50 Gal tank
Tank lighting - 2 Panasonic 96W compact flourescent on individual
controllers.
Duration - 12 hrs day
CO2 - from Champagne yeast cultute.
Water - RO - change 3 - 4 gals weekly.
Fish Stock - 2 corys, 3 bleeding heart tetras, 2 Angels, a gaggle of white
clouds.
Feeding - Sparsely
Substrate - dirt with gravel on top.
Filtration - Eheim 2213 with standard hard media and peat.
Latest tests, pH - 6.8, no2 0.3, nh3/nh4 .025
Tank has been up 5+ years. Compact florescents added 6 months ago.

The tank is heavily planted with Crypts, Valenseria, Amazon Sword, and a
few other lil goodies. My main problem is with hair algae growing along
the edges of many of the leaves. The filaments of this algae is from 1/2
to 2 inches long. It is rather coarse to the touch. Close examination it
is a dark green color.

I also have some free floating hair algae. It is light green, very soft,
and is easily removed.

I'm seeking a way to rid myself of the coarse algae growing on the edges of
the leaves. I have a feeling that the coarse algae is light period
related, but varying the light period does not seem to affect anything but
plant growth.
--
He is no lawyer who cannot take two sides.

What are your PO4 and Nitrates at? I think your algae problems are due to
incorrect nutrient proportions coupled with a lot of light. I have almost 4
watts of light per gallon over my tank as well. One thing I've learned is
this much light requires a LOT of plants, a lot of fertilization of correct
proportions, and ample CO2 production.

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

"thePoint" wrote in message
...
50 Gal tank
Tank lighting - 2 Panasonic 96W compact flourescent on individual
controllers.
Duration - 12 hrs day
CO2 - from Champagne yeast cultute.
Water - RO - change 3 - 4 gals weekly.
Fish Stock - 2 corys, 3 bleeding heart tetras, 2 Angels, a gaggle of white
clouds.
Feeding - Sparsely
Substrate - dirt with gravel on top.
Filtration - Eheim 2213 with standard hard media and peat.
Latest tests, pH - 6.8, no2 0.3, nh3/nh4 .025
Tank has been up 5+ years. Compact florescents added 6 months ago.

The tank is heavily planted with Crypts, Valenseria, Amazon Sword, and a
few other lil goodies. My main problem is with hair algae growing along
the edges of many of the leaves. The filaments of this algae is from 1/2
to 2 inches long. It is rather coarse to the touch. Close examination it
is a dark green color.

I also have some free floating hair algae. It is light green, very soft,
and is easily removed.

I'm seeking a way to rid myself of the coarse algae growing on the edges
of
the leaves. I have a feeling that the coarse algae is light period
related, but varying the light period does not seem to affect anything but
plant growth.
--
He is no lawyer who cannot take two sides.

You've got a lot of light, and your tank is on the large side. You might have
trouble getting enough CO2 into the tank with DIY, given the amount of light
and the size of the tank.

I suspect you don't have enough CO2, since your pH is 6.8 with peat filtration.


The tank is heavily planted with Crypts, Valenseria, Amazon Sword, and a
few other lil goodies.

You need some plants that grow faster, to absorb nutrients from the water.
With as much light as you have, you need a lot of plants, at least some of them
fast-growing plants.

You don't have any algae eaters in the tank, either. Algae eaters alone won't
solve your problem, but they'll help.

You don't say what kind of fertilizer you use. With that amount of light, you
need to fertilize.



Leigh

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

I think ya may be hitting on the money with CO2. I've looked at
cannisters, but the Carbo Plus is attracting my attention.

Not sure on po4, though.

Paul

Craig Brye wrote:

What are your PO4 and Nitrates at? I think your algae problems are due to
incorrect nutrient proportions coupled with a lot of light. I have almost
4
watts of light per gallon over my tank as well. One thing I've learned is
this much light requires a LOT of plants, a lot of fertilization of
correct proportions, and ample CO2 production.

--
Craig Brye
snip

LeighMo wrote:

You've got a lot of light, and your tank is on the large side. You might
have trouble getting enough CO2 into the tank with DIY, given the amount
of light and the size of the tank.

I think you're right on on the CO2. I'm looking at the Carbo Plus unit.
Seems to be much less of a hassel than the cannisters, etc.

I suspect you don't have enough CO2, since your pH is 6.8 with peat
filtration.


The tank is heavily planted with Crypts, Valenseria, Amazon Sword, and a
few other lil goodies.

You need some plants that grow faster, to absorb nutrients from the water.
With as much light as you have, you need a lot of plants, at least some of
them fast-growing plants.

I have a lot of plants now. I can hardly see the back of my tank now. I'm
pruning and trimming weekly. The fish really seem to enjoy hide and seek.

You don't have any algae eaters in the tank, either. Algae eaters alone
won't solve your problem, but they'll help.

SAE's are on their way, as are a few gold barbs.

You don't say what kind of fertilizer you use. With that amount of light,
you need to fertilize.

I'm using Tetra Plus (about 50ml a week), but am wide open to any
suggestions.


Leigh

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

--
We should have a Vollyballocracy. We elect a six-pack of presidents.
Each one serves until they screw up, at which point they rotate.
-- Dennis Miller

Thanks for the pointers Leigh.

I think you're right on on the CO2. I'm looking at the Carbo Plus unit.
Seems to be much less of a hassel than the cannisters, etc.

I don't think the Carbo-Plus would work for you. Your tank is so big, and you
have so much light. I doubt the Carbo-Plus could provide enough CO2, and even
if it did, it would use up too much carbonate in your tank. You'd have a
problem keeping the pH from crashing. IME, the Carbo-Plus should be used with
Onyx as a substrate; otherwise, it's tough keeping the KH of the tank up.

I have a lot of plants now. I can hardly see the back of my tank now.

That's part of the deal, if you decide to put in that much light. A planted
tank should be 75% to 80% planted, to keep algae in check. More might be a
good idea, in your tank.

And especially with your light levels, you need fast-growing stem plants. The
plants you list would all grow fine in half the light you have. Why have that
much light, if you're not going to use it? (And if you don't use it, the algae
will.)

Yes, you will have to do a lot of pruning with fast-growers. Some people prune
twice a week. But that's part of the deal, when you go with a high-tech,
high-light tank.

I'm using Tetra Plus (about 50ml a week), but am wide open to any
suggestions.

What's in Tetra Plus? I don't think I've ever heard of it. I do use Tetra
FloraPride, though, and it's not a complete fertilizer. It contains only
potassium and iron, and a little bit of molybdenum.

You need a more complete fertilizer, like Tropica Mastergrow or the Seachem
line. In addition, you'll probably have to add nitrate and maybe phosphate.


Leigh

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