# Algae is all gone, as in like a new tank.



## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

Well, it's been 9 months now, and the *only* algae I have is on top of the outlet of my spray bar / filter return.

90 Gallon, pressurized, CO2 is between 40 - 45 ppm, and the fish are reproducing.

moderate fish load.

50% water change every two weeks.

Heavy plant density. I have to remove a few pounds of plants every month or so when it grows too dense. Lot of stem plants, but also a few crypts, swords, lillys, etc.

Every water change gets:
3/4 tsp of KNO3
3/4 tsp of K2SO4
20 ml flourish
*90 mil* excel
10 ml of sodium thyosulfate

No more measuring, or what not. I have attained my goal for now. (Want plants - not work!)

Just thought I would boast... :tongue: 

Of course, having said this, it will soon probably look like a septic tank!

One thing of note. I was out for almost three weeks. I found one of my large angel fish a "mucous mass". But no stink, and the plants seemed to be *really* thriving! The dead angel must of fed my plants in my absence. I filled half of a 5 gallon bucket with all the trimmings. (oh all -right, a little work)

Really happy with the tank right now!


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## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

That is great news. roud: 

A little algae will always be present, the idea is to keep it to manageable levels so it's not unsightly.

Marcel


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Congrats man! But a picture would be even more impressive :fish:


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

Will do! I have to bust out my dreble!

Some things I have learned through experiance and study:

Air pump on when lights go off. 
Excel was my magic bullet
Pick your fish carefully, they go in a whole lot easier than coming out.
Even bushy nose plecos are not so safe. My sword's will testify.
Ignorance sucks. I put in six (6!) CAE's from Wallmart, thinking they were Otto's. They were not.
240 watts cf lighting over my 90 seems perfect.
I am still on my origonal 10 lb bottle!


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

Forgot to say, I also add 20 drops out the enema on the water change also.

Here (hopefully) is the pic... My Jungle.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Yep, you are right. Healthy plants, vibrant colors, no work... what else can you ask for? roud: 

For those who are plagued by algae... keep at it, in a few months everything clears up. Be patient and you shall be rewarded. :icon_bigg


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## Lissette (Apr 2, 2005)

Gorgeous!

Lissette


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## Jason Baliban (Mar 3, 2005)

That is a great tank!!! It is a jungle for sure, but the colors, clearness of the water, and health of the plants just draw you in.

Great job!!!

Congrats on the algae. It just makes you so good when it finally checks out!!!

jB


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

*Thanks Guys!*

Most importantly, could not have had any fraction of the success with out all the help and info I gleaned off this forum.

Gotta love the internet!


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## scolley (Apr 4, 2004)

Peter - it IS a jungle. But it is a REALLY GOOD LOOKING jungle! roud: 

Your moniker belies your efforts. You may not want work, but you have clearly spent quality time learning how to do this right! Your colors are vibrant. Your plants look really healthy. And your water looks crystal clear!

You did this all without work???

Please teach me... I'm all ears!


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## X-Treme (Aug 2, 2005)

That tank looks INCREDIBLE. Congrats man..............just wondering....what are the pink plants at both ends of the tank?


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

Well, I like to keep the work to a minimum....  

Some call it lazy, some call it "economy of effort".

Thanks for the props. There is definitly some work involved, but I do have some tools to make it easy. I made the water changer that Rex showed either on his web site or posted, stuff like that. When I started, I was constantly doing NO3 tests, measuring out, using the aquatic calculator, (excelent BTW) and the whole nine yards. But the last two to three months, just went strait to EI, at first weekly water changes, and now two to three weeks. Once in a while in the middle of the period, I will throw in a shot of flourish. And no more tests! I have not done a PO4 or NO3 test in months. Just as many here have stated, once you get the tank "dialed in", it gets pretty easy.

Of course, having said all this, I will soon have a septic tank on my hands. 

I just know it!


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## StUk_In_AfRiKa (Jan 30, 2005)

Great tank! The water is so clear! I'm jealous, mine is going through a bacterial bloom right now. Make sure to keep us updated.


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## Barbels (Aug 3, 2004)

((((((((((WOWEEEE))))))))))
I love it!


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## Barbels (Aug 3, 2004)

Peter,
Do you dose only on w/c change days?
Maybe I shoulda looked closer, but I didn't see where you may have described what you dose during the week.


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

I dose everything all at once right after the water change. I *sometimes* throw in 20 ml or so flourish in between, but only if I remember. But the nitrate seems to hold fairly steady from 20 ppm after wc down to about 10 ppm or so 2 weeks later. I have not tested it in a few months however. - Which is funny; I ordered three boxes of the nitrate refills (Lamotte) when I was checking it all the time. Now, almost all of them are collecting dust under the tank.

I have a theory on it, the tank is fairly established, and the dead leaves collect in the back (out of sight for the most part) and rot away, creating a nitrate factory.

Maybe I'm lucky, maybe it's a disaster in the making, but for the last three months or so (ever since I put my O2 on the excel vs. bba thread) the tank has been natty clean using this 'extended' EI method. IIRC, EI usually goes every week on the WC. I am running 2, sometimes 3 weeks in between.

I really think excel plus high CO2 is the ticket!


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## [RK] (Aug 11, 2005)

I dont get why you need Flourish Excel when there is CO2?
I thought Excel gave Carbon and you get that from CO2 anyway?


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

Not sure if your confusing flourish, and excel. Probably not!

Just so were talking apples to apples, Flourish is the micro-nutrient soy sauce stuff, and excel is the carbon replacement stuff, also made under the flourish name. I use the excel to smoke the bba algae, my number one nemisis in the tank. It worked, check out the excel thread here titled "excel vs. bba or similiar.

The only other two algaes I had to contend with was some thread algae, which took a hike on it's own for some reason, and green spot algae, which the fleet enema took care of. 

I dose the flourish, once at water change, and once in a while, in-between water changes.


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

Holy cow that looks nice. Great colors! It really is a jungle in there...any room for the fish to swim :tongue:


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## X-Treme (Aug 2, 2005)

Can SOMEONE tell me what the pink plants are in the back corners of wantplantsnotwork's tank? I absolutely MUST have some for my 110. The nicest I've seen. roud:


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Alternanthera reineckii!


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## zelmo (Oct 20, 2005)

Can you tell me what you mean by "went strait to EI"?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

He means he is dosing fertilizers based on a routine developed by Tom Barr, called Estimative Index. Search for that phrase on this website for details. roud:


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## Skyfish (May 31, 2004)

Isn't this what we all end up trying to achieve? Less work, no tests and an algae free tank? (Ok some algae).

So EI with only one dosing in 2 to 3 weeks? This is interesting. I'm doing the 3 times a week shabang and then weekly water change, God it's so much work!!

I have this moss type algae that is creeping under my glosso, bacteria I believe, so I'm thinking of ODing them on Excel. So you dose 90ml in a 90G tank every 2 to 3 weeks? I have an 80G but shoudl follow the instructions and then overdose twice or more.

Good work Peter, Congrats. roud:


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## wantplantsnotwork (Nov 28, 2004)

Thanks!

I still try to keep it every three weeks for an interval on the waterchange. I am finding out that at least once in the middle, I add about 10 ml flourish and about 15 drops of enema. The fish load I would catagorize as moderate to heavy, and this is probably what keeps the NO3 up for me.

I do add 90 ml of excel on the water change, along with the NO3, K2SO4, florish, water-conditioner. What a chemical addiction!

I'll post another pic soon. Maybe I should start a thread in the pic section.


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## John P. (Apr 10, 2004)

Skyfish said:


> I have this moss type algae that is creeping under my glosso


Cladophora, possibly?


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## Skyfish (May 31, 2004)

Yes John and possibally even Rhizolclonium? It grows and grows day by day, no matter how much you take out. Last time it happened I had to tear down my tank, start over with new gravel and plants and now bang it's back.

So staying with the subject, I am going to attack it with Excel. On a 80G tank, taking it as 75G water mass, I am going to initially dose 70ml and then 15 ml everyday for 10 days. Starting Friday after 50% WC. Will the Ottos be ok? NO critters in there yet.

Peter, have you checked what your NO3 uptake is?


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## awrieger (May 12, 2005)

That's the best 'jungle' tank I've seen! It looks so healthy and vibrant. Keep up the good (lack of) work!


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