Fuzz Algae

[Beemeeup]

From what I have read my Amazon Sword has 'Fuzz Algae' and some of my grass.
The tank is 175 litres - 38.5 Gallons (Less Substrate - probably 35 gallons)
the tank has 25 fish with the biggest 4cm and some new fry (10 @ 1cm)

I have recently increased the light to 100 watts in total.

I have a homemade co2 addition.

I have measured the CO2 - i think correctly - as 2.75 - the KH is 5 and the PH 7.8.

I will increase Co2 with another DIY addition which I shall do tomorrow

Is there anything else i can do please? Any help from those forum members who have had this algae?

will i have to remove all plants if it gets worse?

are there any chemicals that could be used?

 

[Dave Spencer]

You have a lighting level at just over 2WPG which puts you at a point where, unless it is kept in check, algae will bloom. You will need to have a lot of fast growing plants and a steady CO2 reading of 30ppm. Does your reading of 2.75 mean ppm?

For a stable CO2 level, you will probably need a pressurised system. If you do not want to go down the pressurised CO2/jungle route, then reducing your light levels and removing it by hand may inhibit its rate of growth.

 

[Underwurlde]

The plants are not 'causing' the algae - so IMO you don't have to remove them.

What IS causing the algae is low CO2 with (and I say 'high' because of the very low CO2) lighting at 2.2Watts / US Gallon. Your lighting is fine IF (as Dave above suggests) your CO2 levels are above 20ppm, preferably constant at 30ppm.

A better substrate can reduce pH levels such as ADA aquasoil and would therefore give CO2 levels a better chance (but do not think of CO2 levels as a target that can be met by fiddling with pH and kH by adding 'stuff').

Yes, from your pH and kH, my table (and they all seem to vary) comes out at even less @2.4ppm CO2.
Note: KH refers to Carbonate Hardness, what is really measured by a standard KH test kit is really the buffering capacity. In "most" water sources, the buffering is provided by Carbonate. In that case, buffering capacity and kH are the same thing. For this reason, kH test kits have consistency issues and in some places, although rare, non bicarbonate alkalinity exists thus making the reading based on buffering by carbonate wrong!

Get more CO2 'into' your water and add an inexpensive 'reactor' that you can DIY... See here:
http/www.barrreport.com/articles/41-diy-...-co2-users.html
This is DEFINATELY on my to-do list for my little Nutrafin CO2 Yeast Kit thingy.

I would not go down the add chemical 'cures' route - treat the cause, goodbye algae...

Andy

 

[Beemeeup]

You have a lighting level at just over 2WPG which puts you at a point where, unless it is kept in check, algae will bloom. You will need to have a lot of fast growing plants and a steady CO2 reading of 30ppm. Does your reading of 2.75 mean ppm?

For a stable CO2 level, you will probably need a pressurised system. If you do not want to go down the pressurised CO2/jungle route, then reducing your light levels and removing it by hand may inhibit its rate of growth.

Dave - Thanks for help - Yes the reading is 2.75 ppm.

 

[Beemeeup]

The plants are not 'causing' the algae - so IMO you don't have to remove them.

What IS causing the algae is low CO2 with (and I say 'high' because of the very low CO2) lighting at 2.2Watts / US Gallon. Your lighting is fine IF (as Dave above suggests) your CO2 levels are above 20ppm, preferably constant at 30ppm.

A better substrate can reduce pH levels such as ADA aquasoil and would therefore give CO2 levels a better chance (but do not think of CO2 levels as a target that can be met by fiddling with pH and kH by adding 'stuff').

Yes, from your pH and kH, my table (and they all seem to vary) comes out at even less @2.4ppm CO2.
Note: KH refers to Carbonate Hardness, what is really measured by a standard KH test kit is really the buffering capacity. In "most" water sources, the buffering is provided by Carbonate. In that case, buffering capacity and kH are the same thing. For this reason, kH test kits have consistency issues and in some places, although rare, non bicarbonate alkalinity exists thus making the reading based on buffering by carbonate wrong!

Get more CO2 'into' your water and add an inexpensive 'reactor' that you can DIY... See here:
http/www.barrreport.com/articles/41-diy-...-co2-users.html
This is DEFINATELY on my to-do list for my little Nutrafin CO2 Yeast Kit thingy.

I would not go down the add chemical 'cures' route - treat the cause, goodbye algae...

Andy

Andy - thanks for your detailed and helpful reply - i understand now what the causes are and will start to put them right today.

Many thanks.

 

[JamieH]

are you talking about hair algae or 'brush' algae?

A picture would help...

if it's the latter, you can apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide directly to it and it with die... the only side effect being some oxygen released into your tank/

 

[Fishkrazy1]

You could try some rosy barbs as I have heard they are exellent hair algea eaters, my friend got a school of 6 of them and her hair algea problem was gone in about 5 weeks... try lowering the wattage of your lights this also influences the growth of algea and Yes there are some chemicals out there... but they are extremly concentrated and therfore dangerous for your fish.