# green spot algae, reasons why



## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

i have been dosing Estimative Index recently, as i was running AquaSoil, so i didn't fertilise for first few months.

it's a 60litre tank, with constant CO2. light is a 2x24W T5, on the rim of the tank. left on 8hr a day, with breaks in between, 3hr then 3hr then 2hr.

i heard it was a good way to minimise algae.

i have recently spotted green spot algae, and constantly removing it, it will keep coming back.

1. TOO MUCH CO2, does it have any impact on algae.

2. TOO MUCH NUTRIENTS, does it have any impact on algae.

3. TOO MUCH LIGHT, definitely has impact on Algae.

my question is, what am i doing wrong? how should i find the balance?

PS. my plants are pearling, and oxygen bubbles are bubbling away.


----------



## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Try increasing the amount of phosphate you dose for a week and see if you like the results. I find GSA not only will stop colonizing the tank walls but it will disappear from Anubias leaves. I don't know if P kills GSA or makes it softer so snails and otos can eat it but it it does stop being an issue if I increase P.


----------



## Riffs (Apr 28, 2012)

*green spot algae*

I just read some posts in this forum,yes I am new here,I've been abit of a lurker.After reading this post about spot algae you suggested that the Phosphates should be raised.Wouldn't higher P make algae worse.Sorry if I misunderstood as I am new to planted tanks.I also have green spot algae along with hard black algae on my Anubias.
37Gal.
100w lighting T5
8 hour/day


----------



## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

CO2 and PO4 being too low seems to correlate well, it's not just lower PO4.

CO2 being low influences many things, so being on top of that one is the best thing a hobbyist using cO2 can do.

Adding more PO4 is a rather simple matter.


----------



## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

its easy if you are doing it dry, but i have mixed macros in a bottle.
do maybe i'll dose it dry instead.

how do you guys find dosing it dry? is it cumbersome?


----------



## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Low CO2 as well? Guess my CO2 is high enough to discourage GSA anyway. BBA not so much, it is at a slightly irritating level ATM.

I would hate to measure out the salts daily. I take a couple minutes and measure it into a pill minder every week during water changes. Nitrate and phosphate in one, micros and iron in the next. A poster here found a nifty little paint pot combo at a craft store that would work too. I keep track of how much of what I am dosing to attempt to give the tank what it needs. Recently I tried cutting back on P 25% and GSA started forming again so back to the larger amount.

You could just dose extra dry P along with the liquid you already have mixed up.

I dump the dry salts into my sump over the pump's intake. There is a platy in that compartment, he/she seems fine with that. It would be easy to dump into most HOB filters too, some mix it in a cup with some tank water and some just dump straight into the tank.


----------



## alphabeatsco (Feb 26, 2012)

argg..i might do that then.


----------

