# How do i eliminate this algae?



## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

Hello all, I am fairly new to planted tanks. I have been doing this since dec. and am still a noob to this. I need your help to figure out how i can rid my tank of this algae what looks to be diatoms/hair algae. I have been battling it for a month or so and cant seem to rid my tank of it. It keeps blooming back with in a week. My tank readings are ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, nitrate 120 to 160ppm, kh is 9 degrees with co2 added at a ph of 7.1. PH without co2 is 7.5. Gh is 19 degrees. I do a 80% wc every sunday with tap water and prime as the treatment. I have eco-complete as a substrate in which i root tab with seachem root tabs. I EI dose with KNO3 at the rate of 4tsp, KH2PO4 at the rate of 1 Tsp in 9 oz of fluid. I add 3 Oz of the mixture 3 times a week with seachem flourish as my trace element at 2 capfuls 3 times also, alternating days with each. I also dose excel at the rate of 3 capfuls daily and 15 capfuls at waterchange. My tank is a 150 gallon planted fahaka puffer tank. I have a sun sun 505 with uv sterilizer with purigen in it. I also run a cascade 1200 and an aqueon 700 circ fan. Temp is maintained at 80degrees and i run an odyssea 4x54w t5ho with cool wave 6700k and redwave bulbs. I run my light 2 bulbs starting at 11 am with a midday burst of 4 bulbs from 1-3pm and then 2 bulbs from 3-8pm. 8pm-10pm is blue led's. 

I don't understand why it is blooming so much, it is attaching to some of my plants in which i suck most of it off with my python at waterchange time. also the substrate too. I had to redo my plants once because it was all over everything!!! That was when i ran 4 bulbs from 10-8pm, then switched to 12-8pm. Now i am at the schedule as describe above. Can anyone help me or lead me in the direction i need to go or start to rid my tank of this Pain in my A**? Thank you.


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

Here are some pics of what i am battling and the plants in my tank.


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

More plants, and maybe cut the excel for a while... Some plants don't care for it...

You could try spreading out some of the bunch plants. Sometimes breathing room is nice.

Is your uv always on?

And holy nitrates.... Is that normal for EI?


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## Tetrameck (Mar 1, 2013)

steven p said:


> More plants.......
> 
> And holy nitrates....



+1. Add more plants. Consider some that are nutrient sponges like wisteria, hygrophila, etc. they grow fast and will out compete the algae in time. I would KEEP using excel, and perhaps double or triple dose for a few days. Increase your Co2. Make sure your drop checker for Co2 is lime green. Also, try adding a rest period with all lights off in the afternoon. Try 4 hours on (2 hours with two bulbs and a burst with all four), followed by one to two hours off, then another four hours with two on. Start you Co2 30-60 min before your lights go on and end 30-60 min before lights go off at end of the day.


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## mistahoo (Apr 25, 2012)

steven p said:


> More plants


+2 more plants worked for me. You could add hornwort or floaters temporarily as they're huge nitrate sinks and will eventually choke out the algae for nutrients.

Sent from my spaceship using Tapatalk 2.


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

steven p said:


> More plants, and maybe cut the excel for a while... Some plants don't care for it...
> 
> You could try spreading out some of the bunch plants. Sometimes breathing room is nice.
> 
> ...



i am gonna add more plants. Thats what i was thinking too. I just have to find ones that my puffer wont chop down. Its up to him if they stay.lol i didnt spread because the original plant were spread and they were overran worse than this. Total loss on those plants. u.v. Is always on. I think nitrates are high due pottasium nitrate dosing and his diet of snails. I get protein film on my surface.




Tetrameck said:


> +1. Add more plants. Consider some that are nutrient sponges like wisteria, hygrophila, etc. they grow fast and will out compete the algae in time. I would KEEP using excel, and perhaps double or triple dose for a few days. Increase your Co2. Make sure your drop checker for Co2 is lime green. Also, try adding a rest period with all lights off in the afternoon. Try 4 hours on (2 hours with two bulbs and a burst with all four), followed by one to two hours off, then another four hours with two on. Start you Co2 30-60 min before your lights go on and end 30-60 min before lights go off at end of the day.


I will try those plants. I dose excel solely to slow the rate of algae growth. Gotta be careful on the overdose of excel. Fahaka puffers are sensitive and i almost killed him once doing that. Superfast major waterchange saved him. I neex to buy a drop checker. My ph controller is on 24/7 so co2 is never off. Dont want the ph swing to affect my puffer. I will get my lady to try that lighting schedule. I work all day so i wont be here to run that. 

thank you both for your input so far.


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## Tetrameck (Mar 1, 2013)

Just buy a couple of $5 timers at Home Depot for your lights and Co2 (Mechanical, not digital). Set them and forget them.


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

Tetrameck said:


> Just buy a couple of $5 timers at Home Depot for your lights (Mechanical, not digital). Set them and forget them.


Issue is, 1 cord for whole light setup. Has built in timer for 2 bulbs, 2bulbs, and then led lights with only one on, one off adjustment. I had to cheap out on the light fixture due to the rest of the tank and upfront cost of startup costing over 2k in a matter of 1 1/2 months. Gotta save up for a better light.


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

mistahoo said:


> +2 more plants worked for me. You could add hornwort or floaters temporarily as they're huge nitrate sinks and will eventually choke out the algae for nutrients.
> 
> Sent from my spaceship using Tapatalk 2.


Thank you for those suggestions. I will check my local planted tank store for those and the wysteria and other rapid growth plants. Time to spend more money.lol


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

There's a thread somewhere.. maybe at the Barr Report?? That hinted at the uv limiting iron. It could be that your plants cannot get enough of the iron consistently and the algae is capable of surviving on less.


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

steven p said:


> There's a thread somewhere.. maybe at the Barr Report?? That hinted at the uv limiting iron. It could be that your plants cannot get enough of the iron consistently and the algae is capable of surviving on less.


I have been reading up alot before i posted this. I didnt see anything about that. I did kill my uv light for 1 day and the next 2 days after it carpeted most of my substrate. Might have been a fluke since my u.v. Light is built into the filter and is only 9 wats with a length od about 6-8 inches.

you guys have helped confirm one of my suspicions on needing more plants. I cant add all that i want to cause my puffer needs swimming space along with no carpeting style plants cause he will pull them all up while huntong for snails...


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

Its tough trying to balance a puffer/planted tank cause my puffer thrives in higher ph, hard water and is sensitive to things like co2, excel, etc. Cant have tank mates like snails, schrimp, algae eating fish cause he eats them. He has killed like 5 nerite snails, 10 amano schrimp and like 30 ghost schrimp. He is a solitary creature. Plants thrive in lower ph, soft/r.o. Water. I am just trying to have a happy median that is being spat on by algae. Lol


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

boosted23 said:


> Its tough trying to balance a puffer/planted tank cause my puffer thrives in higher ph, hard water and is sensitive to things like co2, excel, etc. Cant have tank mates like snails, schrimp, algae eating fish cause he eats them. He has killed like 5 nerite snails, 10 amano schrimp and like 30 ghost schrimp. He is a solitary creature. Plants thrive in lower ph, soft/r.o. Water. I am just trying to have a happy median that is being spat on by algae. Lol


right now, fresh out of the tap.. my water is 360+ppm i have never had any plant die because of the mineral content. hornwort and vals(and many more) really appreciate hard water. plant variety helps. floaters are awesome too.

this is that thread btw http://www.barrreport.com/archive/index.php/t-7295.html


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

I think your issue is flow. Are all your plants swaying? even the bottom most leaves. 

Also cut back your fert dosing to half because you don't have the much plant mass. You might be better to cut it to a 1/3 of the dosing. Focus on growing your plants, the algae with correct itself.


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

My susn sun is rated at 525 g/hr. Lets say 400gph with media. Cascade 1200 is rated at 384 gph. With media and spray bar lets say 250 gph. The aqueon 700 fan is 700 gph. So thats 650 gph filtration turn oover and another 700gph of flow which is 1350 gph of turn over flow. I think flow is good? I had to adjust them in a manner to where they werent tipping my plants completely over with flow. You can see the algae sway on the substrate with this flow but is attached to the rocks. 

i will do my weekly 80% w.c. On sunday. Get more plants and cut dosing to see what happens.


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

boosted23 said:


> My susn sun is rated at 525 g/hr. Lets say 400gph with media. Cascade 1200 is rated at 384 gph. With media and spray bar lets say 250 gph. The aqueon 700 fan is 700 gph. So thats 650 gph filtration turn oover and another 700gph of flow which is 1350 gph of turn over flow. I think flow is good? I had to adjust them in a manner to where they werent tipping my plants completely over with flow. You can see the algae sway on the substrate with this flow but is attached to the rocks.
> 
> i will do my weekly 80% w.c. On sunday. Get more plants and cut dosing to see what happens.


I usually like to target at least 10x turnover. I think you're about there. No, need to add more. I would look at how the water is being circulated. It seem like isn't enough close to the substrate. The flow is your co2 and nutrients distribution. If you have good flow, IME algae shouldn't been sticking to your plants.


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

n00dl3 said:


> I usually like to target at least 10x turnover. I think you're about there. No, need to add more. I would look at how the water is being circulated. It seem like isn't enough close to the substrate. The flow is your co2 and nutrients distribution. If you have good flow, IME algae shouldn't been sticking to your plants.


By the looks of it i think its more like my bunched plants are creating a net for it cause when i shake them it all falls off and they are definately green. Not withered. Your right though i am gonna have to lower the circ pump down more to get better flow on the bottom. I might just get two weaker ones so i can put them on each sides instead of the 700. thanks for that suggestion.


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

Here is an update on my algae battle. I have been doing 70% wc on sundays and 50% on wednesdays. I have kept my lighting schedule the same. Added water lettuce and spiralis also. The spiralis melted though. I have been doing king kobra's 1-2 punch along with two carefully dosed algaefix. I also changed from flourish to greenleafs csm+b for micro's. 1/2 teaspoon three times a week along with cutting my macros down to 25% of my ei dosing regiment. After switching to csm+b dry ferts my plants took of like crazy!!!! I have since trimmed them twice to remove bba off of their leaves and this is what it looks like as of now. Its slowly getting better. I am liking the results so far. I also moved my flow to where i can see it making movement on the substrate. Thanks for all your advise!!!!! It certainly helped alot!!!


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

:thumbup:

via Droid DNA Tapatalk 2


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## Hardstuff (Oct 13, 2012)

Your GH & Kh is too high! Cut with R/O water or run 100% remineralized r/o with GH booster. I recommend The Green Leaf diffusers they seem the best for Co2. Stop dosing Flourish & switch to 100% EI dosing with Plantax with boron to add trace. Stop dosing Excel if your dosing EI. 80% is too large. Your chasing your tail. 50% is good enough. Seachem Prime irritates fish from my experience I simply do not use it anymore. 
I have the same water you have. Before switching to R/O water I had all kinds of algae & sick fish. The water is too hard & your Kh is through the roof. There is nothing you can do about it. I would strip it down to nothing & build it back up. Do 50% water changes 1 time a week. With that kind of volume you will be using a massive amount of water. I am still not rushing my 55 for that same reason. My 10 is doing great now with EI dosing & 6500k bulbs with Flourite substrate. All I use now on my tanks are 100% remineralized water. I would never go back, the liquid rock, you can have, nothing but problems.


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## Hardstuff (Oct 13, 2012)

I just looked up your fishes water requirements . Looks like 10-12 dGH. Thats a lot lower than GH17 . Looks like you could bring the Kh down which will help your Co2 as well. An estimate of 4 or 5 KH looks ball park. Gppd luck


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## auban (Jun 23, 2012)

i say just keep doing what you are doing. its working for a reason.


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