# Thread Algae



## RedEyedRooster (Nov 19, 2003)

I'm dosing my nitrate everyday 1/4tsp to try to maintain 5ppm (though plants eat it up completely in 24hrs) phosphate is 0.1 and I dose trace with plantex+B (4ml per day) stopped using flourish fertilizer for now because of algae. Light is on timer set for 10hrs. I've got thread algae and at times black bearded algae and when using flourish green algae at top of tank near surface. I'm using two power heads but still not happy with water movement. I believe I have sulpher in my water which I can smell only at my tap, water is 3/4 tap 1/2 R.O. Using this information and my signature information can someone help me to eliminate this algae I'm really getting tired of coming home and pulling out thread algae.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

It sounds like an overload of nutrients, thread algae is usually the one that shows up when this happens. if I remember correctly this tank is not that old is it ?


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## RedEyedRooster (Nov 19, 2003)

Tank was planted 1-9-04
plant list; Ceratopteris.Thalictroides watersprite
Hygrophila Polysperma v. Tropicsunset
Java fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Ludwigia.Repens v. Palustris red
Lysimachia nummularia v. Aurea Ceeping Jenny
Myriophyllum simulans.Common Milfoil. Frill Foxtail
Pennywort, Brazilian (Hydrocotyle Leucocephala)
Sword Narrow Leaf Chain (Echinodorus tennelus)
Telanthera Rosefolia (Alternanthera reineckii)


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

You are definately overdosing the ferts, that tank is still "new" in the realm of things. Just back off the ferts for a bit, be sure to have good water flow and keep up on water changes. When the plants show you that they look hungry, start the ferts again.
Plants do not require much for fertilizers in the first month, I dont feed a new tank till the plants "look" like they need a kick. We tend to get carried away with fertilizers, especially in a new setup, then algae sets in and we find ourselves asking why.

Filter maintenance is very important early on in a tanks life as well.... keep them clean and keep the water fresh and back off on all your ferts for a week. :wink:


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## RedEyedRooster (Nov 19, 2003)

I will follow your advise but just to let you know I started with 16 varieties
and because of over crowding pulled a few that I decided I could do without. I've had to cut plants down 3 times now and it looks like I'm getting about a little over an inch a day growth out of whats left in the tank except Java fern, which is producing all kind of new starts. I was just fueling the fire because my Nitrate test indicated I needed more KNO3, and using Chuck's planted aquarium calculator v1.0b by adding 1/4 tsp dry Potassium Nitrate directly to tank for a 50gal column, I would raise nitrate to 3.24ppm. I thought I was taking it easy, please help me to understand where my thinking is wrong. Should I go by what the plants look like or by the test I've taken? I'm getting alittle confused again, man I'd really like to get a firm handle on this 55 gal column of mine, HELP me to understand.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Your nitrates are fine at that level for now...you may want to get them up a bit more in a month or 2. Actually, this was the part that raises an eyebrow for me...


> I dose trace with plantex+B (4ml per day) stopped using flourish fertilizer for now because of algae.


If you _were_ dosing both of these at one time that might have started the algae problem. Plantex is tricky stuff for even the pro's to use because of its potency and if you are just starting out it may be the reason for the excess nutrients.
Are you adding Iron or potassium to this tank ? You made no mention of either and they are important to keep the algae in check with your lighting. Limiting any of the macro nutrients in a tank can effect how the plants "uptake" the rest of the nutrients which is the "imbalance" we speak of.
I would do a 50% water change to reset the nutrient levels in the water column and then "half-dose" the tank with the micro's (either flourish or plantex) until you get a handle on the algae.
You have pretty good lighting in this tank and if you dont get the levels of nutrients right on then algae takes hold pretty quickly. It takes time to get the levels correct, I have found though that you are better off under feeding a bit rather then overfeeding.


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## RedEyedRooster (Nov 19, 2003)

Right on bro, I needed someone to tell me the how too's. I spent about 2 months on the net trying to figure out what I needed for a planted tank but I had no ideal how to use all these different chemicals. I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how I've been doing things. I have both Flourish and Flourish w/Iron. When I first saw signs of growth I tested my Nitrates and kept track of how much tank was using(it took awhile before plants started using them up regularly) once nitrates started moving I started dosing tank with 5ml of Flourish Iron along with 5ml of plantex+B everyday, lol, man. Anyway, things were getten pretty hairy(literally)so I searched for cures and found that alot of iron in the column can cause hair or thread algae so I stopped using Flourish w/ Iron and just shot Plantex+B in every mourning (algae seemed to hold still not getting any worse) I thought I better keep plants growing hard so then I started using regular Flourish which produced a new Algae at top of column, near the surface, in the plants(green mussy algae) I put in a couple powerheads(figuring water flow was'nt good enough) pulled about half my plants, did a water change and cut back on the Flourish and kept the Plantex coming. But I decided to stop the flourish and cut back on the plantex 1ml(not realizing plantex is a fertilizer) So tell me how to use this stuff will ya? Thanks 


Bert


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

> But I decided to stop the flourish and cut back on the plantex 1ml(not realizing plantex is a fertilizer) *So tell me how to use this stuff will ya? *Thanks


I will let the Plantex pro's handle this one... I tried it , didnt like it and had algae woes so personally, I stick with the Flourish line of products. Its a bit more pricy overall but I know it works for me.

Step up to the plate Plantex fans and help him "us" out please.


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## pedietz (Dec 18, 2003)

Now my tank is starting to get over the hump...
things are drastically better...

I still get new thread growth, but now it's tan instead of green.

Is tan thread algae a new strain, or is it a depleted-nutrient / dying green kind ?


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## RedEyedRooster (Nov 19, 2003)

Still am pulling thread algae daily to every other day. I haven't used any fertilizer for a month or more. I've done three water changes sense my last entrée. Grass is light in color and plants lower leaves have been falling off but everything seems to be still growing, just slower. I've even cut back adding KNO3. Whats up, phosphate is 0.1 and nitrate is 0.0 unless I add daily.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

1) test your nitrate kit to make sure that it is working, on a bucket of water that you can add KNO3 to see the results.
2) increase your CO2 injection to get down to a pH of 6.8 to 7.0
3) after you figure out what is up with yout test kit start dosing the nitrates for a level of 5 ppm again along with the plantex at the dosage you calculated before.

Does your phosphate kit ever read anything other than 0.1? Are you dosing P? 
Are you dosing additional K?
Don't start dosing either of these until after you answer.


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## ninoboy (Jan 26, 2004)

Hi SCMurphy, I'm also having the same problem as Redeye except that all my plants are still healthy and thriving. It's just the hair algae. Same thing with him, everytime after I dosed Flourish before and hasn't dosed any for 3 weeks. But now I'm gonna start using Plantex. So I'll just gonna go along with your advice to RER except that I will calculate my own dosing. Hope you don't mind me taking the ride :lol:


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## RedEyedRooster (Nov 19, 2003)

Test kit is RedSea for both Nitrate and Phosphate.
1. I dosed 5gal bucket and test shows dose.
2. These fish that I'm accommodating are from New Guinea, I can lower my hardness to a happy medium of KH 8.0 and pH of 7.0 making co2 level at 24.0ppm (which is max good health level)
Increasing co2 to drop pH to 6.8 would mean I'd be running co2 at 38.0ppm. I have $218.00 total in all these juvenile fish, which I don't know can handle the increase.
3. How often with the plantex+B? And as far as dosage I was told to dose as you would Flourish so I went by the bottle of Flourish for 50gal, is this correct?(Plantex+B isn't on Chuck's calculator, I've made a solution using 2tsp with 500ml and store in fridge)
4. Phosphate does get higher than 0.1 (using bucket to confirm)but I dose to 0.1 after water change because I don't seem to be using enough between water changes to warrant dosing otherwise.
If I haven't answered all questions let me know and I am ready to act as advised regardless of what misconceptions I have, lol.

Red or Bert or Redeye


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## RedEyedRooster (Nov 19, 2003)

my water is now KH=7.84 and pH=7.1 my Pseudomugil Signifer seem to be having trouble (swimming near surface and letting water push them around ) rest of the fish seem to be fine. Anyone have a good hypothesis why?
Pseudomugil Signifer like a water from KH=10.0 according to Dr. Rudiger Riehi and Hans A. Baensch in the Aquarium Atlas and the rest of my fish KH=4.0-8.0
This all came about right after my water change 4-3-04 temperature was cooler for awhile and co2 was turned up enough to get my pH down to 7.0 but 4-4-04 Pseudomugil Signifer still sluggish near surface so I turned co2 down to 7.1. I've read that to much co2 will make fish act this way but all my other fish seem to be fine and co2 level should be fine anyway, I've also recalibrated my pH meter prob which by the way needed it.


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