# **PICS**New tank with first algae problems**56K Warning**



## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Your probably right. Go easy on the CSM and Iron for a bit. What is the concentration of your Iron slurry? Are you doing the 250ML water and 1tbs for the CSM? 15 ML of this mix may be even too much for the system on going. hang back on that for a bit more till things get settled.

Sounds like you just added some plants? What's in there specifically.


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

Thanks for the feedback!

My solution mix is 1tbs into 250ML for CSM+B and the same for the iron mix.

Plants:
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Hemianthus micranthemoides
Glosso
Petite nana
Anubias nana
Balansae
dwarf sag
Blyxa
Bolbitus heudelotii
Cryptocoryne wendtii Green
Ludwigia arcuata(I think!)
Micranthemum umbrosum
Myriophyllum mattogrossense
Rotala macrandra
Rotala sp. 'Colorata'
Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan'
Rotala macrandra green
Rotala Sp. Green
Taiwan moss 
Java moss

I kind of had a feeling the trace was a bit much because after I dose it the water would almost have a green tint. Not like green water but just a slight hue of green in it when you looked at it from a distance. Should I just hold back altogether or dose less? 10ML? 5ML?


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Nice plant list...
I'd say skip one day then go or 10ml a dose and see. At some point I'd not add the Iron till the biomass develops a bit more.


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## NorCal Filters (Apr 8, 2006)

I thought CSM+B has iron in it??


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Looks like 6.5% by volume.

http://www.gpodio.com/fert_table.asp

This is another reason to not add additional till it's grown in some more.
Probably another reason pete was seeing a greenish tinge to the water after dosing additional Fe.


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## NorCal Filters (Apr 8, 2006)

I agree with you Sean. In fact the only iron I dose is in the csm+b and I have a significant bio load. Pete, any reason you're adding the extra iron?

Frank


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Finding that chart reminded me I dumped extra iron in my CSM stash... I'm probably at 10% now so I have dosed even less than the normal 10ml for my 55 lately.
That was another one of thos DOH! moments. Live and learn, live and learn.


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

Sorry for the late get back!


> Pete, any reason you're adding the extra iron?


 Good question!

I just got home today and noticed the thread and hair algae very strong on moss, glass, HC, wood..basically everywhere.

There are some spots of the thread and hair algae on the moss and certain plants where its turning brown. Is my moss dieing or the algae?!

I checked my params again and heres what Im getting:
KH 10deg
pH 6.6
nitrate 10ppm
Phos 1ppm

I got home and the plants were pearling like i have never seen them before but the algae was more noticable today than yesterday! 

Im hoping the algae on the moss will be the first to go! I am scared that its going to kill the moss :icon_frow 

I didnt dose a thing today and today was trace day.

Dont know what I did wrong but Im certainly paying for it!
I have more than enough cO2 pumping in there, and my params are pretty stable. My plants should be flourishing not algae! I have notice some slow growth from the stems like Rotala Sp. green and Colorata. Maybe still getting used to the place?

Any ideas comments!


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

Here afre some pictures of what I talking about. I am trying to figure out why the hair algae is turning brown?! I am hoping my moss is not dying 

There is a certain branch where it gets direct light exposure and the hair alage is still mostly green. 
Any HELP!?


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Just do a little cleanup at WC with a tooth brush. Whorl the brush to collect as many strands as possible without ripping the plants and moss too much.

Keep you regime up on NPK and dose less micro for a bit.

Looks healthy except for that algae.


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## Jubs (Apr 5, 2006)

I was/am having this issue with my tank ( 20 long ) as well and I backed off the extra iron dosing and I have seen it slowly going away and then I dosed 1 ml of seachem iron with my water change this past sunday and I noticed some more sprouting but I did it to see how it would effect the tank with the small dose and it definitely had an impact granted its not overly bad but any kind of algae drives me nuts.


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

I decided to also cut back an hour to the lighting. Hoping this will give the plants a little head start.
I will get around to a water change some time Friday or Saturday. Im guessing there is still alot of excess iron and trace since I havent done a water change since this past Sunday. I will probably dose 5ML or so of trace that way there is not too much extra ferts floating around for the algae to get ahold of.

I want to cut back the areas of the moss where the moss is heavy. Is this a bad idea? The branch with moss tied around it and get direct sunlight is really showing the worst of the algae. Its not long enough yet to where I can get a toothbrush but I will try and pluck at it with a pair of tweezers or tongs.

Just out of curiousity how exactly does this algae go away? Does it just magically not grow and dissapear or do I have to manually remove it? I had this problem with my dwarf hairgrass lawn some time ago. I didnt fight it, just got rid of the plants :icon_frow


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## sfcallen (Dec 13, 2006)

I think I would try squirting some excel on that stuff with a syringe. Cut the filters off and anything else producing current and slow dose excel to the effected areas. I would do that every day until I saw it take effect. If that does not show improvement after 4-5 treatments I would get aggressive and do some H2O2 at wc on it.


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## oblongshrimp (Jul 26, 2006)

If you can take the plants out that are affected a good dosing of H2O2 works wonders for thread and hair algae and I have yet to see it damage a plant


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

I have been dosing excel starting three days ago. Applying it directly on the areas sounds like a great idea. 

H202 Im a little iffy on this one. I have shrimp in the tank, will this have a negative affect on them?

My mosses have the most hair algae of the plants in the tank. I would hate to take this off and try to put it back on again. I guess if i comes down to it I can, but would love to consider this a last option:icon_cry:

I tested my nitrate and phosphate and got these readings:
Nitrate: 7~10ppm
Phos:1~2ppm


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

Taking a look at my java moss today and noticed the leafs starting to thin out and the moss isnt a plump as it was. Im guessing this is the algae taking effect on it...

Will it recover?


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

Ok I have been applying Excel directly onto the moss and HC with the hair algae. I think its working but I noticed the next day that the little leafs on the HC where algae was the heaviest looked burnt! The same effect in the moss. The moss is turning almost white where the Excel was applied directly on it. I will post picsw to give a better view of what Im talking about.


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## Betowess (Dec 9, 2004)

I think spot treatments with Excel may actually kill moss, at least I seem to remember reading that. The direct treatment will set back HC, but it can recover from it, for sure... You might be better off with a general OD, rather than spot treatment for the moss. 

As you know, Hair/thread usually means too much iron and ferts maybe with combo of too much light. And many with AS barely dose anything as its rich in iron. Might try raising the light more than shortening the time, or both... Can you up the CO2?


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

Hi Betowess,
Thanks for the responce! By not dosing anything do you mean both trace and iron? I have completely stopped the iron and probably wont dose it again. 

I have picked up the light to where it hangs about 4.2-5" over the tank. I will try and raise the co2 to get a reading of 6.5 pH in my tank. Right now its reads 6.6 and drops to 6.7 before the pH controller kicks it on.

My main concern is th shrimp at this point and keeping them alive but I know I have to correct my mistake of over dosing thetrace and iron! I am kicking my self in the butt right now for making that dumb mistake!

I notice the moss in the areas where the direct excell was applied has somewhat died off . I am in the work of ordering more moss to replace the damaged portions.


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