# Algae apeared in hi-tech tank - reason?



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Slowly drop your light period by 30 minutes a week until you hit 8 hours maximum and see what happens. This reduction should not effect plant growth negatively. Add 25% floating plants like water lettuce. Using a syringe to spot treat the effected plants with Seachem Excel. Now do two weekly water changes while doing this treatment: one 50% water change and another 30% water change while continuing with treatment. Don't stop fertilization.

Reducing light is the best ways to get the tank to rebalance and effectively fight the algae in my experience.

Edit: I forgot to mention, your c02 diffusion method may not be the best and poor c02 diffusion may contribute to your problem or make it worse. You can get a drop checker to see what your approximate c02 levels are. You want to aim for 30 ppm. I was diffusing c02 the same way as you. When I switched by diffuser to a pump powered reactor, plant growth took off and I am trimming plants faster now than I can sell them, give them away or otherwise throw them out.

The c02 reactor that I am using is similar to this one and is driven by a Rio pump 50. Hard to believe something as simple works so well, but it really gets the job done.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Aquarium-CO2-Dif...h=item160255740733&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262


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## rich815 (May 21, 2008)

Yup. I was going to say same: drop light period and be sure co2 is properly dispersed.


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## Borman (Dec 29, 2007)

> This reduction should not effect plant growth negatively. Add 25% floating plants like water lettuce. Using a syringe to spot treat the effected plants with Seachem Excel.


Actually i cant made spot treatment cause this algae on many many leaves of most plant.



> Reducing light is the best ways to get the tank to rebalance and effectively fight the algae in my experience.


Will do this - today set 8 hours - tomorrow will set to 7 hours



> I forgot to mention, your c02 diffusion method may not be the best and poor c02 diffusion may contribute to your problem or make it worse.


But with this method plant fills itself very well - active pearling, good state etc. before it was like ada glass diffuser and it was less effective.

Today my co2 system brakes and on co2 was injected in tank during the day, and ph rised from 5.8 to 6.8 at evening.
Algae presents now is really noticeable. And I think its not a fuzz or oedogonium algae - cause on all fuzz photos this small tinny hairs grows from both side of leaves. But mine grows only from upper part and not from the bottom. Its like tiny fluff (but not like BBA or GBA).
So i re-established co2, reduced light period to 8 hours and change another 35% of water + add NPK to maintain 20 ppm by NO3. Unfortun a have no possibility to add Excel. I have only Cidex but actually have no strong willing to use it. ..mmmm not in right time this trouble appeared (during start - no algae, during mature - no algae, and now... at nearly finish - bum). :-(


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## Borman (Dec 29, 2007)

Default
So today check the ph at morning and evening (5.7 morning) (6.15 -evening)
KH-1 GH 3
NO3 - aprox 20
PO4 have no test.
Light period 7.5 hours
About algae amount - not really sure - from one side they a slightly decreased from another at same level - but. on E.parvula they in bigger amount then yesterday.... oh ok
Tomorrow will decrease light to 7 hours and add 1 hour light-off in the middle of the light period - your opinion?
Also I attached some algae photos - please any conclusion... also i find such hair even on front glass (may be this another type but slightly similar)


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## rich815 (May 21, 2008)

You really have to try to remove as many leaves with algae as you can or you are facing a severe uphill battle. Even if it means chucking a whole plant. You can get more plants for not much money.


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