Re: Fuzzy Algae on edges of leaves of plants

[N. Wise]

>Hi everyone, I wonder if you may be able to hepl me ? I have a heavily
>planted aquarium 48 x 15 x18 inches. community fish . 24 C temperature. CO 2
>system from yeast sugar reactor, Phosphates almost zero, Nitrates again
>almost zero, but i get fuzzy algal growth on the edges of plant leaves. It
>is more apparent on slow growing plants as the leaves are older I guess. The
>growth was almost black or very dark green initially but after correcting
>the previously fairly high phosphates and allowing things to stabilise it is
>now much lighter in colour but still growing. Light is from twin
>flourescents which are on for about14 hours per day.

Try adding nitrates to keep the levels at around 10-15 ppm. If you do this,
make sure you are dosing plenty of K and watch your phosphate levels as they
may drop to zero. THey need to be kept around 0.1 ppm.

N. Wise
http://members.aol.com/nwwise01/

[nikolay_kraltchev]

Ron,

I'd suggest another approach, different than N.Wise's :-)

Drive the N and P down to rock bottom zero - by say doing two 80%
water changes back to back and ease up on the fish feeding. Keep them
at zero for a week.

During that time continue normal the Fe/trace additions. Make sure
your CO2 is indeed 20 - 40 (time to double check your pH and KH test
kit or digital monitor).

Just another approach.

--Nikolay

[Happy'Cam'per]

Hey again Nik

Driving the N and P or whatever down to zero will NOT combat the algae. Stop
telling people this as it does not work. Have you actually tried this? Do
you have a soil substrate? Please tell me how this works for you?? Where are
YOUR plants getting their food from??

I would say add MORE nutrients and keep the CO2 steady, fluctuations with
co2 will dramatically increase BBA. If the person is using DIY co2 the
bottles should be replaced REGULARLY in order to keep up on co2 production.
--
**So long, and thanks for all the fish!**




"nikolay_kraltchev" > wrote in message
om...
> Ron,
>
> I'd suggest another approach, different than N.Wise's :-)
>
> Drive the N and P down to rock bottom zero - by say doing two 80%
> water changes back to back and ease up on the fish feeding. Keep them
> at zero for a week.
>
> During that time continue normal the Fe/trace additions. Make sure
> your CO2 is indeed 20 - 40 (time to double check your pH and KH test
> kit or digital monitor).
>
> Just another approach.
>
> --Nikolay

[[email protected]]

"Ron Hagley" > wrote in message >...
> Hi everyone, I wonder if you may be able to hepl me ? I have a heavily
> planted aquarium 48 x 15 x18 inches. community fish . 24 C temperature. CO 2
> system from yeast sugar reactor, Phosphates almost zero, Nitrates again
> almost zero, but i get fuzzy algal growth on the edges of plant leaves. It
> is more apparent on slow growing plants as the leaves are older I guess. The
> growth was almost black or very dark green initially but after correcting
> the previously fairly high phosphates and allowing things to stabilise it is
> now much lighter in colour but still growing. Light is from twin
> flourescents which are on for about14 hours per day.
>
> Cheers
>
> Ron

Ron, right off, suspect the CO2 system here.
Take care of that. SAE's are good at leaf edge algae.
Slow growing plants will get these types of algae easier.
Reduce the lighting to 10-12hrs day.

Take care of the CO2(add more!!), then if things do not clear up, we
will work on the nutrients with you.

CO2, some words: make sure you can measure the KH and pH(to within
about .1-.2pH units) and then compare it against the pH/KH chart.

Take your pH measurments in the AM and the PM, see if it's too low in
the PM, shoot for 20-30ppm during the ENTIRE light cycle.
If not, don't blame the nutrients.

When you correct this, prune off the old leaves, algae etc, dip them
in bleach if you cannot trim them off(they will grow back, don't
worry), then new algae growth will not occur.

But you have to remove what's there first, then correct the conditions
and keep them in good shape thereafter.

You'll see an increase in NO3 and PO4 uptake and these will need to be
added perhaps weekly if your fish load is low for this tank.

Regards,
Tom Barr