tose (LeighMo) wrote in message news: Hmm. Can you get a picture? I don't think I've ever seen a dark brown algae
that forms clumps. There's a dark blue-green algae that does.

In any case, you should add a few algae-eaters to your tank if you don't have
any. Otos, the right kind of snails, a bristlenose pleco, something like that.


But it might be best to wait until you get your CO2 stable. Some of these
animals are rumored to dislike wildly fluctuating pHs.

In april I started.
My tank was redone on 5/25 with new substrate and I've had problems ever
since. I used to have blue/black rock and it wasnt very appealing so with
research I changed to about 1- 1 1/2" of flourite and 2" of natural
stone(small)

Your tank is still new, then. It can take awhile to get a new tank in balance,
especially if you're new to planted tanks. Don't give up! The most important
thing right now is to get your CO2 levels up and stable. What kind of filters,
powerheads, etc., do you have on the tank? With a tank as large and as
brightly-lit as yours, it may be hard to keep enough CO2 in the water, even if
have a compressed system. See if you can reduce surface turbulence.

Also, what kind of reactor or diffuser are you using? If turning up the CO2
and reducing turbulence doesn't work, a more effective diffuser might help.

Since your tank and presumably your plants are new, I would definitely cut off
old, algae-encrusted leaves. (Not all once -- maybe one or two a day.) It's
normal for the leaves of swords to die after a few weeks after you plant them.
Swords (and many other aquarium plants) are grown emersed (with the leaves
above water). Once you plant them underwater, the emersed leaves die, and are
replaced by new, submersed growth that may look quite different. As long as
new leaves are appearing, the plant is probably okay.

I appreciate your reply its hard for me to find people with knowledge. I
feel like a lone ranger.

If you haven't found Chuck's page yet, check it out:

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/index.htm

Lots of useful info, especially in the "articles" section.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

Hi thanks for the advice!!
So today since i left the co2 on all night ph was stable at 7.0
Hope that it stays that way to. I have a decent set of test kits but
all the testing isn,t much good. The algea is now a redish brown and I
should rephrase the clumps its more in patches.Now Im noticing tiny
green spots between the other algea. I believe you responded to
another question that I asked Whats In our Filter? If not its on the
board.My filter in a Cascade 1200 canister. Ihave the spray bar
feature for the output below the water surface and it creates minimal
surface turbulence. I said that I used a phosphate remover. and
ammonia rocks. The water I was told by the LFS contains high amounts
of phosphates. So I remove them but also add them via Seachem.I have
the whole damn line of Seachem plant products.I only started 2 weeks
ago. Before this I used some root tabs and Leaf Zone.do have afew
SAE's and a few guppies and platies for algea. I also have 3 puffers a
mono some hifin tetras.I have a 29g planted w/ 20w and that tank
couldn't be better. Any more help would be great.
Thank you Matt