"Mathias" wrote in message
news
Hi everyone!

I've got a 300 liter (75 g) tank with a low fishload but with lots of
plants, Amazones, Java fern, Riccia and many more. I'm adding preassured
CO2
with a reactor designed for a 400 liter tank. Allthough I'm not getting as
much CO2 into the water as I'd like to, most plants are pearling nicely.
pH
is on the high side with about 6.8 and gH is 5. I'm adding Tropica liquid
fert. dosed as recommended by Tropica and a few drops of iron. Lighting is
4
SunGlo 4.200K at 4 * 36 Watts. Photoperiod is about 12-14 hrs.

I have very little algea in the tank, but recently I've seen some of those
long, nasty disgusting aglea-strings that looks like a long human hair on
some of the plants. They can be removed by simply pulling them out, but it
seems useless to even try to get them all. Now to my question; Does anyone
know if this perticular type of algea is caused by phosfates (have no test
for that) or anything else inperticulat that I CAN adjust, such as
lighting
or fertilizer. Or is there a critter that'll eat the stuff?

/Mathias

You said you're not getting as much CO2 as you'd like to. At gH 5 and pH
6.8, you're possibly overdosing CO2. Remember the 3 are related. pH6.8 may
be the best you can sustain without softening the water more.
Lighting seems to be on the high side. For the plants you mention, you may
be best with 2 tubes and shorten the "day" to 8-10 hours.
This type of algae is IME found when the tank is still cycling and
therefore, time should over ride the problem. Too much light is also a
culprit.
Keep removing as much algae as you can by hand. Reduce light, then increase
pH or soften the water. Do one change at a time so that you can establish
the culprit.
Assuming your tank is cycled, then you're into phosphate territory but I
doubt that is the cause.

Steve,