(Also posted this at UKAPS.org, so apologies if you have already seen it!)
Hi All,
I have been fighting with BGA on my relatively new (three month old) high tech planted tank, and I was starting to run out of ideas until I read:
http/www.netpets.org/fish/reference/reef...obacteria3.html
Which suggests that lighting can be an issue. Although I have tweaked the photoperiod and the combination of lights on at the same time, I haven't examined the lighting as a whole.
My tank is 48"x12"x12" 120L-ish, and is currently lit with 3x30W tubes:
2x AquaGLO (http/www.hagen.com/uk/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=112&PROD_ID=01015850030101)
1x SunGLO (http/www.hagen.com/uk/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=112&PROD_ID=01015930030101)
Photoperiod is currently 1200-1600, siesta 1600-1800, then on again 1800-2200.
I am injecting CO2 with a D&D kit with the powerhead swapped out for a Rhinox 5000 at about 1 bubble per second, and my JBL drop-checker never shifts from dark blue.
7.0 pH
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
20ppm Nitrate (Higher than I would like but tap water is 20ppm too!)
13 GH
14 KH
Tank is dual-filtered, a Fluval 205 with bio media and sponges, and an eheim 2232 with purely mechanical media. Minimal surface agitation from water return.
20% changes weekly. I was dosing Seachem ferts until 4 weeks ago, after which I haven't dosed any to try and bring the nutrient quantities down.
Stocking is:
2 adult Gold Barbs
23 Cardinal Tetra (LFS couldn't count 20 )
5 Cardinia Japonica (Algae Eating Shrimp)
Is my lighting the problem? Are the two 14k tubes too much? Have I missed anything obvious? Would a UV unit help? This project has cost me hundreds already so a couple of hundred more would an annoyance but if that's what it takes...
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If its not the tubes I don't know what else to do other than re-home the fish and scrap the tank as I'm completely disheartened.
TIA,
Rich
Hi All,
I have been fighting with BGA on my relatively new (three month old) high tech planted tank, and I was starting to run out of ideas until I read:
http/www.netpets.org/fish/reference/reef...obacteria3.html
Which suggests that lighting can be an issue. Although I have tweaked the photoperiod and the combination of lights on at the same time, I haven't examined the lighting as a whole.
My tank is 48"x12"x12" 120L-ish, and is currently lit with 3x30W tubes:
2x AquaGLO (http/www.hagen.com/uk/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=112&PROD_ID=01015850030101)
1x SunGLO (http/www.hagen.com/uk/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=112&PROD_ID=01015930030101)
Photoperiod is currently 1200-1600, siesta 1600-1800, then on again 1800-2200.
I am injecting CO2 with a D&D kit with the powerhead swapped out for a Rhinox 5000 at about 1 bubble per second, and my JBL drop-checker never shifts from dark blue.
7.0 pH
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
20ppm Nitrate (Higher than I would like but tap water is 20ppm too!)
13 GH
14 KH
Tank is dual-filtered, a Fluval 205 with bio media and sponges, and an eheim 2232 with purely mechanical media. Minimal surface agitation from water return.
20% changes weekly. I was dosing Seachem ferts until 4 weeks ago, after which I haven't dosed any to try and bring the nutrient quantities down.
Stocking is:
2 adult Gold Barbs
23 Cardinal Tetra (LFS couldn't count 20 )
5 Cardinia Japonica (Algae Eating Shrimp)
Is my lighting the problem? Are the two 14k tubes too much? Have I missed anything obvious? Would a UV unit help? This project has cost me hundreds already so a couple of hundred more would an annoyance but if that's what it takes...
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If its not the tubes I don't know what else to do other than re-home the fish and scrap the tank as I'm completely disheartened.
TIA,
Rich