Is lack of CO2 cause for algae?
 

I am currently in the 4 month of having my planted tank. During the time it
has gone through many changes. In the last month I have stopped supplying
my tank with CO2 via DIY yeast bottles. During the time that i was
injecting the growth of the plants were tremendous and the algae was few.
Now that i have stopped co2 dosing (ran out of sugar and ordered a
pressurised system) my tank seems to have grown a fair amount of algae. No
matter how much i scrape or how much my algae crew eats it still returns. I
was wondering does the amount of co2 in the water have something to do with
algae control. My setup currently is a 55 gallon acrylic tank with 4 - 45w
flouresenct strips as light. Is this to much light or will it be fine?
When i start boosting co2 again will the algae problem resolve itsself or
will it increase? Should i continue to fertilize (currently use plant zone
liquid fertilizer). Any help I can get would be deeply appreciated. Thank
You.

Is lack of CO2 cause for algae?
 

"B." wrote in
:

I was wondering does the amount of
co2 in the water have something to do with algae control.

Yes. Your plants are being growth-limited by lack of CO2, leaving a ton of
nutrients for the algae to grow on. Add in all that light, and you have a
swamp waiting to happen.

~Empty


--
"I'm constantly forgetting my own phone number. Quite simply,
it's because I never call myself. (I used to, but I was never
home. I just gave up after a while. I figure if I want to talk
to me, I'll just have to do it in person.)" -Walker

Is lack of CO2 cause for algae?
 

Your lighting is fine if you where injecting co2 but since you are
waiting on the pressurized, reduce your lighting down to only 2 bulbs.
your plants are not able to outcompete the algae as they are not able
to fully synthesize all the nutrients in the water without the co2.
this is why you've seen an increase in algae since you've stopped
injecting. i wouldn't fertilize either since your plants can
utitilize all of it. Therefore, reduce your lighting to half and stop
fertilizing. Would also suggest weekly water changes to encourage
more plant growth, which will decrease the growth of the algae. Good
luck.

"B." wrote in message . ..
I am currently in the 4 month of having my planted tank. During the time it
has gone through many changes. In the last month I have stopped supplying
my tank with CO2 via DIY yeast bottles. During the time that i was
injecting the growth of the plants were tremendous and the algae was few.
Now that i have stopped co2 dosing (ran out of sugar and ordered a
pressurised system) my tank seems to have grown a fair amount of algae. No
matter how much i scrape or how much my algae crew eats it still returns. I
was wondering does the amount of co2 in the water have something to do with
algae control. My setup currently is a 55 gallon acrylic tank with 4 - 45w
flouresenct strips as light. Is this to much light or will it be fine?
When i start boosting co2 again will the algae problem resolve itsself or
will it increase? Should i continue to fertilize (currently use plant zone
liquid fertilizer). Any help I can get would be deeply appreciated. Thank
You.

Is lack of CO2 cause for algae?
 

Thanks for the info...i have removed 2 of the lights. I plan to stop using
the fertilizer and do more water changes. Hopefully all this will help
until i get my sysytem. Thanks for your help.

Is lack of CO2 cause for algae?
 

"B." wrote in message . ..
I am currently in the 4 month of having my planted tank. During the time it
has gone through many changes. In the last month I have stopped supplying
my tank with CO2 via DIY yeast bottles. During the time that i was
injecting the growth of the plants were tremendous and the algae was few.
Now that i have stopped co2 dosing (ran out of sugar and ordered a
pressurised system) my tank seems to have grown a fair amount of algae. No
matter how much i scrape or how much my algae crew eats it still returns. I
was wondering does the amount of co2 in the water have something to do with
algae control. My setup currently is a 55 gallon acrylic tank with 4 - 45w
flouresenct strips as light. Is this to much light or will it be fine?
When i start boosting co2 again will the algae problem resolve itsself or
will it increase? Should i continue to fertilize (currently use plant zone
liquid fertilizer). Any help I can get would be deeply appreciated. Thank
You.

B, adding CO2 is the single best thing you can do even at low light.
I've found this to quite true independently of this article a number
of years ago.
Plants are 40% Carbon by weight. Algae have very small carbon needs
and all algae are well equipped to use HCO3 rather than CO2.
KIf the plants stop growing or are not growing, algae will. So grow
the plants well and you'll have no algae.

This is a very good article:

Look at
http://www.tropica.com/go.asp?article=142

Regards,
Tom Barr