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ID of my algae / liquid carbon ?

956 views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  talontsiawd 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi, can you help me please?



I believe this is BGA, am I correct?

I was advised by my LFS to fill the tank up and try to siphon it out, but after an inspection just now, I don't think that's going to happen. I tried to wash a sample of the gravel under the running tap which didn't shift much, I had to pick/scrape it off with my tweezers. It's like a slimy dark brown/black/green mat which is across about 80% of my substrate.

The tank has been going for 2 months using the dry start method (sealed with occasional misting).

The plan is to fill and heavily plant in the next few days. Is there anything I can/should do to tackle this algae mat before I plant up and fill?

Many thanks

Paul
 
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#2 ·
Hydrogen peroxide may help, but I have never done this with a dry start method. You could test it in a small area first and see if you get any results. I'm a little hesitant with this suggestion as I don't know what it would do to the soil (or more importantly, the beneficial bacteria/organisms) under the gravel.
 
#3 ·
Hi can anybody expand on the Hydrogen peroxide idea at all? I do really want to rid of the algae, but don't want to risk any issues with my soil as I am about to plant £100 worth of plants into it!

Another suggestion that was mentioned by mnemenoi in this other thread I started, was to dose a liquid carbon source. Does he mean to spray the algae directly with it before filling, or just start dosing it regularly into the water once the tank is filled, or both??

The other question this raises is wether that means I would have to continue using the liquid carbon? I hadn't intially planned on dosing any added carbon to keep it as low maintenance as posible, but since then, I found I can get 2000ml for £22 (based on 4ml per 200L per day) which works out at 500 days worth (more economical than I first thought).

What factors should I consider when deciding on whether to use the liquid carbon on a soil base low tech tank?

P
 
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