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#1
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another algae question
I am having a bearded algae problem. Tank parameters:
20 gal Temp: 78-82 pH: 6.5 NH3/NH4: 0 NO2: 0 dGH: 7° or 125.3 ppm dKH: 2° or 35.8 ppm Fish: 2 opaline gouramis and 1 albino cory Plants: 2 small swords, 1 large sword, some hogwart that can't decide whether its gonna gro or die and several hagwartish looking plants that I am unsure of their names, broader leaves than 'wort Filter: UGF mostly, run a whisper Power Filter on the lowest flow to help with mech filtration. light: 25w for about 12-14 hours a day Fertilizer: Tetra FloraPride as directed I think I put everything I know about my tank in there. Recently I noticed algae growing in my tank. After perusing various NG's and asking some questions I found out it was bearded algae. I thought I'd read to feed the plants more and they'd outcompete the algae. I doubled up on florapride and increased light from 8 hours a day to about it's current level of 12-14 hours. The algae has gone insane now. It seems like the only thing it isn't goring off of is my fish. Any suggestions. Right now it actually looks kinda neat but I think a couple of weeks growth like it has been and all will be lost. Chemical solution? Maybe a fish I need to add, seems I remember seeing that one particular fish loves bearded algae but I can not find that post? Snails? I am new to keeping nothing but live plants in a tank and need some help please. Thank you for any you provide. Derek |
#2
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another algae question
How long has your tank been set up? It's normal to have outbreaks of various
kinds of algae in a new tank, as it finds its balance. Any suggestions. Right now it actually looks kinda neat but I think a couple of weeks growth like it has been and all will be lost. Chemical solution? Maybe a fish I need to add, seems I remember seeing that one particular fish loves bearded algae but I can not find that post? Snails? People get Siamese Algae Eaters (SAEs) to take care of BBA. However, your tank is a little small for them, since they get to be almost 6", do best in groups, and are very active. Your calm, quiet gouramis may not appreciate SAEs as neighbors, at least in such a small tank. Do you have a 20 gallon long tank, or a 20 gallon high? And what kind of lighting? A normal 20 gallon long comes with a 20 watt flourescent bulb, I think. If that's what you have, you've got only 1 wpg, which isn't a lot. Even if you really have 25 watts, it's still not very much. That is probably why your plants aren't doing well -- not enough light. The swords might be okay, because they get big and your tank isn't very high (if it's a 20 long). They'll be able to get right up to the lights. You should have your lights on about 12 hours a day. Cut back on the fertilizer. With your lighting levels, you may not need any fertilizer at all. I don't think you can use the "fertilize the plants and they'll out compete the algae" method. You don't have enough light. You might be better off choosing plants that are suited for your lighting level and making sure you are doing regular water changes. How big are the gouramis, BTW? Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
#3
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another algae question
Thank you so much for your reply. I tried to be thorough but I guess I still
left some information out. "LeighMo" wrote in message ... How long has your tank been set up? It's normal to have outbreaks of various kinds of algae in a new tank, as it finds its balance. My aquarium has been set up for about two months. ---SNIP--- Do you have a 20 gallon long tank, or a 20 gallon high? And what kind of lighting? A normal 20 gallon long comes with a 20 watt flourescent bulb, I think. If that's what you have, you've got only 1 wpg, which isn't a lot. Even if you really have 25 watts, it's still not very much. 20H. When you said it was probably a 20 watt I decided to check. The bulb in the hood is only a 15w. What would be a good wpg? I think I've read 2 in this group maybe. ---SNIP--- You should have your lights on about 12 hours a day. Cut back on the fertilizer. With your lighting levels, you may not need any fertilizer at all. I will cut back right away. I don't think you can use the "fertilize the plants and they'll out compete the algae" method. You don't have enough light. You might be better off choosing plants that are suited for your lighting level and making sure you are doing regular water changes. I change about 1/3 of the water every two weeks. How big are the gouramis, BTW? My gouramis are about 3" each. I also added a pleco, about 4" and two glo-lite tetra's since I wrote this. Their 12 gallon Eclipse went on the blink. Thanks for you advice, Derek |
#4
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another algae question
My aquarium has been set up for about two months.
It is still a fairly new tank, then. I wouldn't panic. Algae outbreaks are common in new tanks. 20H. When you said it was probably a 20 watt I decided to check. The bulb in the hood is only a 15w. What would be a good wpg? I think I've read 2 in this group maybe. If you want a planted tank and don't want to inject CO2, 2 wpg is a good number. Right now, you have less than one wpg, in a fairly high tank. Even your swords might not survive in the long term. If you don't want to upgrade your lighting, choose plants like java fern, java moss, and anubias. They will be fine in your tank. A low-light tank, if you choose the right plants, can be very beautiful and easy to maintain. At any rate, I would not put more than the recommended amount of Tetra FloraPride in the tank with your current lighting. You may be better off not using it at all. I suspect it's not doing your plants any good; if they don't have enough light, fertilizer won't help. I change about 1/3 of the water every two weeks. You might want to up that to every week, at least until the algae problem is solved. In fact, consider doing a large (50%) water change right now, to eliminate some of the fertilizer you've been adding. My gouramis are about 3" each. I also added a pleco, about 4" and two glo-lite tetra's since I wrote this. Their 12 gallon Eclipse went on the blink. The increased bio-load might affect the algae. You may find a different kind growing. Or the brush algae you have might take off. (A lot of people report BBA prefers acidic water, and water tends to get more acidic with more fish in the tank.) Speaking of pH, your pH seems a bit low for your KH. With a KH of 2, your pH should be about 7.2. Yours is 6.5. Are you adding something to the tank to lower the pH? Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
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