What Algae

[Rorie]

Is this BGA again? Its not got the wavy green stuff that i had before. I have tried everything to get rid of it, so i REALLY hope this is not a come back!

 

[creg]

if they are compatible with your fish you could get some zebra nerite snails

 

[StandbySetting]

Is it fuzzy?

 

[Rorie]

yeh i guess it is kinda fuzzy. But i have had a look on the algae section, and it does not look like them

This is REALLY annoying me now!

I have added two power heads, so my total flow is around 3800l/h in a 360l tank! (two filters at 1200l/h and 2 power heads at 900l/h
I have stopped dosing EI as i figured i was doing something wrong, so am now dosing a pre made ferts system.
My CO2 is yellow by the end of the day, so cant increase that any
My lights are only on for 6 hours a day.

Yet i STILL get this algae! I have a few otocynclic in my tank, but sometimes have to remove them when they get a taste of Discus!

Maybe these snails is another answer? What do they eat? Will they breed like crazy? I have trumpet snails in my 90L (strangely i NEVER see them! Dont think they survive for some reason!)., but i dont want millions of them in this tank! A few hard working pretty snails will be fine thought

 

[StandbySetting]

Continue to dosing your EI, it's still a CO2 or flow related issue as are most algae problems, are you sure you're not getting any dead spots, and have you tried moving your drop checker to ensure CO2 is reaching all areas of the tank, yellow on your DC is not good, you are using 4DKH water right? You need consistent CO2, lime green is the aim, fluctuating levels will trigger these hair and fuzzy algae's.

 

[Rorie]

Continue to dosing your EI, it's still a CO2 or flow related issue as are most algae problems, are you sure you're not getting any dead spots, and have you tried moving your drop checker to ensure CO2 is reaching all areas of the tank, yellow on your DC is not good, you are using 4DKH water right? You need consistent CO2, lime green is the aim, fluctuating levels will trigger these hair and fuzzy algae's.

Well its on the green side of yellow - never dead yellow. The CO2 surly must fluctuate as its switched off at night though?! I experimented a few weeks back with 8 drop checkers (with 4 dkh) dotted all over my tank. As i am diffusing it into my tank, i find it is very evenly spread!

Again with the powerheads, they are even aiming at the areas where the algae is (the rocks).

So, if my flow and co2 is ok, what else could it be?

I stopped the EI as i figured i was maybe over or underdosing something which could cause it. I am experimenting with expensive ferts, with the hope that the problem goes away, and i can then pin point the problem...

Do you think these snails would be good, Standbysetting? I have read good things about them! I realise it may be a cure to something which should be solved in other ways, but i cant fix it

 

[StandbySetting]

The whole point of EI is for nutrients to be wrong limiting so if your solutions are mixed correctly the problem shouldn't stem from them.

Snails are a cover up of the problem, not a solution, and I doubt they'd touch the algae, other than that I'm stumped, no ammonia readings? Hopefully someone can be of more help to you.

 

[Rorie]

i have super high nitrates, which i hear can be caused by dosing too much with EI....or something Well either way, algae needs something to feed on, so i am dosing normal ferts, i can control that a bit.

No ammonia, nope!

Do you think its BGA? Will the snails not touch that? I really dont get it - i have all bases covered....

The annoying thing is that my low tech, low price planted tank looks AMAZING and has no algae at all! This, super high tech, super expensive tank looks a mess

 

[Haveagojoe]

The zebra nerite snails do work, I have a bow fronted corner tank which has a back panel which is not glass (not sure what its made of) but that was covered in algae, the ottos didnt touch it but the snails cleared it in less than a week, and the other answer is no they will not breed in the tank they need brackish water to breed.

 

[Rorie]

Well, sounds like they are worth a try. Even if it is just masking the problem...i have tried everything else!

 

[drobbyb]

Definitely not blue green algae. It just looks like some sort of hair algae.

 

[Rorie]

Definitely not blue green algae. It just looks like some sort of hair algae.

Well, if you are correct, that would be GREAT news! Now, to work out why....