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Algae all throughout my tank!!!!!

2K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  Cinbos 
#1 ·
Ok so here it goes....

I bought a large amazon sword from a gentleman on here not too long ago. When I received the plant, I saw these red hairs on it. I asked the guy what that might have been and he said it was staghorn that he had in his tank, but that it was dying off. I became skeptical, but wasn't sure how to go about it. I went ahead and planted it.

Recently I also started dosing dry ferts. I am using the EI method, and since doing so I have experienced a boom in algae. I am now noticed Black Brush Algae, and Blue Greens algae. It is a unslightly scene. My anubiad are covered with dark to almost black looking algae. The Black Brush is on some rocks and also blants, and the blue green algae is of course around the front of the glass, where it gets the most light.

I do not overfeed, and in fact I think I underfeed, and I am running a dual 48" T8 Daylight fixture. This is a low tech setup, and I would really like to keep it that way, so I am trying to stay away from CO2. In fact I was actually thinking about changing my lighting, but now I think I will stay away from that, lol.

So you all know my delimma, but here were my plants. I was already thinking about changing the tank to dirt and then capping it with pool filter sand. And I suppose while I was doing that I will try to clean the sand the best I can. I will also work on cleaning the plants as well, but I am not sure how to go about that.

Any suggestion, advice, help is needed and very much appreciated!
 
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#6 · (Edited)
I honestly don't agree with feeding more to combat algae....ESPECIALLY if you are already dosing EI. Anubias is a pretty undemanding plant. BBA is really tough to remove. The best thing you can do is to remove the leaves that are covered in it. Spot dosing with excel might also help. Even an excel overdose. there are tons of threads here of people with the same issue. Read up on them. I have tried manual removal before but that stuff can really anchor itself down.

If you are running low light, i really dont think you need to dose EI. The rate of growth which is driven by light is simply too low to warrant the necessity of full EI dosing. on top of this, You also dont prefer Co2, so plat growth is being limited by CO2. If that is the case, then not dosign EI and using fish waste and food as the nutrient source is A OK. Once again, for a low light tank
 
#3 ·
im haveing the same problem myself and opposed to what ive been reading about overdosing excel or dosing perxoide ive found that by stoping dosing completly, increasing my lighting ,adding alot of fast growing plants (cabomba carolina and anacharis densa), and reduced my water changes (too many nutrients in my tap water and i dont have an ro system yet) within 2 weeks ive seen the bba has been suffently dyeing off ive tried changeing the substrate trimming it off the pants but it just came back in force!!!!

im sry that i cannot give u a cure all as im still very new to the planted aspect of aquaria
and these new problems im faceing also but this what i have tried and is working great so far for me idk if im doing something that will screw me in the long run or not hopefully someone has a better method but that is just whats working for me
 
#4 ·
How would someone go about cleaning the leaves of my anubias and some of my swords?

And thanks for the comments!
 
#5 ·
Also another thing, I have really noticed my Otos and/or BN Plecos eating or taking care of the BBA. I thought they loved that stuff.
 
#8 ·
When we say SAEs, are Flying Foxes included in that? Because I can get ahold of several of those, but if not, I will not even worry about it.
 
#9 ·
Different fish

A true SAE has the black line all the way through the tail verses that of a flying fox. I have had large schools of SAE the only eat algae when they are young. They eat flake and sinking foods


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
#10 ·
So are there any other fish that eat algae?
 
#12 ·
#13 · (Edited)
Ok just an update on my situation now. I had what looked to be black brush algae on my plants and a little blue/green algae on my substrate. I removed all BGA off of dirt by syphoning. I removed most of the infected leaves that had BBA manually. I scrubbed all sides of glass. As I was pruning the infected leaves from all my plants, I placed them in a solution of water and Excel for about 5 minutes and then placed them back into the tank. I raised my lighting fixture about double the height it was before and also cut back the lighting period 1 hour, now the lights are on 7 hours out of the day. I also will cut back on dosing my dry ferts. I was dosing potassium and all that on Mon, Wed, Fri and Trace Tues, Thurs, Sat then doing a water change on Sundays. I will change that routine to Potassium, ect. on Tues, Thurs and Trace on Wed, Friday with very small water changes (too pick up poo) being done on Sunday. I also added 5 more Oto Catfish, 1 Molly, and I am still looking for some Nerite Snails and Amano Shrimp to add. The shrimp may be eaten by the ram and Angels, so I may stay away from the shrimp.

I am hoping this works and I will keep the thread updated.
 
#14 ·
Just an update on my situation.

I cut back on dosing the ferts. I also raised the lights a bit. Cut back the light cycle 1 hour. Also dipped every plant and rock in a excel and water mixer. I will say most plants did just fine, but the anubias really took a hit. Almost all the leaves melted. Will be getting more shortly to had to the tank. I also removed the anubias from direct lighting, that has also really helped. The swords have cleared up well. There is a bit of green algae along the front of the glass, but nothing major. I also added more oto cats, now have 8 in there. Also added 7 nerite snails as well. Everything is going well.

Oh yeah java moss doesn't do well either to the excel dip. Lots have died off, and I am removing it as I notice. Will have to get some more from someone.
 
#16 ·
Well, because I was recommended to. What do you suggest I dose and routine?
 
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