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Help ID on algae (56K warning)

913 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Nbot
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I just set up this tank about 1 month ago. And have struggled with much algae since. I need some help with id on some of these types of algae so I can be sure how to eliminate it. I have tried manual removal with no success.
Here is my tank:
45 gal tall
192W PC lights 10hr photo period
Pressurized Co2 w/solenoid, running at a solid 40ppm
Soilmaster Select
Filstar XP3 with inline Co2 reactor
EI dosing 1/2tsp KNO3, 1/8tsp KH2PO4, 1/4tsp K2SO4, 10ml Plantex CSM+B

Plant growth is great, just can't get rid of all the algae.
Here is a sample of my dwarf hairgrass (eleocharis acicularis). New growth is pretty clean and algae free but how do I get rid of what is there now. The brown dusty stuff I believe is diatoms and from what I have read will go away on its own. I don't know what the slimy green stuff is. It almost forms slimy webs over plants and substrate.


Here is the same hairgrass, with a ball of fuzz in it. The white thread is probably from my glass scrubber. But what is the ball of algae? Sorry it's a bit blurry.



Here is what I think is Cryptocoryne wendtii. It has been growing well, but lately it seems to be melting. Leaves get circles of dead leaf matter that grow to consume the whole leaf basically. Leaves are covered in some kind of algae, fuzz maybe.

Here is the underside of this plant. The light green part on the right of the leaf is dead and it is spreading.


A bit of fuzz algae on my background. Fuzz I suppose?


From what I can conclude the fuzz algae can be controlled by lowering the doses on my ferts. Should I lower the doses to the 20-40gal levels instead of the 40-60gal levels? I'm trying to get this figured out but I need a bit of help.

Thanks, Dan
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You have way to much light over your tank! Only use one of your 96w bulbs for no more than 8 hours per day. Try to manually remove as much algea as you can, prune affected leafs.

Everything else, as far as equipement and dosing seem to be on point. But you will continue to have an algea nightmare with that kind of light intensity, especially that your tank is new. 2wpg should be plenty of light for the plants you have until you tank start to balance out, in a few months.

Once everything is stable and algea free, you will be able to experiment with with a mid-day (3-4 hours) blast with the help of your second 96w bulbs. In the mean time keep it off...forget it even existed...

Hope this helps.

JP
Check out this algae guide to help you understand the different types of algae you are experiencing and there cause.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

JP
JP that link on algae is awesome...
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