Algae and CO2 question

[Graham Broadbridge]

I recently added a pH controlled CO2 system to my tank (bottle and CO2
controller).

Light level is not particularly high at around 1.6 wpg but the CO2 has made
a huge difference to plant growth and health.

The plants have been growing like mad for the last 4 weeks, but in the last
couple of weeks some very fine spiky green algae has started growing on the
leaves of established plants. It looks like the spines on a cactus. Very
fine and erect and the fish seem to love eating it. Unfortunately the fish
are not keeping up with the growth.

Also some of the new leaves on the Amazon Swords have holes in them.

I'm pretty certain that this is some nutritional deficiency.

Tank chemistry is pretty normal (detailed below), only change since I
introduced the CO2 is nitrate has dropped from 10-20 ppm to 0 ppm

Is this a likely outcome of plants using all of the Nitrate, or is there
some other missing or excessive nutrient at play?

Chemistry

Tank: 55 gal
Light: 1.6 wpg
pH: 7.0 (controlled by pH controller)
kH: 7
gH 5
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
PO4 Unknown.



Graham.

[LeighMo]

>Tank chemistry is pretty normal (detailed below), only change since I
>introduced the CO2 is nitrate has dropped from 10-20 ppm to 0 ppm
>

That is not good. Plants won't do well if nitrate is 0.

Are you fertilizing at all? You might need to now, if you weren't before. At
least iron, and possibly potassium.

And nitrate, of course!


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[[email protected]]

Sorry, I thought you were in the UK.

www.litemanu.com has all the chemicals you need and Big Al's sells the
SeaChem Flourish or you can use TMG(get the largest trace amount you
can). You can also try the cheaper DIY mix Plantex and the
litemanu.com trace mixes etc. I use these 1/2 the time to stretch out
the trace usage from the brand name stuff.

One order should last many years.
Regards,
Tom Barr

[[email protected]]

Sorry, I thought you were in the UK for some weird reason.

www.litemanu.com has all the chemicals you need and Big Al's sells the
SeaChem Flourish or you can use TMG(get the largest trace amount you
can). You can also try the cheaper DIY mix Plantex and the
litemanu.com trace mixes etc. I use these 1/2 the time to stretch out
the trace usage from the brand name stuff.

One order should last many years.
Regards,
Tom Barr

[[email protected]]

Yep, you've now run out of NO3/PO4/K and traces even.

> I'm pretty certain that this is some nutritional deficiency.

Yep.

> Tank chemistry is pretty normal (detailed below), only change since I
> introduced the CO2 is nitrate has dropped from 10-20 ppm to 0 ppm

Yep, there's a big problem and you'll get algae from this.

> Is this a likely outcome of plants using all of the Nitrate, or is there
> some other missing or excessive nutrient at play?

You've run out of NO3, maybe K+ and maybe PO4, perhaps you need more
traces.

Here's what I'd do.
Get 4 things:

KNO3
K2SO4
KH2PO4
Tropica Master grow or equilivant trace mix.

You can get these in the UK from a couple of places, do a search for
PMDD supplies in the UK on this board, the Tropical Fish Center,
AquairumCentral.com etc.

Your routine might go a little like this:
40-50% water change a week.

After water change:

Add 1/3 teaspoon KNO3 (+feed fish well during the week)
Add 1/2 teaspoon K2SO4
Add 3-4 rice grain's worth of KH2PO4.
Add 8 mls of Tropica master grow 2x a week.

You might need to add a bit more Traces and KNO3 depending if the tank
is doing good.

You have good light/CO2, all you need is the nutrients.

Regards,
Tom Barr

> Chemistry
>
> Tank: 55 gal
> Light: 1.6 wpg
> pH: 7.0 (controlled by pH controller)
> kH: 7
> gH 5
> Ammonia: 0
> Nitrite: 0
> Nitrate: 0
> PO4 Unknown.
>
>
>
> Graham.

[Graham Broadbridge]

"LeighMo" > wrote in message
...
> >Tank chemistry is pretty normal (detailed below), only change since I
> >introduced the CO2 is nitrate has dropped from 10-20 ppm to 0 ppm
> >
>
> That is not good. Plants won't do well if nitrate is 0.
>
> Are you fertilizing at all? You might need to now, if you weren't before.
At
> least iron, and possibly potassium.
>
> And nitrate, of course!

Sorry, I forgot to mention I'm using Seachem Flourish weekly. The tank is
not heavily populated and I'm planning on adding fish - hopefully that'll
increase the Nitrate available to the plants.


Graham.

[Poe Lim]

"Graham Broadbridge" <graham at peachy dot org> wrote in message
u...
> > That is not good. Plants won't do well if nitrate is 0.
> >
> > Are you fertilizing at all? You might need to now, if you weren't
before.
> At
> > least iron, and possibly potassium.
> >
> > And nitrate, of course!
>
> Sorry, I forgot to mention I'm using Seachem Flourish weekly. The tank is
> not heavily populated and I'm planning on adding fish - hopefully that'll
> increase the Nitrate available to the plants.

If your tank is heavily planted, and I assume it is if you are using
controlled CO2 (which one BTW, and who did you get it off?), you'll find
nitrate will be 0. I'm actually getting algae problems now, as my nitrates
are still 0 (and the plants are growing likes weeds, especially the Rotala
Rotundifolia and Pogostemon Stellata) in spite of increased fish load. From
memory, you said something about a chemist in Pymble with potassium nitrate?
Which one is it, as my local one is having trouble getting it, and I don't
want 500g.

Cheers,
Poe

[Graham Broadbridge]

Hi Tom,

Sorry for not responding sooner, wife had a baby the same day I posted the
question and life has been a little hectic since then :)

" > wrote in message
om...
> > Tank chemistry is pretty normal (detailed below), only change since I
> > introduced the CO2 is nitrate has dropped from 10-20 ppm to 0 ppm
>
> Yep, there's a big problem and you'll get algae from this.

And did I :-)

> You've run out of NO3, maybe K+ and maybe PO4, perhaps you need more
> traces.
>
> Here's what I'd do.
> Get 4 things:
>
> KNO3
> K2SO4
> KH2PO4
> Tropica Master grow or equilivant trace mix.
>
> You can get these in the UK from a couple of places, do a search for

I'm actually in Australia, but I managed to find Potassium Sulphate (K2SO4)
at a
garden nursery. KN03 is difficult to locate, but I'm using Seachem Nitrate.
Using Seachem Flourish for Trace elements although I'm dosing around 10 ml
twice weekly to keep the Fe at around 0.25ppm

PO4 in my tank is around 0.25 ppm which is stable.

> Your routine might go a little like this:
> 40-50% water change a week.

> After water change:
>
> Add 1/3 teaspoon KNO3 (+feed fish well during the week)
> Add 1/2 teaspoon K2SO4
> Add 3-4 rice grain's worth of KH2PO4.
> Add 8 mls of Tropica master grow 2x a week.

Using your formula above as a guide has worked wonders for the plant health,
although the water is not as clear as I would like. It'll probably settle
down once the tank stabilises.

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.

> You have good light/CO2, all you need is the nutrients.

Regards
Graham.