I have an established ( cycled for 2 years) 33 gallons aquarium which currently houses 9 emperor tetras (plus babies when they breed), 6 corydoras trilineatus and an aging, single Bolivian Rams. I have 2 filters for this jolly gang, a Fluval 204 and a Fluval U3, cleaned monthly, sometimes more often. It is very planted, with mostly java fern and moss, cryptocoryne, anubias, amazon swordplants and hygrophila. Also 3 pieces of bogwood. Lights are on 10 hours a day. I change 20-25% of the water, weekly. I don't know if it changes anything but the soil is half river gravel, half sand. For about 6 months I have dealt with a crazy blooming of brown algae that just won't quit, and is currently killing my plants. Even my pennyworth who have been breeding like crazy for 3 years and the duckweed are attacked (and when the duckweed is actually not breeding...you know there's a problem!) I thought the slight overpopulation going on was the culprit so I added the U3. No change.
On the advice I found on the net I changed my fluorescent bulbs (currently have 2 new Life-Glo bulbs, 6700k each), started adding doses of liquid fertilizer at each water change, plus put fertilizer sticks under my plants' roots. I also boiled all my decorations (including bogwood) to remove all traces of algae. It seemed to get better, I've noticed new leaves on my swordplant (which had lost all its big leaves to the algae attack!) and the duckweed was back...then it started again. I have to scrape the glass of my tank at least twice a week. I actually brush my plants' leafs with a kid's toothbrush a few times a week to let them breathe through the algae! I have no idea what I should do anymore. Any idea I could try? I'm desperate to save my plants
On the advice I found on the net I changed my fluorescent bulbs (currently have 2 new Life-Glo bulbs, 6700k each), started adding doses of liquid fertilizer at each water change, plus put fertilizer sticks under my plants' roots. I also boiled all my decorations (including bogwood) to remove all traces of algae. It seemed to get better, I've noticed new leaves on my swordplant (which had lost all its big leaves to the algae attack!) and the duckweed was back...then it started again. I have to scrape the glass of my tank at least twice a week. I actually brush my plants' leafs with a kid's toothbrush a few times a week to let them breathe through the algae! I have no idea what I should do anymore. Any idea I could try? I'm desperate to save my plants