[payluder]

Hello I need help with a black hair type algae outbreak and also my Anubias seems to be dying. I dose seachem flourish and iron after water change and one more something during the week Here is my tank info

ADA 60p
ADA amazonia soil
Ehiem canister 2213 with added carbon and crash shell for ph
Inline hydor 300w heater
inline co2 diffuser
inline UV light aqua advantage 8watt
pressured c02 running 24/7 at 4-6 bubble per min
Finnex 24/7 on at 2-5pm off then on at 7pm-11pm so I can enjoy it after work.

Tank readings after 50% water change tank is 3 months old
PH 6.8
Ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
temp 74

20-30% water change Saturdays

Here is a photo of my tank



[url=https://flic.kr/p/DL9o21]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/DusjLS]

 

[payluder]

Bump any suggestions please.

 

[touch of sky]

Is the algae only affecting the anubias, or are other plants affected? Tell us a little more about your fertilizing, such as the exact names of what you are using, the dosage and how often.

 

[payluder]

Hi thank you for the reply I was dosing seachem flourish and seachem iron once after water change and another time during the middle of the week. I would add a cap full of excel once randomly once a week or once two weeks because my Val's melt when using excel. Looking closely at my rocks and other plants I see this algae on my center piece rock and on my java fern seems to be spreading now. I just talked to someone that I meet during my visits at AFA and he suggested that it might be because of flourish dosing. I should stop dosing and raise my co2 and see for the next two weeks? I've never had this problem before in my last two tanks and I never used flourish until now.

 

[touch of sky]

Is it called Flourish Comprehensive?

 

[Jsack12]

I would recommend ditching the flourish ferts and going to the ei method since you already have pressurized co2. Their is no
Need for excel really since you have co2. You have a bright light so slower growin plants like anubias are gonna get algae

 

[payluder]

Is it called Flourish Comprehensive?

Yea that is the one.

Bump:

I would recommend ditching the flourish ferts and going to the ei method since you already have pressurized co2. Their is no
Need for excel really since you have co2. You have a bright light so slower growin plants like anubias are gonna get algae

I will stop dosing all together for 2 weeks as suggested by a friend and see how things go. He also suggested to remove the activated carbon filter from my canister 2213. After plugging the filter back on it was pumping brown water into the tank and the tank was cloudy after a few mins but after one hour the tank is clear again. I guess after removing the carbon and ringing out the white padding I must have disturb the bacteria or something.

 

[touch of sky]

Flourish Comprehensive is a micro nutrient fertilizer and isn't meant as a complete fertilizer.

You will need to start dosing macros. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, commonly referred to as N, P, and K. You can buy these as a liquid or in dry form. It is cheaper in dry form, but with a small tank, liquids may be your preference.

I would personally start off with a larger water change, about 50%. Then I would start dosing macros at 1/2 the recommended EI dosage 2x per week and see how it goes for two weeks or so. If things go well, then increase to 1/2 dose 3 x a week. Again, monitor for a few weeks. If you need to increase the dosage of macros, then gradually increase and monitor as you go. You can use Flourish Comprehensive as your trace element fertilizer. I would skip it for a week or two, then I would start with a 1/2 dose as recommended for your tank size, 2x per week. Dose the micros on days you are not dosing the macros.

I would keep up dosing with the Excel. Personally, I would dose daily. If you acclimate your vals, they should be OK with Excel. Excel will help combat the algae in your tank. I would start with 1/2 the dose recommended, and see how things go for a week or so, then increase to the full daily dose. I have vals in all my tanks and use Excel regularly, with no issues.

You could replace the carbon with bio balls or something like that in your filter.

I hope this helps and please ask questions!

 

[payluder]

Thank you very much for your suggestion and I learned something new. I didnt know flourish was a micro. I forgot to mention I also have in my stash of ferts is aquavitro synthesis and aquavitro mineralize I rarely use these and havent use them for a month already because I thought flourish was a one stop complete fert. Do you have a brand of macros? I dont know where to start but I may just stick with seachem since used them before. thanks again for your time.

 

[touch of sky]

I use dry fertilizers, but Seachem does have a line of macros. For a smallish tank, that may be the most convenient. Good luck and please post updates.

 

[Jsack12]

Get a hold of nilocg aquatics. He is a member on here and also has a website. Sells liquid ferts via ei method fairly cheap