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How do i eliminate this algae?

3K views 21 replies 8 participants last post by  auban 
#1 ·
Hello all, I am fairly new to planted tanks. I have been doing this since dec. and am still a noob to this. I need your help to figure out how i can rid my tank of this algae what looks to be diatoms/hair algae. I have been battling it for a month or so and cant seem to rid my tank of it. It keeps blooming back with in a week. My tank readings are ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, nitrate 120 to 160ppm, kh is 9 degrees with co2 added at a ph of 7.1. PH without co2 is 7.5. Gh is 19 degrees. I do a 80% wc every sunday with tap water and prime as the treatment. I have eco-complete as a substrate in which i root tab with seachem root tabs. I EI dose with KNO3 at the rate of 4tsp, KH2PO4 at the rate of 1 Tsp in 9 oz of fluid. I add 3 Oz of the mixture 3 times a week with seachem flourish as my trace element at 2 capfuls 3 times also, alternating days with each. I also dose excel at the rate of 3 capfuls daily and 15 capfuls at waterchange. My tank is a 150 gallon planted fahaka puffer tank. I have a sun sun 505 with uv sterilizer with purigen in it. I also run a cascade 1200 and an aqueon 700 circ fan. Temp is maintained at 80degrees and i run an odyssea 4x54w t5ho with cool wave 6700k and redwave bulbs. I run my light 2 bulbs starting at 11 am with a midday burst of 4 bulbs from 1-3pm and then 2 bulbs from 3-8pm. 8pm-10pm is blue led's.

I don't understand why it is blooming so much, it is attaching to some of my plants in which i suck most of it off with my python at waterchange time. also the substrate too. I had to redo my plants once because it was all over everything!!! That was when i ran 4 bulbs from 10-8pm, then switched to 12-8pm. Now i am at the schedule as describe above. Can anyone help me or lead me in the direction i need to go or start to rid my tank of this Pain in my A**? Thank you.
 
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#4 ·
More plants.......

And holy nitrates....

+1. Add more plants. Consider some that are nutrient sponges like wisteria, hygrophila, etc. they grow fast and will out compete the algae in time. I would KEEP using excel, and perhaps double or triple dose for a few days. Increase your Co2. Make sure your drop checker for Co2 is lime green. Also, try adding a rest period with all lights off in the afternoon. Try 4 hours on (2 hours with two bulbs and a burst with all four), followed by one to two hours off, then another four hours with two on. Start you Co2 30-60 min before your lights go on and end 30-60 min before lights go off at end of the day.
 
#8 ·
Just buy a couple of $5 timers at Home Depot for your lights (Mechanical, not digital). Set them and forget them.
Issue is, 1 cord for whole light setup. Has built in timer for 2 bulbs, 2bulbs, and then led lights with only one on, one off adjustment. I had to cheap out on the light fixture due to the rest of the tank and upfront cost of startup costing over 2k in a matter of 1 1/2 months. Gotta save up for a better light.
 
#11 ·
I have been reading up alot before i posted this. I didnt see anything about that. I did kill my uv light for 1 day and the next 2 days after it carpeted most of my substrate. Might have been a fluke since my u.v. Light is built into the filter and is only 9 wats with a length od about 6-8 inches.

you guys have helped confirm one of my suspicions on needing more plants. I cant add all that i want to cause my puffer needs swimming space along with no carpeting style plants cause he will pull them all up while huntong for snails...
 
#12 ·
Its tough trying to balance a puffer/planted tank cause my puffer thrives in higher ph, hard water and is sensitive to things like co2, excel, etc. Cant have tank mates like snails, schrimp, algae eating fish cause he eats them. He has killed like 5 nerite snails, 10 amano schrimp and like 30 ghost schrimp. He is a solitary creature. Plants thrive in lower ph, soft/r.o. Water. I am just trying to have a happy median that is being spat on by algae. Lol
 
#15 ·
My susn sun is rated at 525 g/hr. Lets say 400gph with media. Cascade 1200 is rated at 384 gph. With media and spray bar lets say 250 gph. The aqueon 700 fan is 700 gph. So thats 650 gph filtration turn oover and another 700gph of flow which is 1350 gph of turn over flow. I think flow is good? I had to adjust them in a manner to where they werent tipping my plants completely over with flow. You can see the algae sway on the substrate with this flow but is attached to the rocks.

i will do my weekly 80% w.c. On sunday. Get more plants and cut dosing to see what happens.
 
#16 ·
My susn sun is rated at 525 g/hr. Lets say 400gph with media. Cascade 1200 is rated at 384 gph. With media and spray bar lets say 250 gph. The aqueon 700 fan is 700 gph. So thats 650 gph filtration turn oover and another 700gph of flow which is 1350 gph of turn over flow. I think flow is good? I had to adjust them in a manner to where they werent tipping my plants completely over with flow. You can see the algae sway on the substrate with this flow but is attached to the rocks.

i will do my weekly 80% w.c. On sunday. Get more plants and cut dosing to see what happens.
I usually like to target at least 10x turnover. I think you're about there. No, need to add more. I would look at how the water is being circulated. It seem like isn't enough close to the substrate. The flow is your co2 and nutrients distribution. If you have good flow, IME algae shouldn't been sticking to your plants.
 
#18 ·
Here is an update on my algae battle. I have been doing 70% wc on sundays and 50% on wednesdays. I have kept my lighting schedule the same. Added water lettuce and spiralis also. The spiralis melted though. I have been doing king kobra's 1-2 punch along with two carefully dosed algaefix. I also changed from flourish to greenleafs csm+b for micro's. 1/2 teaspoon three times a week along with cutting my macros down to 25% of my ei dosing regiment. After switching to csm+b dry ferts my plants took of like crazy!!!! I have since trimmed them twice to remove bba off of their leaves and this is what it looks like as of now. Its slowly getting better. I am liking the results so far. I also moved my flow to where i can see it making movement on the substrate. Thanks for all your advise!!!!! It certainly helped alot!!!
 

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#20 ·
Your GH & Kh is too high! Cut with R/O water or run 100% remineralized r/o with GH booster. I recommend The Green Leaf diffusers they seem the best for Co2. Stop dosing Flourish & switch to 100% EI dosing with Plantax with boron to add trace. Stop dosing Excel if your dosing EI. 80% is too large. Your chasing your tail. 50% is good enough. Seachem Prime irritates fish from my experience I simply do not use it anymore.
I have the same water you have. Before switching to R/O water I had all kinds of algae & sick fish. The water is too hard & your Kh is through the roof. There is nothing you can do about it. I would strip it down to nothing & build it back up. Do 50% water changes 1 time a week. With that kind of volume you will be using a massive amount of water. I am still not rushing my 55 for that same reason. My 10 is doing great now with EI dosing & 6500k bulbs with Flourite substrate. All I use now on my tanks are 100% remineralized water. I would never go back, the liquid rock, you can have, nothing but problems.
 
#22 ·
i say just keep doing what you are doing. its working for a reason.
 
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