# Green (cyano?) Using ADA substrate after 3 weeks



## Oskarw90 (May 22, 2017)

Hi! First of all, thanks for a great forum, been lurking around for a while now. 

I decided to start up my first real planted tank after a 3 year hiatus from the hobby. Using the ADA line of products
(Powersand and substrate(the new version)

My tank is a 90, shallow tank 80x45x25cm

Light is 100watts of LEDs 6500kelvin and CO2 (4 bubbles per minute) 

Currently fishless

Ph is 6.4
NO3: 75mg/l
Gh 7.8
KH 4.5 
CO2 35mg/l

Using brighty K, step 1, green brightly shade and lights.

I recently got alot of algea, I think cyano on both my HC and S.repens. not sure what to do about it. Is it just part of the start up process? Changing 50% water every 3 days using RO water.

Not sure what to do about it. Should I to some hydrogenperoxide mix or a blackout? It's litterly all over the plants and rocks ( not on substrate) 

I think my flow is okay, using a 700l/hour external filter and a ecodrift 4.1 streamer to create some turbulence.

What do you guys think? Pics incoming

Bump:


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

How long since you started the tank? Did you allow it to fishless cycle to complete before you will be stocking it with fish?

If anything you could cut your CO2 by half since it's still getting filled in, especially with the lowish KH of your water.

You're blasting it with a lot of light, if that's the actual LED wattage consumption.

Your picture isn't the best, but from what I can see there's no Cyano, it's generally a very different color than other algae. More of a dark Turquoisy blue. You might have what looks like a little diatom algae, but like I was saying the images of your Staurogyne Repens is out of focus.


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## Oskarw90 (May 22, 2017)

GrampsGrunge said:


> How long since you started the tank? Did you allow it to fishless cycle to complete before you will be stocking it with fish?
> 
> If anything you could cut your CO2 by half since it's still getting filled in, especially with the lowish KH of your water.
> 
> ...


 Thanks!

I was trying to focus on the HC.
Okay I'll check diatom out, but the algae ia really stringy and bubbles alot. I passed my no2 spike a week ago so I was about to add some livestock this week. But I really wanna get the algae under control first.
My LED ramp is using about 120w. But I'm thinking it's because the efficiency of my LED drivers. Should I try to add some KH buffer? I'm thinking I might get alot of ph swings because of the amount of CO2 that's on during the day and off in the night. What saturation of co2 should I aim for? I thought about 35mg/l was pretty food I have a crappy diffuser (will upgrade soon) so I wanted to make sure that my plants are growing at maximum rate, which I thought my light would be able to allow.

Should o pick up some more tests and what should I test for do you think? 

I tried a small amount of hydrogenperoxide on a patch of Infested HC and it bubbled like crazy (uprooted the HC 😅) it looks like the algae broke up and dissolved. But I'm scared to treat my entire tank already, since I don't know if the HC will be damaged by it.

Also I've been giving it 9 hours of light each day. 

If it's not cyano, should I just get a cleanupcrew for the algae?


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## Malakian (Aug 23, 2014)

GrampsGrunge said:


> How long since you started the tank? Did you allow it to fishless cycle to complete before you will be stocking it with fish?
> 
> If anything you could cut your CO2 by half since it's still getting filled in, especially with the lowish KH of your water.
> 
> ...


I don't see why lowering co2 would help other than cycling the filter. And it has nothing to do with KH mind you. PH crash is a myth, and Co2 dissolution stay the same at same injection rate, no matter KH.
I do agree, I doesn't look like cyano, it has a completely different color than algae/plants. A more blueish green as you mentioned.

The little I can judge from the picture seems like green hair algae.
And yeah, if you are actually pulling 120w from LEDS, thats a huuuuuuge amount of lights. The finnex 24/7 planted+ 48" by comparison is around 40w.


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

Well the reason I recommended a lower amount of CO2 is because there's way less plants than can actually benefit from it, and it's not helping with the bacteria cycling

Going with 20 PPM is a good compromise, obviously the technology for lighting has taken strides since the Booths were experimenting in the early 90's with CO2 and running, ( with an expensive pH controller..) @ 15 PPM. But you can still get good plant growth with less than 30 PPM. Obviously the algae is using some of the CO2 or it wouldn't be pearling. I'd not be changing the KH mainly for stability, but just slowly back down the CO2, it will help give the Aquasoil's nitrifying bacteria a chance to get better established. If I'm not mistaken AquaSoil is pre-charged with Ammonia and plants will still preferentially choose ammonia over nitrate. It's a shame to have all that ammonia available when it could be also kickstarting a lot of fast plant growth

The best thing right now would be to plant some additional fast growing stems plants Like Rotala Rotundifolia and (or) Ludwigia Repens. You don't need to keep them forever, but let them help get the tank's balance established, fast growing plants will help absorb the nutrients the algae is taking advantage of.

Is that LED unit dimmable? you could run less power and on time and see if your plants still hold their good growth levels.


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## Oskarw90 (May 22, 2017)

Thanks for your help guys! 

I turned my light down to 70W and raised the ramp up about 10cm, hopefully it will reduce the algae growth. 
I'll also ordered some L.Repens to combat my excess nutrients. 

I hope i can keep the growth on my HC, because it trippled in volume in just 2 weeks hoping to have a nice carpet in a couple of more weeks. 

As i said i also tried Hydrogen peroxide on a patch yesterday and the patch is now algae free and the HC seems to be alright (it's pearling without any algae now). do you think it's safe to treat my entire tank, just to keep the Algae from suffucating the HC whilst my changes to light and CO2 takes effect? my S.repens are getting a tad more yellowish in some places. Pottasium difficiency? im thinking i should overdose brighty K.


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## audimurf (Mar 23, 2017)

Following.

I am 7 ish weeks into this tank. I am getting killed by this algae. looks to be the same as yours. I got alot of it out with water change on Sunday night! This is tuesday. I am going crazy.




sigh


I am getting tons of bubbles coming from the substrate i think. Perhaps it is just pearling but it is a rediculous amount of bubbles. They go straight to the top. I am getting 100% co2 diffusion. Going mad!

Might be time to brake out the peroxide. What could possibly go wrong?!?


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

Oskarw90 said:


> Thanks for your help guys!
> 
> I turned my light down to 70W and raised the ramp up about 10cm, hopefully it will reduce the algae growth.
> I'll also ordered some L.Repens to combat my excess nutrients.
> ...


I'd keep doing the 3% H2O2 in small patches as it has the potential of hurting the gravel bacteria you're trying to establish. And do a small water change after treating. Make sure it's the pure Hydrogen Peroxide, it shouldn't have other ingredients besides the H2O2. Just purified water.

IIRC is Brighty K is made of Potassium Carbonate? It's going to cause some PH swings if over dosed. 

Potassium Sulfate is pH slightly acid and will provide all the K you need. I'd dose about one third teaspoon per 10 gallons of tank volume with each water change. *If you really think this is the deficiency.* You can't easily overdose with Potassium Sulfate, but you can add bit much KH via Potassium Carbonate which might stress the plants. Since this tank is still new, anything to keep the pH stable is a help as you're going to try reducing the light and CO2, KSO4 for the short term would be a better choice.

It may take a couple weeks for the new plants and lighting/ferts to make a noticeable difference, give it some time.


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## Oskarw90 (May 22, 2017)

Thanks everyone for your help! 

I kinda had to restart the tank because of a sudden change of apartment 5 days ago ( and a cracked tank in the physical move)
I treated all the plants with H2O2 and got a couple of Finnex 24/7s instead of my 100w DIY solution. hopefully algae wont come back! 

I also got myself some Cacomba and pogostemon to keep the nutrients down. holy crap the cacomba is growing fast in the new setup, guessing about 0.5 - 1 cm per day. aswell as a team of otoclinus to keep the algae in check if they would spring up again. feels alot more stable. keep you guys updated! The new scape is alot taller and actually like it even more!


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

When you start up a tank with Aquasoil and good light to reach a carpet there are several steps you need to take to prevent nightmarish algae from turning your scape into a horrible mess. Even more so if its an iwagumi or is not heavily planted.

At startup:
.Run your lights about 4 hours a day.
.Change around 50% water daily 1st week, every other day 2nd week, etc.
.Use redundant organic removal media (carbon, purigen). 
.Provide good co2 
.Never, ever disturb the aquasoil. It's already loaded with ammonia and now you're releasing it into the water column at a higher rate.
.If possible, seed the filter or substrate with used substrate or biomedia.

All the above either eliminate organic waste before it turns into ammonia or reduces the effect the ammonia will have on growing algae.

I've started up countless tanks with ADA aquasoil and if you follow these procedures it should start up clean. No cloudy water or algae.


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