Need advice: Fighting algae and ID-ing nutrient deficiency

[KenThamWJ]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for taking time out to read this and for helping me out!

I'm trying to combat what i think is BBA and also diagnose what deficiency my plants are suffering from.

Whenever I can (about once a week, or once every two weeks), I scrub the black algae of the plants using a sponge and then do a PWC.

Can you please refer below for more info and advise me on what i should do? If possible, please recommend a timeline for the course of action.

Thank you! :)

Tank size: 60 gallons. 120 cm x 45 cm x 45 cm.

Lighting: 1 x Arcadia T5 Original Tropical Plant Pro (pink light), 5 hours daily

Substrate and fert: Seachem Flourite Original, about 3cm deep. Seachem flourish tabs added about 1 month ago near every sword plant and 3 tabs in between the 4 crypts. No liquid fert. No CO2.

Filter: Eheim pickup 160. Last washed about 2 weeks ago.

Livestock: 5 discuses, 4 Rummies, 5 Sterbai cories and 1 Panda cory. No signs of disease.

Feeding regime: Australian black worms, Canadian beef heart, Hikari frozen blood worms. Occasionally Hikari bio-gold.

Plants: 7 Swords, 3-5 x Java fern (attached to driftwood), 4 Crypts, 2 anubias (attached to driftwood), some floating water sprite

PWC frequency: I do a 25% PWC weekly.

Water parameters: The tank is cycled. I condition my area’s tap water dechlorinise with SeaChem Prime and then condition the water with Sera Super Peat for about 1 to 1.5 days.

The water parameters are maintained at around:
PH: 6.0 or lower
KH: 0
GH: Unknown - No test kit

Temp: 27C/81F
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0ppm

Tank water parameters from my area if you want to know more: http://www.pub.gov.sg/general/waters...gWQReport.aspx

Pictures of my tank
https://picoolio.net/images/2016/02/06/plant165b5b.th.jpg (https://picoolio.net/image/IIYy) https://picoolio.net/images/2016/02/06/plant2c02ee.th.jpg (https://picoolio.net/image/IIY0) https://picoolio.net/images/2016/02/06/plant340841.th.jpg (https://picoolio.net/image/IIYR) https://picoolio.net/images/2016/02/06/plant4fedb4.th.jpg (https://picoolio.net/image/IIYe) https://picoolio.net/images/2016/02/06/plant55519f.th.jpg (https://picoolio.net/image/IIYh)

[rickztahone]

How many bulbs does this T5 fixture have and how many watts is each?

[TexMoHoosier]

I'd ditch the pink bulb and get a 6500K one instead. Even though the pink light may not look bright, you're getting a lot more PAR than you think and the more PAR you have, the easier it is to be CO2 deficient. You're definitely deficient in phosphates if you're not dosing them and your nitrates are a little low for a planted setup. I'd shoot for 10ppm NO3 and about 4ppm PO4. Your Java Ferns, anubias and floating water sprite will also need trace elements in the water column. You should also tie the java ferns to rocks or drift wood like the anubias as they don't like to have their roots buried.

Another thing with low light/low tech set up to consider is that you either need to do small (<20%), infrequent (bi-weekly or less) WCs or do them (small or large) every 2-3 days. The reason is that when you do large, infrequent water changes (without a pressurized CO2 set up), your plants start to get confused about the amount of available CO2. When this happens there is inconsistent nutrient up take which can lead to nutrient imbalances in the water column, and thus algae blooms.

[TexMoHoosier]

Forgot to mention that everything I said goes for a discus aquarium with adults. It's hard to tell from the pics, but your discus look a little small side and possibly stunted, and you won't achieve good growth in a planted set up if you're hoping to grow them out to their full potential.

[KenThamWJ]

Hi Rickztahone,

Thanks for your reply!

The fixture can hold 2 tubes, but I'm just using one and it's at 54W. Let me know your thoughts?


****

Hi TexMoHoosier,

I replied earlier but not sure where it went.

Noted on the PWCs and everything else u said. Thank you for your detailed reply!

Im due to change the lighting tube, would you be able to recommend something from Arcadia? (http://www.arcadia-aquatic.com/freshwater-lamp-t8-t5/)

Also, I have a bottle of seachem flourish. do you think that works? Must i also get sachem phosphorus? I also have planted seachem tabs (http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishTabs.html) near the 'root plants' so idk why they are still in such distress. I guess water column ferts are needed too?

Do you think is should get more plants to fight the algae or jus worry about the ones i have first?

Yes unfortunately, I got the discuses from a fish farm and they are stunted. :( since we are talking about this. Can you also provide counsel for another of my post? http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?122990-Discus-emaciation-Is-my-fish-sick


Thanks!!

[KenThamWJ]

Hi TexMoHoosier,

Thanks for the detailed reply :)

Okay, Im just about to get a new lighting tube, is there anything from Acadia that you'd recommend? (http://www.arcadia-aquatic.com/freshwater-lamp-t8-t5/)

Yeap, i will be typing the ferns onto the driftwood. Okay, also noted on the PWC

I have some Sachem flourish -- do you think that will help? Should I also get sachem phosphorus too? The thing is I have sachem flourish tabs (http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishTabs.html) planted in the gravel near the "root" plants. So I need to also fert the water column?

Do you think it's also because i don't have enough plants?

Yes, unfortunately, I made the mistake of buying the fish from fish farms and not breeders, so a lot of them are stunted now :(
Sorry to trouble you further but since we are on the topic, I also posted something about my albino discus here: http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?122990-Discus-emaciation-Is-my-fish-sick . Do you think you can provide some advice?

Thanks!

[KenThamWJ]

Oh yes, I also have API leafzone!

[kiwdahc]

Looks like a major co2 deficiency, and a nitrate deficiency, it also looks like you aren't trimming your plants at all which promotes growth like you see in pictures online. What are you currently dosing with for the water column? Also I disagree about the java fern caring whether its roots are in the ground or not, you can cut those roots off and it will grow just as good, the only thing that matters is the rhizome

[knightiwngs]

I first admit i not very good in keeping my fishes alive..but fighting algae or reducing algae i can help i think...first i use liquid fertilisers only at the beginning of plant grow once plants are growing properly i stop using it. Next i use a UV light at my filters output. Also i have C02 injection.(i just heard that the C02 might effect ph and therefore stress the discus espiecially during water changes. So use at your own risk of the discus)

Also i put in a couple of marimo balls(this are some type of algae so they help reduce the same nutriens some algae needs)

Others might correct*me.after*all we are all learning from each other...

P.S hey looking at you link to water company
I realise you are from singapore too!!!

[knightiwngs]

Ken what your CO2 reading? Dont know how to find out? Get a CO2 indicator from LFS put it in the tank wait 2hours and match the color chat provided

Co2 indicator looks something like this:
http://www.indoaquashop.com/ista-co2-indicator