Questions about my set up

[jakeowen]

30 gallon
ph - 6.0
kh - 2
gh - 2
temp 78 f

1 36" double strip flourescent with two triton bulbs (pretty old) on a timer for about 10 hours a day.

Regular small sized pebble gravel with laterite mixed in.

Oversized Eheim canister filter, with flow slowed down.
Inside filter;
ceramic rings, phosguard (sea-chem) small amount of peat.

I just added a DIY C02 into input of canister filter.

Plants;
about 15 cabomba stems,
about 10 stems of foxtail,
maybe 10 stems of hygro,
1 medium amazon sword,
5 or 6 very small crypt wenditii,
two pieces of driftwood with a few java ferns, and anubius attached.

Fish;
3 apistos
8 pencilfish,
4 ottos
5 algae eaters,
1 queen arabesque pleco,
5 dwarf corys, (will soon be moved)

I had a really bad brush algae problem. The entire tank was covered.
I thought this was Hair algae, but it is Brush algae. Terrible evil stuff.
The anubias' on the driftwood were the worst off.
I gave one of the pieces of driftwood with the anubias' a bleech bath, and it helped. The other, I trimmed off the bad leaves, noticing new leaves underneath.
Javas cleaned up OK, cabombas and hygros made it through mostly unaffected.

Two weeks ago, when I started trying to fix the tank, I added more cabomba, and the foxtail, and threw a few more small java ferns in there.
I also added the algae eaters, (I have not seen them eating the brush algae)
I added the DIY c02,
I added the phos-guard to the filter.
I was running my return line from the filter without the spraybar, which I added back to the tank. Much better circulation this way.
I use RO water. I used to use only RO, but I have now been mixing in a little tap water. I could probably stand to change water more often than I do.

The plants have been doing pretty good since I started to fix everything,
But that stuff is still growing back.
It is even stuck to the gravel. I have been manually removing it for about two weeks, but it keeps growing back. I am losing a lot of gravel this way.

I have been running a diatom filter every once in a while to help clean it out, but it does not seem to get the stuff, since it is stuck to everything.

Is there anything else I can do to combat this evil menace?

Is there anything else about my setup I should consider changing?

Should I be using fertilizer?
should I try a different type of bulb for a wider light spectrum?
any suggestions?
Should I leave the lights on longer?

any and all suggestions welcome.

Thanks,
Jay

 

[LyreTail]

Cabomba needs lots of light and lots of CO2 as a rule - try Ambulia instead - similar look, easier to grow.


You may need to change your CO2 input - the bubbles tend to cavitate the filter. I prefer to setup a very efficiant setup have the CO2 going in the exit side of the pump - check out this

http://groups.msn.com/LyreTailsAquarium/co2reactors.msnw


Usually when you have a lot of black brush algae it is a sign that you need to increase nitrogen. You should be adding nitrate, potassium,and traces

 

[Everett]

Check your nitrates make sure to keep them up above 5ppm and not higher than 10 or 15ppm. Fertilizing with flourish, or another watercolumn fert, probably would help the plants get some of their nutrients that the RO/tap is lacking. Getting the plants going will slow down the further spread of the algea possibly. Make sure to minimize surface agitation.

You can manually remove some blackbrush that grows on the substrate and boil it.

 

[aspen]

try a blackout. cover the tank tightly with 2 blankets for 3 - 5 days with no light and vacuum it up off of the substrate once it is dead. (it will simply fall off.) once the algae has disappeared, turn the light back on, and you can try again to alter your ferts etc and see what works for you. this is much easier than throwing out anubias which don't grow back very quickly or throwing out substrate etc. the plants last perfectly well during this. black brush algae is a pita, i don't know of any fish that will keep it in check.

rick

 

[jakeowen]

My Tank is doing great now.
I just wanted to say thanks.
It looks better than ever.
I just have to keep it this way.

I have to deal with tank #2 now, and the BG algae problem.
I know what to do now.

Thanks again,
Jay