I'm guessing this is your problem. The nitrates should be between 5-10 ppm,
but you say yours is below 20. Is it closer to 0 or closer to 20, are you
able to tell with your test kit? I'm fairly new at this, but I've done a
ton of research on plants in the last 1 1/2 years and have come to gain a
lot of information. I'm guessing your plants are starving for trace
elements and this leaves the algae to take over (feeding off of high
nitrates and possibly phosphates).

Just because plants pearl doesn't mean they're doing good. I've seen algae
problems happen a lot even though plants are pearling. Some of the best
growth and tank conditions I had occurred with only minor pearling.

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

"chet" chet-at-surewestDOTnet wrote in message
...
Trace elements. Sorry, missed that. Yes, I was adding Seachem Flourish
about
two/three times per week for two months. I have stopped. It didn't seem to
make any difference one way or 'tother.

"kush" wrote in message
...
Something's out of balance. Please post your stats. Also, are you
dosing
with trace elements?

chet chet-at-surewestDOTnet wrote in message
...
I am still fighting algae. What I have now is dark reddish brown but
not
"powdery" like diatoms. It is definitely more like green algae in
texture.
When I trim the plants, the algae looks black once out of the water.

I have a 29 gallon tank with a 55w CF, fluorite substrate, and
Nutrafin
CO2
kit. Plants include Nana, Amazon Swords, Onion plants, Java Fern, Pond
Penny, Anacharis, and Rotala indica. After two hours of light they all
perl
like crazy. There is a shower of small air bubbles floating up to the
surface.

I have been cutting back on the light and am now down to about 10
hours.
Will it count toward a light reduction target if I start turning off
the
light in the middle of the day? Will it inhibit growth or damage the
plants?

I am hoping that by slowly cutting back on light I can eventually get
the
algae under control. On the other hand, I want to see the tank while I
am
at
home. Any advice?

chet