrub, Filter tubing, filter, replace the sand, use a turkey baster to blast the substrate.
Don’t be afraid to do half a dozen massive water changes on the trot.

Do all the above at once, a massive blitz on it. You won’t know whatsolved it but it won’t come back!

(My money’s on lack of oxygen and waste organics).

Ps. Dose more also. I’d be adding 10ml per day in a high energy set up" look at changing to either EI or a more cost effective complete fertiliser.

 

[Siege]

 

[Guest]

My favourite movie 😎

 

[Siege]

Just read your initial post again.

You state that nitrate is zero. No way it should be. That nitrate is food for the plants.

Comes back to underdosing whilst using ro water.

Also consider ro water is basically ‘dead’ water void of oxygen. That’ll be helping the algae also.

 

[sparkyweasel]

Definitely need to dose more fertz.
And more cleaning until things are back on track. BGA thrives on organic waste.
How is the flow? Do all the plants sway in the current?
Have you done/could you do a pH profile? ie measure the pH every 30mins from before the CO2 turns on, till after the lights go off.

 

[Cuber]

You really need to get a dimmer, that's way too much light. You need to dial it down to 60% for 6 hr photoperiod. This dimmer is from eBay Canada https://www.ebay.ca/itm/LED-Light-D...465130?hash=item2acb998fea:g:ey0AAOSwLdJcwX8e, it's the one most folk use with the Twinstar S series

Bubble rate is not an indication of CO2 conc. It's just a guide to help dial your CO2 in. You need a lime green drop checker at lights on and all the way till lights off.

That's probably not enough I'd double it at least, especially with that amount of light.

That's counter-intuitive, what's your rational behind that suggestion?

Thanks for the suggestions! I am doing a water change tomorrow and I will implement everything that was suggested here

 

[Cuber]

Just read your initial post again.

You state that nitrate is zero. No way it should be. That nitrate is food for the plants.

Comes back to underdosing whilst using ro water.

Also consider ro water is basically ‘dead’ water void of oxygen. That’ll be helping the algae also.

You are probably right. The test kit I have is cheap and not accurate. I will definitely get a better test kit and start adding more nutrients.

 

[Cuber]

Thanks for all the reply's guys! I am doing a water change tomorrow and I will do my best to try and implement everything that was suggested. After my water change and the changes I will upload more photos.

 

[Cuber]

OK, so I have done a big cleaning. Did a 100% water change, cleaned the rocks and the log with a tooth brush and a turkey baster trimmed the plants and blasted the substrate with the baster. I also cleaned the filter completely. I have dimmed the Twinstar 600SA to 60% for 6 hours and increased by ferts to 6 ml everyday (I am using Tropica specialized) I am thinking of buying a circulation pump to address the flow. The one that I am thinking of is the Hydor Koralia Nano 240 which does 240 GPH. Will that be good enough? Or should I go bigger? The one up does 425 GPH. Here is the link to the pump.

https://www.amazon.ca/Hydor-Koralia...14?keywords=wave+maker&qid=1574879656&sr=8-14

Here are some pictures of the tank after the water change. Thanks!

 

[Guest]

That looks much better.
A thought's just occurred to me, where did you get the log from, did you find it yourself in the great outdoors ?

 

[Cuber]

That looks much better.
A thought's just occurred to me, where did you get the log from, did you find it yourself in the great outdoors ?

Thanks! I found the log and a pet store. I think they called it beauty wood. Any suggestions on which circulation pump I should get?

 

[Guest]

beauty wood

I don't think I've ever heard of that type of DW. It could be the source of all your woes. Maybe it's been sat there slowly rotting all this time and constantly increasing the organic load of your tank, which would make conditions ideal for algae despite your best efforts. I unfortunately experienced something very similar with a lump of DW, once I removed it algae ceased to be a problem.

Any suggestions on which circulation pump I should get?

Maybe you don't need that circulation pump. I think your Fluval should be providing enough flow already.

 

[Siege]

Looking better! 🙂

I’d suggest doing it again! Get the rest of the bba (it’s pearling under the wood). Clean your glassware and filter tubing, it’s living in there also.

Keep doing massive water changes, I do 2 on the trot on my similar sized tank and other do 2 spaced throughout the week (each as big as livestock allows).

Try raising or tilting the lily pipe to increase surface agitation a bit. Not tonnes just a nice ripple.

From my experience it’s not flow that is your problem, it is lack of oxygen.

If that doesn’t work then try the pump but I’ve found they will just damage plants rather than help, especially if you have an underlying issue.