My Anubias leaves are getting covered with green spot algae. Anything I
can/should do about this?

10 gallon tank
Platys, Corys, and Otos
4 small Valisnerias, 1 Anubias, and 2 Crypts (all for about 1 month)
12 or 13 hours of light from a Triton tube
pH ~7.6

Thanks,
Dave

In article ,
David J. Braunegg wrote:
My Anubias leaves are getting covered with green spot algae. Anything I
can/should do about this?

Increase the phosphate level. Low PO4 = green spot algae.

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Hi all,

Just a question on this... I'm getting green spot algae on my anubias and
also my sword. I thought that it was to do with my MH lighting being too
strong and maybe too many nutrients... Is it as simple as adding more PO4?
If so, what level should it be? I was always under the assumption that
PO4=algae... Same as Nitrate... Is this wrong?

Thank you.

Justin.
"Richard Sexton" wrote in message
...
In article ,
David J. Braunegg wrote:
My Anubias leaves are getting covered with green spot algae. Anything I
can/should do about this?

Increase the phosphate level. Low PO4 = green spot algae.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

David,

I saw the earlier response to your question. My own opinion is that playing
with phosphate is very problematic; Some folks control algae by making all
other nutrients abundant and limiting phosphate. There should be plenty of
phosphate in the food you feed your fish every day (especially for a 10
gallon
aquarium) and you may really mess things up by adding phosphate.

Before adjusting the chemistry too much, try to move your annubias to a
shady spot in the tank; you might limit the algae growth in this way. Try
this especially if there are no other algae problems in the tank. Green
spot algae
is normal on an Annubias.

In case you want to understand plant nutrients more, here is a nice link
explaining nutrient levels and how to test and maintain them:

http://www.sfbaaps.com/reference/barr_02_01.shtml

Bruce

"David J. Braunegg" wrote in message
...
My Anubias leaves are getting covered with green spot algae. Anything I
can/should do about this?

10 gallon tank
Platys, Corys, and Otos
4 small Valisnerias, 1 Anubias, and 2 Crypts (all for about 1 month)
12 or 13 hours of light from a Triton tube
pH ~7.6

Thanks,
Dave

In article , Justin wrote:
Hi all,

Just a question on this... I'm getting green spot algae on my anubias and
also my sword. I thought that it was to do with my MH lighting being too
strong and maybe too many nutrients... Is it as simple as adding more PO4?
If so, what level should it be? I was always under the assumption that
PO4=algae... Same as Nitrate... Is this wrong?

Very. Nitrates can be through the roof with no ill harm to anything. It's
ammonia that's the killer, not nitrates.

A lack of PO4 causes green spot algas. Too much PO4 does not partitularly
cause algae, only in the presence of lots of ammonia. PLant calls can
use all that PO4 without a greater amount of N.

Some people say .5 - 1.0 ppm phosphate, other ssay 3ppm. I fall
in the latter camp.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

On Tue, 17 May 2005 12:38:47 -0400, "David J. Braunegg"
wrote:

My Anubias leaves are getting covered with green spot algae. Anything I
can/should do about this?

10 gallon tank
Platys, Corys, and Otos
4 small Valisnerias, 1 Anubias, and 2 Crypts (all for about 1 month)
12 or 13 hours of light from a Triton tube
pH ~7.6

Thanks,
Dave

I have 4 tanks with anubias. My 2 year experience with them has been
all over the place. I have one 10 gallon tank that the anubia has
grown very slowly, but steadily. The leaves start out great, but
slowly are covered with algae. In another 10 gallon tank, the anubia
grew to the top. I cut its stem in half, and in 6 months the bottom
half is 3/4 to the top again and no algae. In a 29 gallon I planted
the top half taken from the 10. It grew great for months and then
suddenly started losing leaves at the stem. It has stabilized, but a
far cry from its good days. However, again no algae. Then there is
the 75 gallon. Three anubias that were huge along with another 4 that
never grew large, but had lots of growth. They all produce clean
green new leaves, but with time algae appears and they look like lace.
They go through cycles growing great guns and then losing leaves, they
separate from the root and just float to the top. The leaves often
looks green and healthy, but the stem looks rotted at the bottom.

I like the anubias and will always have them, but they sure are hard
to understand.

I bought them because they are low light plants. The first 10 gal
tank I mentioned, has the lowest light and is more heavily in the blue
range. I don't change bulbs until they no longer work, so my ratios
are probably close to 1 watt/gallon. The 75 gallon has the highest
ratio, but the 10 gallon that does so well the second to the lowest
ratio. Funny this 10 in which the anubia grows so well, was the
hardest tank I had to establish. Lots of early fish deaths, plants
slow to grow, water milky. For the last year it has been the
healthiest.

Isn't fishing fun?

dick