lighting, plant, and algae problems

[ftbetta]

Tank Situation: So I started a 10G tank with a sand substrate, and 6 cories. Did the fishless cycle, washed the sand, got the fish, let everything get a little bit more stable while doing water tests, then I added two pieces of natural wood, and then a few weeks later I got a thing of water sprite and started doing light on an automatic timer. I do a 25% water change every week with a gravel/sand vac and "rinse" out the filter piece by rubbing and squishing it in the old water bucket before I dump it out. Then new water, dechlorinater, fill it back up and turn all the stuff back on. I feed the 6 cories 6 days a week (they don't get anything on Wednesdays - I believe I was told this is the best thing for them) 3-4 shrimp pellets each of the 4 days, and two days I feed the Omega One veggie tab things - about 1/2 to 1/3 of the disc so that its about equal volume to what the 3 shrimp pellets would be.
This week right before the water change the GH and KH were the same as normal, about 180ppm and 50ppm. pH about 6.5 (normal as well) zero nitrites, about 20ish nitrates (both ppm as well) and no ammonia.

Lighting situation: The hood had two spots for light bulbs to screw in and I got two LED bulbs, 450 Lumens, 5000K 5.5W 80mA 120VAC 60Hz. The tank gets some ambient light from the window, but its a pretty dim room for all but a few hours in the afternoons and there is never any direct sun. I started with the two lights on a timer for 9 hours a day (I believe I saw 8-10 hours a day depending on your plants, not positive where I got that though, I thought this site, but I can't find it again).

Problem: The plant wasn't super healthy looking when I got it and had quite a bit of brown on it. After having it for about a week I cut all the not healthy looking pieces off and it seemed to be doing fine -

side bar- since I got this plant it has been growing new healthy shoots just about once per week, they grow beautifully green and look fantastic, but then after 3-4 weeks that shoot starts to turn slowly brown and then I cut it off because I don't want it rotting in the water. It did this in the beginning and it still does it now.​

But After about 10 days there was algae growing all over everything in the tank. I scraped it all off best I could, reduced the lighting to 7 hours, and again the next week, not quite as much, but still a lot more algae. I cut it down to 6 hours a day and there was still more algae the next week. After that one of the bulb sockets came off (super cheap hood that came stock with the tank) and since there was still a TON of algae everywhere I just left it running with the one bulb. That worked OK for a few weeks with one bulb at 6 hours, there was still significant algae growth, but not nearly as much. Now, a few weeks later the plant starts to look really yellow, so I increase the light back to 8.5 hours with just the one bulb. There is algae growing everywhere, and I think its growing on the plant? at first I thought the plant was majorly dying and went to cut out the brown pieces and realized that the gugky brown comes off on your fingers, and the plant is at least to some degree greener underneath. I tried swishing the water around the plant and gently rubbing the leaves of it, but its too fragile and they all break off - causing more of a mess.

Question: I am going to look into getting a new hood for the tank but before I do I want to see what on earth is wrong with the plant/light/algae and why everything is so gross and out of control.

Thanks

 

[Byron]

Would it be possible for you to post photos? I'd like to see the plant..."water sprite" is Ceratopteris cornuta or one of two other species. I'm wondering if this is the plant, or something different. "Wisteria" is sometimes confused, this is a stem plant, Hygrophila difformis.

I take it you are not using any plant additives, like liquid fertilizer?

The nitrate at 20 ppm...this is the tank water, but have you tested your tap water for nitrate? It is possible some of this is in the tap (source) water, and this is important. Nitrates at 20 ppm from just six cories in a 10g is high. We need to ascertain if these are occurring from within the tank over the week, or entering partially with the water change.

The brown rubs off the leaves easily with your fingertips, correct? That sounds like diatoms, but the photo may help.

What is the brand of the LED bulb?

It will likely be tomorrow morning before I get back to this, but I will check in. Photos of the plant, and the tank, will help, along with the above data asked.

Byron.

 

[ftbetta]

Would it be possible for you to post photos? I'd like to see the plant..."water sprite" is Ceratopteris cornuta or one of two other species. I'm wondering if this is the plant, or something different. "Wisteria" is sometimes confused, this is a stem plant, Hygrophila difformis.

I take it you are not using any plant additives, like liquid fertilizer?

The nitrate at 20 ppm...this is the tank water, but have you tested your tap water for nitrate? It is possible some of this is in the tap (source) water, and this is important. Nitrates at 20 ppm from just six cories in a 10g is high. We need to ascertain if these are occurring from within the tank over the week, or entering partially with the water change.

The brown rubs off the leaves easily with your fingertips, correct? That sounds like diatoms, but the photo may help.

What is the brand of the LED bulb?

It will likely be tomorrow morning before I get back to this, but I will check in. Photos of the plant, and the tank, will help, along with the above data asked.

Byron.

Hey Byron, I just want to apologize for not getting back to this thread. I had taken some pictures, and then couldn't figure out how to upload them correctly, and then have sort of figured out some things to help even out the situation. I feel like my lack of response was un-courteous and I'm sorry for that, you guys have always been extremely helpful.