The Stone Age

[FishLifeLondon]

This thread is of my first real attempt at an aquascape. I've had an aquarium for the past 3 years and in the past year I've been inspired to create an aquascape. I got this aquarium about 7 years ago when my parents were looking for an easy pet for us. They got scared of the concept of electricity and water and a week later we ended up getting a dog . Then 4 years after getting our dog, I decided to drag out the aquarium, fill it up and get some fish. After a while, became fed up of algae issues (BGA) and wanted a change. It's taken a while to get the aquascape done being a lazy teen and 4-5 weeks ago I filled it up.

The aquarium is 60cm by 35cm by 30cm with a HOB filter and a Retrofit LED. The hardscape is some Seiryu Stone and the plants are currently Monte Carlo and Echinodorus Tellenus, but I plan on getting some Narrow Leaf Java Fern and some Bucephalandras. I chose the plants because it's a Low Tech Aquarium and I've seen Dave from ADU Aquascaping and George Farmer's success with these plants.

Anyway, I planned to upload earlier, but I hadn't got any nice photos on my DSLR and then at around the 2 week mark I got a tonne of algae after I overrode the timer all day and night. However I do have some photos from my IPad at 0-1 weeks and 1-2 weeks I'm guessing.

 

[FishLifeLondon]

Now for the algae!
One of the main reasons for me creating thread is for soaking up all your advice. So I've got algae and lots of it.
I think I've spotted BGA, Hair Algae, Diatoms etc. I think it's been caused by: Ambient light (I've blocked most of it with a towel on the left side panel); Overriding the timer for a long time (trying not to be an idiot!); Lack of water changes (I plan on doing twice weekly 30% water changes).

The light is supposed to be on for 4 hours at the moment and I've got lots of floating plants too. I've also got 2 Nerite Snails and 1 Amano Shrimp and I want to add more, but how many maybe 5 of each in total? Anyway, I'm trying to ask what should I do to try and eradicate this algae so any help is appreciated.

 

[Edvet]

Waterchanges: how often and how big?
Light: how long
fertilisation:?

 

[FishLifeLondon]

The water changes have been at least 2 gallons a week from the start and been more frequent maybe 5 gallons a week since I got algae issues after the 2nd week.

The lighting started at 6 hours and I lowered it to 4 hours after the 3rd week, but I've left the lights on overnight maybe 3 times, due to overriding the timer and forgetting about it.There is also the ambient lighting issue. In the U.K. we've been experiencing a heatwave with a lot of clear skies and one of the aquarium panels gets maybe 6 hours of light. After 2 weeks I blocked most of this light with a towel.

Fertilisation has been inconsistent around 6ml a week, to the best of my knowledge the plants aren't suffering deficiencies as they appear to be green.

From the above I think I can conclude that: One light is a big problem, there's too much; And Two I need to be much more consistent in my maintenance. Hopefully this doesn't turn out to be too big of a learning curve.

 

[Edvet]

Try 50% waterchanges twice a week, scrub and clean everything thouroughly, addd ferts after the waterchange, and try to keep lights at 4 hours consistently. If there is a lot of daylight try to have the lightperiod the same as the beginning of the daylight hitting the tank.

 

[FishLifeLondon]

Sorry it's been a while (it's now the 7th week), but I've got some updates. So much of the algae has gone especially from the plants (no more hair algae or cyanobacteria) even though I've been away on holidays. However there is still diatoms on the glass, but I've been removing quite a lot in the past days and the 5 Nerite Snails should help. Here are some dodgy IPad photos.

I'm getting a bit impatient with the growth rate of the plants and I've spotted some holes in the Echinodorus Tellenus so I'm looking for solutions. I guess the only way to speed up the growth is get CO2, but I'm not ready for that yet. I'm also unsure of using Cyanoacrylate to attach some Anubias Nana and Needle Leaf Java Fern to the rock on the right. Can I do it underwater or will I need to drain the tank and move the Amano Shrimp and Nerite Snails? Also does it have a cure time? Anyway thanks for the help. I think I'm beginning to get somewhere.

 

[Barbara Turner]

Cyanoacrylates won't work under water, you need to drain it down, just glue stuff when your doing a big water change. If you can get the gel type, also try to advoid using too much as it goes white.

I would add some liquid carbon, either easy carbo or seachem flourish. If you get a syringe you can blast the worse affected algae covered areas. It will help the plant growth and help keep the algae down.
To fill in the areas that are missing, get a pair of tweezers and use any floating plants. Try and be patient when it comes to plant growth, when things settle down and your pretty much algae free
You can start slowly increasing the lighting period. This will increase plant growth but also increase the algae growth. The plants will also need better fertilizers.

Instead of doing 2 x 30% water changes, once a week can you do a big cleaning session followed by doing a big 70% water change.
There is alot of useful information here.
https://tropica.com/en/guide/care/tropica-app/

Although Co2 does give you a whole range of new problems it will also help fix a collection.
If you go down the fire extinguisher route it's not crazy money.
Easiest option is keeping the light relatively low and adding low levels of CO2.

Ps Nice layout the seiryu stones are stunning.

 

[keano]

With an early tank I'd say that the water change is no where near as frequent. I've 2 new tanks setup and im doing 70+ % every other day at the moment 3 weeks in and no algae.

Have you considered dosing of liquid CO2, the tank isn't that heavily planted either so usually the heavily planted tank with dosing will be too much competition for algae to take hold.

Water changes and dosing, if on a budget you can buy powder cheap and make own liquid fertiliser. Tank that size I'd guess about 20 quid for the year.

 

[FishLifeLondon]

Thanks for the replies.
So for the glue, I guess that because I want to glue down to the substrate level it will be a 90% water change so should I remove the Shrimp and Snails and put them in a holding tank.
I've been aiming to do 3 33% water changes a week, but because of holidays this won't frequently happen. I didn't do large water changes, to not stress out inhabitants and because it's easier, but now I think I'll do 70ish% and 33% water change instead depending on holidays.
I've been fertilising about 5ml of TNC Complete each week with 1 of the water changes and the floating plants seem green enough and the aquasoil (3l Amazonia and 3l JBL) should help. I think I'll get some Liquid Carbon as I just thought if I don't need it don't get it, but you've changed my mind.
Though I still don't know what is causing holes in the Echinodorus Tellenus is it CO2 related or melt?

 

[FishLifeLondon]

It's been a while now. Anyway, here is the dodgy iPhone photo; not enough to make you jealous, but enough to make me happy. I really appreciate the help I've got from this forum and the useful resources it provides. Now for the Essay: The Helanthium Tenellum decided to melt away during the heatwave and the Monte Carlo stopped growing and died back a little. A few weeks ago I went to a demonstration by J.M.Touche at Aquadepot and I got myself some Trident Fern and saw a tub of Eleocharis Acicularis for really cheap, so decided that I would use it to replace the Helanthium Tenellum. I did about a 90% waterchange to glue the Trident Fern downand a piece of Anubias Nana and another 3 because I wasn't satisfied with the positioning after I filled it up. I've settled on doing about a 50-60% water change weekly now with 5-6ml of TNC Complete with each water change. I got a a coating of Green Dust Algae on the rocks, but within 2 days my Nerites consumed it all. Now I've now got a little bit of Diatoms on the Eleocharis Acicularis while they adapt, but my Amano Shrimp will gobble it up now that I've reintroduced them. The Monte Carlo appears to be growing nicely and I hope that within a few months it will have carpeted fully. Anyway I plan on adding half of my 13 Lampeyes (I have them in 35cm Cube which I will scape after Christmas. I'll then add a the rest a week or 2 later and get 7-9 Pygmy Corydoras (I don't know your opinions on stocking, but I doubt this is an outrageous level given the biological support system the aquarium is capable of and also that the Corydoras will occupy lower levels in the water column) to the 35cm Cube for a month or so to quarantine. I'll be posting soon about my plans for the 35cm Cube and undoubtedly loads of questions as well. Thank You to all especially those who get to the end of this.