# More Plants less algae?



## KentCurtis (Jan 22, 2009)

Right now I only have rotala rotundifolia and rotala nanjeshan growing in my tank....I am in the process of a rescape. I have been trying to keep my co2 stable, but my fish just haven't been reacting as well as I thought they would. I am still trying to find balance. My plants are starting to get what I think are diatoms on the leaves (leaves have some brownish on them, not holes, but just not as green as normal and sometimes the stuff can wipe off with a finger) and I have some hair/thread algae. Before I add in more plants that I would like to keep, should I invest in a lot of cheap fast growing plants from the LFS? Will this help combat my algae? I think I have everything in check as far as dosing, light, and co2 goes for now.


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

I would stuff the tank with plants. The brown algae sounds like diatoms. It will go away. Ottos love the stuff. One of the best cycling plants is Najas sp 'Roraima' I always keep some around because it's great if you have some sort of bacteria die off in your filter or something.

If you get the cheap plants you can sell them in the SNS for the next person's tank. It's win, win. If the ones you want are also fast growers and you can afford them now get those.


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## jjungle78 (Mar 23, 2009)

I think it depends on the algae. Spirogyra is the worst and only grows better with co2 lights and ferts. Plant load has no effect on them or either excel.


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## KentCurtis (Jan 22, 2009)

I have a hairy type algae and I was checking over at rex griggs site and he attributed it to possibly having excess nutrients. This is very possible because I have been dosing EI according to a "20-40 gallong tank". I only have nanjeshan and rotala rotundifolia at the moment becaus ei am in the process of a rescape. Should I perhaps revert down to teh 10-20 gallon regimen? I thought the purpose of EI was to have enough, if not more than enough, nutrients in the water column. Oh well, Im looking for any answer to this blasted stuff.


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## Ebichua (May 13, 2008)

Depends on your tank size. Although if you see algae while doing EI, it's always best to take a step down a level. Work your way back up slowly and make your little "in-between" dosing regime after.


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## KentCurtis (Jan 22, 2009)

my tank is just a 20g high. I will probably switch to the 10-20 gallon regimen starting tomorrow. Nutrients may be somewhat off balance for this week, but not as bad as if I continued dosing for a 20-40. Havent seen my plants pearl in some time, but it may be due to my circulation - I ahve my spraybar in the center back of my tank which could be causing some dead spots on the sides. Im working on shortening the spray bar so I cna run it from right side to left side.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Water changes, do more if you redo the scape etc, and always do a good sized water change after a pruning.

Many skip that because they have already spent a lot of time/enbergy scaping, so they think they will do it later.

Then do it, and week or two later, algae...........

You can stuff the tank with dither plants and phase them out later.

Any algae issue, do a water change and see if they helps, if so, think about CO2. No pearling: CO2.

If you have an algae issues, reduce the light, not the nutrients, reduce intensity, perhaps duration as well, and then tweak the CO2, add Excel till things are better, more water changes.

Algae and plant growth start with light, not nutrients.
Then it goes to CO2, with the plants responding very bad if the CO2 is not good. Nutrients are way down there and very easy to manage or rule out.

Co2, not so much.........and we can rule out nutrients as a cause easily by showing tanks where the nutrients are high and no algae:thumbsup:
CO2? Try reducing that and see if you get algae.

Keep going.........you will get algae and poor plant growth.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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