I have a fully planted 36 gallon Bowfront tank.I run a Rena XP2 Canister filter.Tank is fully cycled.I have a Coralife T5HO Colormax and 6,700k Bulbs.They are on from 7am-7pm.I hear 8 hrs at most for a tank?
I get most the algea on my Anubias.There is just a little black hair algea on my Val and Amazon Sword.Whay causes this algea?
You have an imbalance in your tank. Too much light, too long of a photoperiod, no co2 or too much or too little fertilizer.
First thing I would do is cut the photoperiod back to 6 hrs per day. Switch the colormax bulb out for another 6700 K bulb
What is your fertilizing regimen?
You have BBA on the plants. Slow growing plants are more susceptible to BBA. You can spot treat it with 3% hydrogen Peroxide and a syringe. You need to make adjustments to find what the imbalance is to correct the algae problem.
Adding pressurized, or DIY co2 will help considerably.
the Flourish tabs aren't necessary with Anubias. Cut back to once a week on the Comprhensive.. I would also recommend dosing Flourish excel. It will give the plants more carbon to work with.
An Actinic bulb is more designed for a marine tank, corals in particular.
So the plan to try is cut photoperiod to 6 hrs. per day, cut back fert dosing to once a week, change out colormax bulb for 6700K bulb, spot treat algae with peroxide, and start dosing Excel.
You should see improvement in the algae area.
Also if you can give the Anubias some shade in the tank it might help. They are more of a low filtered light plant.
I just use the tabs with my rooted plants.I have the Excel also.Should I just use the Excel for now then once a week?How do I go about dosing with the peroxide?Where do I put it?
The excel is dosed daily. Use the comprehensive only once per week. To use the peroxide, shut of all filters. wait for the water to calm down. Draw peroxide into a syringe, and slowly squirt it on the algae. You may have to treat it twice on separate days. Treat one or two plants per session. Leave filters off for around 20 minutes. Then restart them. The algae will turn reddish/ pink in about 24 hrs. then white, then be gone.
I will do that for sure.Is it just the reg hydrogen peroxide you buy at the grocery store?
I also heard that if you use Carbon in your filter.That should be taken out if your growing plants.Is that true? Posted via Mobile Device
I keep seeing Excel being suggested as a first line of carbon supplementation and thought I would look a little closer at the product.
I run medium to heavily planted tanks with 12 to 14 hour photo periods with good growth and no nuisance algae. I use Flourish Comprehensive once every week or so and root tabs for swords. I don't believe that carbon supplementation is necessary in any but the higher energy systems where fast growth is desired for whatever reasons.
The ingredient in the product that keeps getting negatively mentioned is Glutaraldehyde (chemical name 1,5-Pentanedial). To me, any aldehyde is suspect when being used for living organisms as they are used as preservatives, disinfectants and various microbiocidal applications.
So why put it into a tank at all? I'll go off on that tangent elsewhere.
Anyway, something is out of balance and with algae, it is most often the lighting so start by dropping it, 8 hours might be a good place to start. It's far easier to reduce something and watch for results than to start adding one thing, reducing another and changing something else, you'll never know what the problem was and may even introduce another imbalance.
I'm not sure about that algae, can it be rubbed off of the leaf at all? It would be easier to do that if it comes off even a bit than trying to kill it... which won't work long term until after you have the balance right anyway.
To me 8 hours is as long as I would ever have my lights on. Maybe cut to 5 hours for about a week two then go back to 8, do a water change about ever 3 days for awhile. Maybe try the previous suggestions with the Excel and Peroxide. Also make sure to clean your gravel during the water change, if you have gravel. Make sure your temp is normal as well.
I will try reducing the lights to 6 hrs.Im going to try the perixide also.i do have sand in my tank.I hear mix reviews about Excel.I stopped using it because of that.Algea is only really on my Anubias Posted via Mobile Device
I HATE BBA! Is any sunlight ever hitting your tank? Even for a short time? My BBA started because of sunlight. Now that I keep it off the tank, it's easier to control. I've also started using Flourish liquid once a week, but I've heard that using just tabs should be enough, as I only have Java Ferns an Apon. and Anubias in my tank.
The tabs are for root feeding plants only, which anubias and java fern are not. They may help the Apons as they are but they are best for swords and the like.
Yup. the plain old 3% hydrogen peroxide you can find bout anywhere.
Personally I find no reason to use carbon in any aquarium, unless your trying to remove meds from a treatment for some illness.
In a planted tank it can actually remove some nutrients that are needed by your plants.
Yup. the plain old 3% hydrogen peroxide you can find bout anywhere.
Personally I find no reason to use carbon in any aquarium, unless your trying to remove meds from a treatment for some illness.
In a planted tank it can actually remove some nutrients that are needed by your plants.[/QUOT
How much hydrogen peroxide do I use?I squirt 2 full syringes in the tank on the plants but I don't know how much is enough? Posted via Mobile Device
Personally I find no reason to use carbon in any aquarium, unless your trying to remove meds from a treatment for some illness.
In a planted tank it can actually remove some nutrients that are needed by your plants.
You can cut the bag open, and empty the carbon, or just run 2 of the sponges instead of the carbon pouch.
The carbon will become ineffective after about 3-4 weeks, and just become a bio filter, so if you have had it in there for that long then it is a non issue.
Just for the record, I forgot to mention I also have swords, so I use the tabs for the Apon and swords. So I wonder if I should be using the Flourish Comprehensive now? I seem to be getting conflicting opinions. I only have two swords in my 55 gallon tank, and the Apon. Maybe I should stop the Flourish liquid when it's gone and use the tabs only?
As for the BBA on Anubias, OMG. It's almost impossible to get it off without damaging the leaves! BBA is an awful thing to have. I can see it starting up again in my tank now. It's hard to block out ALL the sunlight, and in the small area where it hits, here comes the BBA again. That stuff is tenacious as h***!
Rocky..Did you try the hydrogen Peroxide on your BBA?I'm going to try it tomorrow when I go get some at the store.
I use the tabs for my rooted plants like swords ect..And flourish for plants like Anubias.
You need more plants in that 55.I have so many in my 36.Its addicting.I love plants and so does my Blue eyed Albino Long Fin Ancistus,Zebra Oto's and Hillstream Loaches.I have to trim away alot if eaten and dead leaves weekly due to them.But that ok. Posted via Mobile Device
You can use as much as it takes to do 2 plants per day without problems. Just keep filling the syringe and slowly squirt the peroxide directly on the BBA. You should see results in 24 hrs. The BBA will turn reddish pink as it dies. Wait 24 hrs then do a couple more plants. The peroxide molecules separate after a few minutes. Leave filters off for about 20 min. during, and after treatment.
Ok...My driftwood has it on it also.There is a Anubias attached to it.Can I take it out and dunk it in a bowl with water and peroxide in it? Posted via Mobile Device
Ok great...Thank you for all your help.Ordering my new bulb (6,700) next week. Posted via Mobile Device
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