help please. need algae id and info on how to kill it. ITS GONE

[@marko@]

ok, so my 20L is having algae problems on start-up. im going to start dosing EI this weekend. the dosing wil be automatic on pumps controlled by X10, macros and micros. the CO2 is... idk. lol. i used to keep it at 30ppm, but now that im using aquasoil, my kh is too low to measure (<1 dkh). all i know is that my drop checker is light green. my current ph is 5.4 . my lighting is 65w PC (6500k) on for 11 hours, and another 65w PC (1/2 10000k, 1/2 actinic) for a 2 and a half hour noon burst.
my plants are growing great, its just that algea is growing too, and faster.

here are pics of the algae:




it looks like some regular thread/hair/string. but there is some brown stuff too...

oh, and the tank is new, just thought id put it out there.
any info would be great.

[rich815]

I'd drop your light period to 8 hours, make sure your CO2 is being dispersed around the tank completely and drop the burst it's not really all that necessary. And that is a LOT of light anyway.

Most of my algae issues disappeared when I took out one of my four 54W T5 lights on my 72 gal tank, dropped my lighting period from 10 to 8 hours and added a Koralia to make sure my CO2 was being dispersed around well.

I think being so new too you need to get things settled down a bit as you may indeed be having some ammonia spikes that will help the algae...

[@marko@]

ok, ill try lowering the photoperiod, to 8 hours. ill put the noon burst on a 1/2 hour, just cause i LOVE the coloration the tank get then.

its not an NH4 problem. the filter was established and my water isnt that treated so a lot of bacteria survive. my NH4 was 0 on wednesday, and as was the NO2. my tank is fully cycled.

[rich815]

Originally Posted by @marko@

ok, ill try lowering the photoperiod, to 8 hours. ill put the noon burst on a 1/2 hour, just cause i LOVE the coloration the tank get then.

its not an NH4 problem. the filter was established and my water isnt that treated so a lot of bacteria survive. my NH4 was 0 on wednesday, and as was the NO2. my tank is fully cycled.

That's still a lot of light. You may need to decide if you prefer the high light look with algae, or lower without.

What was the NH4 about a 2-3 weeks ago? That's what might have triggered the algae you see today....

[@marko@]

one week ago, it was .25. one and a half it was .8. and one day short of two weeks ago the tank was just filled.

ok, ok, 8 hours, just one bulb.

[rich815]

Originally Posted by @marko@

one week ago, it was .25. one and a half it was .8. and one day short of two weeks ago the tank was just filled.

ok, ok, 8 hours, just one bulb.

Try it for 2-3 weeks and see what happens. In the meantime remove as much of the existing algae you can see, even if it means removing leaves. Change the water 50% at least and then get that EI regime going immediately. REALLY, REALLY make sure your water movement is good so that the CO2 us getting around.

[@marko@]

my CO2 is getting around. im using a reactor, not a diffuser. and i still have an additional powerhead in there, plus plants (and algae) in every part of the tank pearl in the afternoon.
yeah, i fought BBA once. i remember manual removal. ugh, hope this one goes away easier then BBA though.

[fishboy87]

Did you try spot dosing excel or h2o2. An sae might work if you don't have one. They eat most algaes and could be worth a shot before the algae has the chance of taking over. . .

[@marko@]

i added 4 amanos and 2 very young SAE yesterday.

[fishboy87]

How'd it work out? I'm just starting to get it too and read that an overdose of iron is the problem.

[@marko@]

yes iron is sometimes to hair algae related IME.
i had a very iron rich flourite before the tank redo, and dosed a lot of flourish and flourish iron, and didnt keep up with water changes, and BAM!
i lowered iron dosing and it went away.

but now, it was just NTS. i got 4 amanos, 2 young SAE, and started my EI autodosing on sunday. i did not see the tank monday or tuesday, i came yesterday and there was not a scrap of algae in the whole tank.


i just hope it doesnt come back.

[rich815]

I dose fairly high with Fe (EI dosing with 3/8 t. of CSM+B plus 1/8 t. Chelated Fe three times a week in my 72 gal) and have no hair or thread algae at all.

"Hair, Thread, Fuzz, etc. Algae: Nothing to do with excess iron as commonly thought."

According to this very informative website on Algae:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

[@marko@]

ok, thats very possible then. i never did any controlled testing. i just lowered my dosing of iron and regular flourish, so it could have been any mineral in there, or something entirely else, just around the same time.

[Natty]

Algae: $10 shipped

I guess for awhile there you were rolling in green huh?

[@marko@]

lol. no mine was more of a grey really. and thats kinda old, i put that there before the redo, just as a bit of comedy. your the first to notice and comment.