Phosphate Problems and fluro tubes.

[Triffid Farmer]

I've been battling some serious algae problems for a couple of months and
have just stumbled accross what I think could be the problem.

Not long fter I set up my my 4 ft tank I was replaceing the bulbs and
clumsily managed to break one with over the open tank.
A large porting fell into the water, which I later removed.
I thought nothing much of it and all the fish have been fine.

What has been a problem though has been a persitant algae bloom.
Constant water changes seem to have no effect.

Sure enough the phasphate level was 4ppm.
Just as I was about to start slagging the pro flora base for adding
nutrients, I stumbled upon a website about exploding things in microwave
ovens.
http://www.everist.org/special/mw_oven/#trials

The writer microwaves a mini fluro tube............"which strike the
phosphor (the white powder) "

Looks like I have my answer.

Phosphate sponge in place, I think I've finally got it all sorted!

K

[RedForeman ©®]

|| Not long fter I set up my my 4 ft tank I was replaceing the bulbs and
|| clumsily managed to break one with over the open tank.
|| A large porting fell into the water, which I later removed.
|| I thought nothing much of it and all the fish have been fine.
||
|| What has been a problem though has been a persitant algae bloom.
|| Constant water changes seem to have no effect.
||
|| Sure enough the phasphate level was 4ppm.
|| Just as I was about to start slagging the pro flora base for adding
|| nutrients, I stumbled upon a website about exploding things in
|| microwave ovens.
|| http://www.everist.org/special/mw_oven/#trials
||
|| The writer microwaves a mini fluro tube............"which strike the
|| phosphor (the white powder) "
||
|| Looks like I have my answer.
||
|| Phosphate sponge in place, I think I've finally got it all sorted!
||
|| K

If you've followed the group for any length of time, TomBarr has mentioned
several times that phospate is one element that is usually linked to algae
problems... it was in mine....

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| ==========================
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[Triffid Farmer]

> If you've followed the group for any length of time, TomBarr has mentioned
> several times that phospate is one element that is usually linked to algae
> problems... it was in mine....

I never doubted that phosphate was the problem, but I always though the
water changes would fix it.
(You guys also pointed out that the nitrate level was at zero and was
stunting growth which was also correct).
It just never occured to me that the source was from the light breakage and
not just overfeeding....

K

[RedForeman ©®]

||| If you've followed the group for any length of time, TomBarr has
||| mentioned several times that phospate is one element that is
||| usually linked to algae problems... it was in mine....
||
|| I never doubted that phosphate was the problem, but I always though
|| the water changes would fix it.
|| (You guys also pointed out that the nitrate level was at zero and was
|| stunting growth which was also correct).
|| It just never occured to me that the source was from the light
|| breakage and not just overfeeding....
||
|| K

I think phosphate is hard to remove, especially once introduced... if it's
not in the water, it probably has attached to something in the tank..
driftwood or substrate.... maybe even the plants...

--
| RedForeman ©® fabricator and creator of the ratbike streetfighter!!!
| ==========================
| 2003 TRX450ES
| 1992 TRX-350 XX (For Sale)
| '98 Tacoma Ext Cab 4X4 Lifted....
| ==========================
| ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤° `°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø
| ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸. ><((((º> ·´¯`·. , .·´¯`·.. ><((((º>
| for any questions you may have....
| www.gmail.com

[Triffid Farmer]

>
> I think phosphate is hard to remove, especially once introduced... if it's
> not in the water, it probably has attached to something in the tank..
> driftwood or substrate.... maybe even the plants...

I'm running a JBL phosphate sponge in the canister filter and even after a
day it has reduced the levels.
The Iron level was also at zero so I'm thinking it would also be stunting
the plant growth.
I'll give it a week or so and see what happens.
Short of that I'm thinking of tearing down the tank and starting with new
substrate.

K

[Triffid Farmer]

> I seriously doubt that is your problem. Have you checked your co2? This is
> more than likely the source of your algal bloom. I too have cracked a
light
> into the tank and never experienced any blooms or adverse effects, and
that
> was on a 3 footer. Are you using DIY co2 or do you have a cylinder? Either
> or, add more diy bottles or crank up the pressurised container. also very
> important, keep your surface agitation down to a MINIMUM. Do your plants
> pearl during the day? If not I doubt you're getting enough co2 into the
> water column. IME, a hefty dose of phosphate will only perk things up a
bit
> not cause algae blooms, this just seems to be another aquaria myth...

Depends on what you define as hefty.

I was running over 4ppm and I've been told to keep it under 1ppm.

I've got DIY co2 happening and the little JBL co2 indicator is showing max
level of saturation now.
How accurate are these?

Plants are pearling now I've adjusted the Nitrates.
Having the iron levels at zero probably wasn't helping either.

What sort of phosphate, iron and co2 levels should I be looking to achieve?

K

[Alex R]

"RedForeman ©®" > wrote in message
...
>
> If you've followed the group for any length of time, TomBarr has mentioned
> several times that phospate is one element that is usually linked to algae
> problems... it was in mine....

Yes, phosphate is associated with algae problems, but I think what Tom Barr
emphasizes is that it's the *lack* of phosphate that's linked to algae
problems. Filtering out the PO4 will most likely not fix the algae problems.
What will do it is adding back all the deficient nutrients other than
phosphate.
__
Alex

[[email protected]]

"Alex R" > wrote in message news:<BKbWc.25087$9d6.1266@attbi_s54>...
> "RedForeman ©®" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > If you've followed the group for any length of time, TomBarr has mentioned
> > several times that phospate is one element that is usually linked to algae
> > problems... it was in mine....
>
> Yes, phosphate is associated with algae problems, but I think what Tom Barr
> emphasizes is that it's the *lack* of phosphate that's linked to algae
> problems. Filtering out the PO4 will most likely not fix the algae problems.
> What will do it is adding back all the deficient nutrients other than
> phosphate.
> __
> Alex


Thanks Alex.
Two things: tap water source and very bad test kit.
Other thing: do you add any so called buffers to lower pH?
If so, stop right now.

It's extremely unlikely your tap water has 4ppm. Call and ask for that
matter.
Large 50% water changes should reduce the level down by 50% to
whatever the tap is. If not, the test kit is junk.

If you use CO2, CO2 and NO3 are about 90-95% of the issue.
Work on those.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Triffid Farmer]

> If you use CO2, CO2 and NO3 are about 90-95% of the issue.

I believe I've got the NO3 sorted but I'm unsure about the CO2.
I thought I might have been overdoing it but I'm now thinking that it's not
enough.


What test numbers should I be looking to achieve, no just CO2 but the whole
lot.

K

[[email protected]]

"Triffid Farmer" > wrote in message >...
> > If you use CO2, CO2 and NO3 are about 90-95% of the issue.
>
> I believe I've got the NO3 sorted but I'm unsure about the CO2.
> I thought I might have been overdoing it but I'm now thinking that it's not
> enough.
>
>
> What test numbers should I be looking to achieve, no just CO2 but the whole
> lot.
>
> K


Too much CO2 will not cause algae, but might cause fish stress. Too
little CO2=> definitely algae issues will occur.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[RedForeman ©®]

|| Too much CO2 will not cause algae, but might cause fish stress. Too
|| little CO2=> definitely algae issues will occur.
||
|| Regards,
|| Tom Barr

That's been my experience, once you made me see that it's true....

--
| RedForeman ©® fabricator and creator of the ratbike streetfighter!!!
| ==========================
| 2003 TRX450ES
| 1992 TRX-350 XX (For Sale)
| '98 Tacoma Ext Cab 4X4 Lifted....
| ==========================
| ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤° `°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø
| ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸. ><((((º> ·´¯`·. , .·´¯`·.. ><((((º>
| for any questions you may have....
| www.gmail.com

[[email protected]]

"RedForeman ©®" > wrote in message >...
> || Too much CO2 will not cause algae, but might cause fish stress. Too
> || little CO2=> definitely algae issues will occur.
> ||
> || Regards,
> || Tom Barr
>
> That's been my experience, once you made me see that it's true....
>
> --
> | RedForeman ©®

But I had to beat it into you:)

Regards,
Tom Barr

[RedForeman ©®]

|| "RedForeman ©®" > wrote in message
||||| Too much CO2 will not cause algae, but might cause fish stress.
||||| Too little CO2=> definitely algae issues will occur.
|||||
||||| Regards,
||||| Tom Barr
|||
||| That's been my experience, once you made me see that it's true....
|||
||| --
|||| RedForeman ©®
||
|| But I had to beat it into you:)
||
|| Regards,
|| Tom Barr

on MANY occasions... hahaha!!!

--
| RedForeman ©® fabricator and creator of the ratbike streetfighter!!!
| ==========================
| 2003 TRX450ES
| 1992 TRX-350 XX (For Sale)
| '98 Tacoma Ext Cab 4X4 Lifted....
| ==========================
| ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸¸¸,ø¤° `°¤ø,¸¸,ø¤°`°¤ø
| ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸. ><((((º> ·´¯`·. , .·´¯`·.. ><((((º>
| for any questions you may have....
| www.gmail.com

[Robert Flory]

If you are getting phosphorus - watch for mercury .... Don't eat the fish
;-)

Bob

"Triffid Farmer" > wrote in message
...
>> If you've followed the group for any length of time, TomBarr has
>> mentioned
>> several times that phospate is one element that is usually linked to
>> algae
>> problems... it was in mine....
>
> I never doubted that phosphate was the problem, but I always though the
> water changes would fix it.
> (You guys also pointed out that the nitrate level was at zero and was
> stunting growth which was also correct).
> It just never occured to me that the source was from the light breakage
> and
> not just overfeeding....
>
> K
>
>