[Tihsho]

I know GSA is inevitable, but I'm looking to stock my cubes with something(s) to keep up with the GSA on the rocks and equipment. I added some Amano's to the one tank that was having the initial breakout, and after having two bail, it seems the remaining two can't keep up. My LFS is ordering some more, but I don't want to over stock the 2.2 gal. Besides Nerites (which I'm looking for) and Amano's what would you recommend for something small? I've considered Oto's, but in the past I never could keep them alive for the life of me.

I'll fill you guys in on some details to see if I can curb my regiment to assist in the reduction of GSA.

Tank: 8" cube (2.2 gal)
Substrate: Eco-Complete
CO2: Injected prelight cycle, through light cycle, and cuts off 30 mins before lights out.
Dosing: Excel (with top offs twice a week), Flourish Iron (with weekly water changes), Brightwell FlorinGro Nitrogen (with weekly water changes), Brightwell FlorinK Potassium (with weekly water changes), FlorinMulti Comp w/iron and iodine (with top offs twice a week)
Water Changes: Once a week 60%
Lighting: Current 24" Sat+ (currently one unit going to two), on for 8 hours a day while I'm at work.
Fauna: 2 Amano Shrimp

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

Add PO4. Wait a couple of weeks.

 

[angelcraze]

GSA=Green spot algae? Just making sure. I didn't know amanos could eat that. I know oto cats can't really rasp it off, it's just too tough, they prefer diatoms and softer algae. As far as I know, only nerites are capable and awesome at eating GSA. I hope you find some. The larger ones, like tigers and zebras are great for the glass and equipment, the smaller ones, like horned tigers, or thorned nerites will clean plant leaves as well.

 

[Tihsho]

Add PO4. Wait a couple of weeks.

Interesting. I'll have to look into this more. I'm curious to see how this works exactly. Years ago it was understood that phosphates promote algae growth.

GSA=Green spot algae? Just making sure. I didn't know amanos could eat that. I know oto cats can't really rasp it off, it's just too tough, they prefer diatoms and softer algae. As far as I know, only nerites are capable and awesome at eating GSA. I hope you find some. The larger ones, like tigers and zebras are great for the glass and equipment, the smaller ones, like horned tigers, or thorned nerites will clean plant leaves as well.

Interesting. It might not be GSA thinking of it and looking at it close. I tried to get a pic, but it's too small and fine to get a shot of it. Imagine little orbs of algae pulsing moving with the water flow.

 

[neilshieh]

you have black beard algae. GSA refers to green spot algae which sticks to walls and are very flat/thin.

 

[Tihsho]

Definitely not blackbeard. The algae is very light green and not a dark green.

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

What do you mean by "orbs"? Like round balls?

Edit:
also, I've added in excess of 9ppm of PO4 per week. No increase in algae.

 

[Tihsho]

Exactly Solcielo. I'll attempt to get a photo of it tomorrow.

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

Do you have Java ferns?

 

[Tihsho]

Nope. The only plants in there are Downoi and DHG.

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

Is it hard or squishy?

 

[Tihsho]

It's very soft. It's almost like cyanobacteria. I just used a pipette and with a jet of water blew it off the glass.

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

Did you squeeze it?

 

[Tihsho]

Not exactly feasible since it's about the size of a pin head.

 

[Raymond S.]

GSA is that stuff you have to scrape off the glass if you have too much light.
If you have a different kind, it needs to be correctly identified.
A DAILY dose of Excel will get rid of most GSA. I use it just a tad over 2x recommended dose which is 5ml per 60g tank so in my 10g 1ml would be just over and I use 2 of
1ml Pipette full just up to where it get large which is about 10% over the 1ml mark.
3ml Pipettes are common on the Bay but the 1ml are there/cheap.
So for a 2g tank, I'd use half a 1ml Pipette PER DAY before light on and I ignore those
directions to use more after WC.
I use this level of it(and no other type CO2) in a 10g tank which has 2x T5 bulbs @ 12"
above the sub and only need to scrape the glass about once a month.
According to Hoppy's PAR thread, the brand of fixture I am using gives 100 PAR @ 12".

 

[jrman83]

If you blew it off with water it sounds like BGA to me. GSA sticks pretty darn tough.

 

[Tihsho]

If you look on the suction cup you will see what I'm talking about.

 

[neilshieh]

It does look like GSA, perhaps it's just immature?

 

[Solcielo lawrencia]

It's not GSA as it's spherical and not stuck to the glass. I don't know what it is.

 

[Tihsho]

Solcielo, I mentioned earlier that it IS on the glass. It's easy to remove with a jet of water from a pipette.