Treating My Tank For Algae

[Jen]

I've read over the algae article but I didn't see anything about this kind of algae, but maybe it's just the lack of sleep today (I slept about 2 hours last night, since they called me into work).

I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of the green spot algae that accumulates on the glass in the tank, as well as the stuff that grows on the slower growing plants.


Here are my stats:
Co2 constant at 38mg/l.
NO3 kept at 20ppm. (although recently they've jumped to 40... I'm bringing it down with water changes - the algae has been present long before the spike)
PO4 is steady at 2ppm from the tap.
I haven't been dosing the SO4. Maybe I should look into that as some of my plants - the amazon sword and my E. Agustafolious are looking worse for wear. The leaves get very thin and seem to fade away.
Lights at 2.4 wpg, on for 5 hours, off 2, on 5.

What can I do for this kind of algae?

 

[iggy01]

Hi Jen,

You say your phosphate levels are 2 mg/l from the tap. What's the PO4 level in your tank?

Green spot algae can quite often be eradicated by raising phosphate levels.

Good luck!

 

[Jen]

It always stays at 2. There is never any change. I actually don't add any PO4 to the tank since it's at 2 already. I will start adding and see if there is any change. Thanks

 

[George Farmer]

Adding KH2PO4 (Potassium phosphate) seems to kill GSA, even when tap levels are seemingly high enough already. There's debate as to whether the KH2O4 is actually toxic to the GSA or it's just the extra plant growth that fights it off. It works anyway.

 

[Jen]

Perfect. I'll up it to 3 and see how that goes.

Thanks all.

 

[pseud]

Be careful... high PO4 caused cloudiness, possibly the start of green water, in my tank.

 

[Jen]

I am no longer afraid of green water. lol. I had such a bad case of it. I couldnt see 2 inches into my tank. It was horrid. All I had to do was cut the lights back to half and it was gone in 2 weeks. But I will watch out for it.