HELP ME!!!

Here are some pictures of what is growing on my plants any thoughts as to what it might be. I have tried alot of things to get rid of it looked everywhere for answers as to how to combat it. The problem is I'm not sure if it beard algae, brown algae or something else. Tank is still fairly new just over seven weeks setup. I made a video of all the things I'm running and using.

here is the link to the video

http://fishtanktv.com/video/trouble-with-algae

1 member likes this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Hmoobthor on October 10, 2011 at 6:38pm

you say something about the lighiting...

I see in the video that the lighting is oranganish/brown....that type of lighting is use for growing plants right?

Are u dosing ferts too?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by slownas1 on October 10, 2011 at 7:33pm

Yeah im not sure the video captures the light right. But they are 6500k four of them 54w.

Not dosing ferts, the tank is dirted.

I sent some pics to dustin like two weeks ago and he said he thought the problem might be my bulbs are old but I just bought the fixture like a month ago and the bulbs came with the fixture. So the bulbs should only be like a month old and never used, that is if that place sent me new bulbs no way to tell.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Hmoobthor on October 10, 2011 at 8:18pm

4 of them? geeze weeize!

they might look like brush algae....the problem might be your lighting...too much?

brush algae are hard to get rid of and redo the whole tank....

if you have SAE (Siamese algae eater like me) ..its no problem

not sure how big ur tank is...but my 55g is only using one life glo bulb.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by slownas1 on October 10, 2011 at 8:38pm

yeah i only run all four for four hours and then two lights for four hours. I thought about cutting back to two bulbs only.

Yeah i have looked for SAE around me but the closest ones are about a three hour drive round trip so can't really get them and try them out just yet.

Yeah my tank is a 55g, but the distance from lights to gravel is about 22 inches.

Yeah i thought it was brush algae too the only problem is it wipes right off of the leaves with my fingers and what i have read is that brush algae doesnt wipe off easy it is kinda hard to remove. Plus after i clear it out it is back by the end of day the next day and what i have read about bursh algae is that it takes a while for it to come back.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Hmoobthor on October 10, 2011 at 9:41pm

if u can get amano shrimp..they might help clean the algae for you.

i seen them eat white fungus on driftwood

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Robert on October 10, 2011 at 9:49pm

Bro you have way to much lighting what type of bulb are you useing ????

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by slownas1 on October 10, 2011 at 10:08pm

They are the ones that came with the fixture odyssea lights. I'm going to cut back to two bulbs if i need to go down to one i have to remove a bulb. There are two ballasts running the four lights.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 2apes2gp667wr on October 10, 2011 at 10:41pm

Looks like Diatoms to me. Increase circulation & check your phosphate levels. A product like phosguard will remove phosphates, thus starving the diatoms and increased water movement will hurt their ability to latch onto objects.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by slownas1 on October 11, 2011 at 8:41am

What causes phosphates to build up? Don't the plants use phosphates? I have 2ppm of phosphates. I'm increasing circulation today and adding a phos guard pouch.

Thanks ill let you know how it goes.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by slownas1 on October 17, 2011 at 4:14pm

Going well diatoms have really died down. using a bad of that phoszorb phosphates are still staying in the 1ppm range gonna cut back on food a bit too.