> < That Far From Selling My Tank And Giving Up.

[wrighty.uk.gorl]

Hi all as the title say's i am very close now to selling up.

My tank been running now i recon for 8 months or so. And i have had problem after problem after problem.


I have managed to solve every thing apart from one off them this being Black Hair Algae. It on my heater on my plants on my slate it growing every frigging were.

What can i do these are my stats

170L tank
40 watt grow light for plants. On 8 hours a day
15 watt Bluemoon light On 2 hours a day <---- Turned off today for good to see if that helps.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 40 ppm <-- It comes outta my tap at that.
Add ferts to my tank monday to saterday. 5 drops a day. (Instructions said 1 capfull a weeks. 5 drops worked out to one capfull)
Feed once a day Monday to saterday


What is bugging me the most is i dont and have not had any trouble with any kind off other algae.
Also I know Black Hair Algae tends to grow in low CO2 enviroments Adding CO2 is not a option as i can not afford it. and the cheap CO2 in a can will not do my tank.

 

[Wills]

Whats the stock like in the tank? There are a few fish that eat the brush algae I think, I mean I know its never recommended to add fish to do a job but Ive had this algae in the past and I know what its like. If its the same type of algae I am thinking of I believe that Florida Flag Fish are good fish that eat it. Ive also heard of Rhino Plecs eating it but they get a bit too large though if its a major issue in the tank maybe try and find one and rehome as it gets to large? Again I know as a rule its a bad thing to do but if its going to help you out with your tank I cant think of much more to recommend really.

Wills

 

[wrighty.uk.gorl]

Whats the stock like in the tank? There are a few fish that eat the brush algae I think, I mean I know its never recommended to add fish to do a job but Ive had this algae in the past and I know what its like. If its the same type of algae I am thinking of I believe that Florida Flag Fish are good fish that eat it. Ive also heard of Rhino Plecs eating it but they get a bit too large though if its a major issue in the tank maybe try and find one and rehome as it gets to large? Again I know as a rule its a bad thing to do but if its going to help you out with your tank I cant think of much more to recommend really.

Wills

My tank basicaly contain 1 plec a few guppies and a few mollys and 5 loches. Maily for the kiddies ya see.

Adding more fish really not a option and i very close to 1inch to 1 gallon off water rule

 

[Wills]

To be honest the inch per gallon rule is not a fantastic guide my tank would be over stocked by those rules yet I have had 3 pairs of different fish breeding in the last month.... Its really more of a guide than a rule your tanks actual capabilities are more based on how you choose your fish based on behavior, size and waste limits for example 14 neon tetras in a 14 gallon tank is fine as they all reach one inch (or there abouts) but 1 oscar in a 14 gallon tank is never going to work even though the fish all equal 14 inches in length.

Also with that in mind your plec could be the culprit for the algae breakout. I'm like you I have high nitrate in the tap water and that is only added to in the tank by the fishes waste but I got rid of my plecs for that reason as they create masses and masses of poo as you will well know which can create the nutrients that the algae will love.

I also got a few herbivores in my tank as well like my severum, annostomus and whiptail catfish who help with the algae control.

I would seriously consider rehoming the plec if its a common plec as it will outgrow your tank and I really do think it is the amount of poo coming from him that is causing the algae. You could always consider swapping him for a smaller species of plec like Bulldog or Bristlenose.

Wills

 

[SuperColey1]

I have managed to solve every thing apart from one off them this being Black Hair Algae. It on my heater on my plants on my slate it growing every frigging were.

BBA (black brush algae) If you've solved all the other problems I wouldn't give up. This is the hardest one to remove and yes it's CO2 related but not necessarily from not injecting CO2.

15 watt Bluemoon light On 2 hours a day <---- Turned off today for good to see if that helps.

Good idea. thats a little powerful for a monlight. lol Just get a few standard blue LEDs or cold cathodes. Blue is pretty visible at very low wattage.

Nitrate 40 ppm <-- It comes outta my tap at that.

Are you sure it comes out of the tap that high? Is that what your water report says? I wouldn't be trusting a kit to test that gave that reading form the tap but I may be wrong. If thats the tank reading then maybe.

Add ferts to my tank monday to saterday.

What fert is it?

What filtration/circulation are you using and how many plants are talking? Picture please

As said in the second post American flagfish and a few others will eat BBA. Plecs won't though unless they scoop it off accidentally when trying to get something else like when they are rasping wood that it is growing on.

Also as stated below the !" per gallon isn't particularly used in planted. I tend to get nearere (and sometimes above) 2" per gallon.

Also with that in mind your plec could be the culprit for the algae breakout.

Erm this has lost me!!!

I'm like you I have high nitrate in the tap water and that is only added to in the tank by the fishes waste but I got rid of my plecs for that reason as they create masses and masses of poo as you will well know which can create the nutrients that the algae will love.

Plants love the nutrient too. Algae is a plant. Get rid of the food for algae and you get rid of the food for the other plants too. This is old hat thinking and way off the mark I'm afraid.

I would seriously consider rehoming the plec if its a common plec as it will outgrow your tank and I really do think it is the amount of poo coming from him that is causing the algae. You could always consider swapping him for a smaller species of plec like Bulldog or Bristlenose.

You will need to rehome it if it is a plec that grows large but not because of the waste.

I would suggest:
remove the 15W as you state earlier. This brings you down to 1WPG of 'usable' light.
Check out the water company's report and get the 'true' reading of the tap water, compare that with your test of tap water. Theirs will be the accurate reading. Then test the tank water. See what the 'actual' is. See how things compare. If the tap reading is way off the water report then you need a new kit or to calibrate it.

I would guess the fert is trace only which is fine IF the nitrate is 40ppm. I would however double the fish feeding to get a little more phosphate into the tank.

Finally with low light and non CO2 the tank still needs good circulation albeit not as high turnover as with CO2. This may be the real problem in that the CO2 is not being distributed too well.

Can you also tell us what substrate comprises of from the bottom to top layer if it is several layers.

AC

 

[SDWalters]

If the problem is down to low C02 you could try dozing with a liquid carbon for example easycarbo which help and also has the effect of killing algae.....'i'm still a but of planted tank newbie so would be good to see what the experts think of that idea!

 

[SuperColey1]

If the problem is down to low C02 you could try dozing with a liquid carbon for example easycarbo which help and also has the effect of killing algae.....'i'm still a but of planted tank newbie so would be good to see what the experts think of that idea!

liquid carbon is a double edged sword really.

~As an algaecide it will work however, by adding C then you speed growth up...of everything and that means algae that you don't get spot dosed will get bigger. Like robbing Peter to pay paul.

Its more a benefit for tanks that already injecting pressurised CO2. Then it is purely algaecide as the plants will be suing the CO2 not the liquid C.

Whilst not adding C the problem goes on slowly, add C and it starts to speed up.

AC

 

[Ryefish]

i had some BBA on a piece of bogwood.. watched my apple snail chomp it all down the other day. It'll more than likely grow back, but he enjoyed it

 

[SuperColey1]

i had some BBA on a piece of bogwood.. watched my apple snail chomp it all down the other day. It'll more than likely grow back, but he enjoyed it

YEP like said above. squirting liquid C on to the BBA when the filter is off and then turning it back on again 10 minutes later normally does the trick. It turns grey and then shrimp, livebearers, plecs et al will eat it.

Problem though is it will come back. Need to address the cause which IMO will be a circulation problem causgin the CO2 problem.

AC