Mud?!

[Newguy122]

I am cycling a 12 G and they is all this mud on my plants how can I get rid of it ? I use ferterliser once a week like it says what shall I do

 

[Deleted member 149562]

That looks like diatoms to me.....a normal part of the cycle process, one that goes away eventually. Can sometimes return after cycle completed. Horrible to look at but very little apart from wiping it off with loo roll or paper towels at water changes, it will go on its own after a week or two

 

[Newguy122]

Well it has happened in my other tank and I gravel vac but it always comes back is they a way to completely to wipe it out ?

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Just looks like algae to me? Stop fertilising for a bit or reduce your light period....if that's java fern I'd take it out the gravel and tie it to a rock or some wood

 

[Newguy122]

Could I do a blackout for 2 days

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

It wouldn't hurt but it will just come back if you don't change something...

 

[Newguy122]

What could I change

 

[Byron]

I certainly see black brush algae, the "fuzz" on several plant leaves. This is in the category of "problem algae" because no fish (or maybe one or two unsuited to small tanks) will eat this. The only control is to balance the light and nutrients. Like all algae, it occurs if it has nutrients, and in the presence of light. It will not go away, what is already there, but you can aim to get it under control so it does not increase, and then problem solved.

Light must be of sufficient intensity for the plants (and different plants have different requirements here, Java Fern is slow-growing so needs less intense light for example), the right spectrum (for plants), and the duration can then be used to control problem algae. Algae is not fussy over light, so it will take advantage if the light is somehow deficient for the higher plants.

Nutrients occur from fish being fed, water changes, and plant additives. Slow-growing plants need fewer, as with light.

Data on your light and what fertilizers you use will help us sort this out.

The algae on the tank glass is different, this you can remove with a sponge-type scraper or a sponge at each weekly water change.

 

[Newguy122]

My light is on for 12 hours ,a day and I put ferterlizer in every week .Is it worth doing a black out ?

thank you

 

[Byron]

My light is on for 12 hours ,a day and I put ferterlizer in every week .Is it worth doing a black out ?

thank you

No on the blackout because what another member mentioned is true...unless you resolve the balance issue, problem algae will only come back.

The light is on for a long time, I would reduce this to 8 hours. Use a timer so it is consistent (if not already doing this), and the "daylight" period can be any 8-hour block of time, so long as it is in one period (not split up), and provided there is a period of total darkness (no daylight, no room light, complete darkness) during each 24-hour period.

Which fertilizer?

 

[Newguy122]

i am using love fish ferterliser i dont know if that company is big in usa but it is in uk

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Yup...too much fertiliser and way, way too much light.
I suggest you stop the fertiliser and halve the light.
The abundance of algae also suggests an abundance of nutrients in the water. This is likely to be the added fertiliser. If you had fish in, we'd be saying that you were overfeeding them...but you haven't.
(Have you?)

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Which fertilizer?

This stuff

 

[Newguy122]

ye that is the stuff so i should keep my light on for 6 to 8 hours a day

 

[Byron]

This stuff

There is no ingrediet list I can find, they only say "contains trace elements including iron" which is useless.

As you @Newguy122 are in the UK, an excellent liquid fertilizer is The Nutrient Company's TNC Lite.