Major Algae Help Needed

[jaywings19]

This is going to be a long post, so please bear with me! I have NOT had the most fun over the past 2-3 weeks.

About 3 weeks ago, my 72G Bowfront unexpectedly cracked... every hobbyists worst nightmare. Fortunately, I caught it before the tank exploded into my living room (and neighbors downstairs).

Needless to say, I had to run out and buy a new tank in a hurry. I could not find the same/similar tank (nor did I want to), so I had to settle for a slightly smaller non-bowfront tank. I won't recount the entire experience, but I spent that entire weekend transferring my fish/plants into buckets... stripping down the old tank... and setting up the new tank.

I was able to re-use my existing heater, airstone, canister filter, and CO2 module. However, I had to get a new light fixture to match the size of the new tank.

My WPG ratio is almost the same: 1.80 wpg old tank ---> 1.65wpg new tank

I've kept my light, CO2, air, and fertilizing routines the same as the old tank. Fertilizing has been adjusted for a slightly smaller tank size. I'm not dosing EI... instead, I'm using 4 Seachem liquids (Flourish, Potassium, Iron, and Nitrogen). Lights are on 10 hours. CO2 with lights on... Air with lights off.

Well, about a week or so later I am starting to get a (hair?) algae buildup. I figured my weekly maintenance/pruining routine, plus my snail would take care of it. WRONG! It seems to be getting worse and worse every day/week. I've battled it for the better part of 2+ weeks and it's so frustrating.

At this point, I don't know whether to keep battling or just get rid of all the plants and start fresh.

Can anybody help me?

Here are pictures as of this morning:

 

[Underwurlde]

Did your filter crash?

Andy

 

[jaywings19]

Did your filter crash?

Andy

It didn't crash... but it was "offline" for the 24-48 hours while I was changing the tanks over the weekend. I haven't experienced a break in the cycle (ammonia/nitrite spike), so I don't know what else could be causing it.

This is so frustrating. I'm really depressed since my old tank was running so smoothly and the plants were flourishing. I never had this happen in the old tank.

 

[Themuleous]

Buy 'offline' do you mean 'off'? If so, I think Andy is right, your filter being off for 24hrs will mean the tank will have uncycled as the bacteria in a filter die within about 6hrs. Even if not, having to move the substrate will have created a NH3 spike, even a very small one which is an almost instant inducer of algae.

If it were me, now that the filter/substrate should be settled again, I would remove all the plants, save anything you can and start again. You could be struggling for months with an algae outbreak like that. Best in my book to bite the bullet now and get the thing back the way you want/like it

Sam

 

[Underwurlde]

Ach, beat me to it Sam.

Indeed, I think too that your filter may have crashed for the reason above.

You may not be seeing an ammonia spike but why?

In a planted tank there will be less bacteria in the filters chomping ammonia, as most of the ammonia will be taken up by the plants. However, assuming that the filter has crashed (or even partially crashed) then their will be slightly more ammonia available. This sudden increase can be quickly taken advantage of by algae (what some ppl here refer to as a trigger). Plants are slow to react. The increased algae is now soaking up the excess ammonia which is why you are not measuring any and this will also further stifle the cycling of your filter as there is now no ammonia present for the bacteria to gobble up.

Get that algae OUT.
Get the excess ammonia OUT.
As Sam says, best done by starting again, starting off by cycling your filter I'm sorry to say!

No need to ditch your exisitng plants: Consider growing them emergent in the time being - this will kill algae on the leaves too. Once filter recycled, bung those plants back in.

GL

Andy

 

[SuperColey1]

Not to put a damper on the suggestion guys but I had some Cabomba in for the last month to break up the vision of my 2 male rams and decided to lean dose at the same time following a lean dosing method with far too much phosphate in it, which I have now diluted down to reduce the phosphate.

The exact Rhizoclonium (or whatever the name is) happened to them so I ditched the lot.

Didn't get it on any other plant, just the Cabomba

Can you see which plant is affected in this chaps pic? Coincidence or?

Its easy to suck out with the syphon as it is so soft. I would suggest that a defficiency somewhere has led to a lot of phosphate being left in the tank (but then I am only guessing due to my recent experience)

Andy

 

[jaywings19]

Thanks for the information and advice, folks.

Yesterday, I got rid of the Cabomba that was severely affected. I also got rid of all visible clumps of the hair algae. Then, I thinned out the Valisneria a bit and performed a 70% water change.

I left my 2 big Amazon Swords alone, as well as a few patches of Valisneria.

Today, there is a little bit of hair algae left. It must have been little strands that broke off during my massive maintenance yesterday. I will perform another minor maintenance this week to sweep out the remnants.

A couple of questions. . .

Should I continue to perform larger than normal water changes each week for a while? I'm guessing that will be necessary until the tank/filter recycles.

Would it help for me to get some Shrimp like THESE or THIS KIND to combat the hair algae? I already have a Mystery Snail and some Ottos, but they apparently don't like hair algae. Though, I would hope the Shrimp don't become snacks for my Discus (big) or Clown Loaches (small ones).

Any other information is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.