Major algea problem

[mmerlina]

Hey everyone, over the past couple months I've been fighting tooth and nail with a bad green algea problem.

I've tried everything, reducing the time for lighting, to keeping the shades down for days on end to make sure sunlight wasn't an issue. I also do about 10 gallon water changes every other day or so. It's a 75 gallon tank.

Okay, every morning I wake up, there's a new green blanket of algea sitting on the gravel. With every water change I suck up the algea, but it just won't DIE.

I recently tested for a rather high phosphate (PO4), so I added lots of Phos-X and also another Phosphate removing product that i can't remember the name of. I got it all out. It's still growing!

I'm becoming very discourged with my tank because I've been putting so much effort into it but just seeing stupid green results every morning I wake up.

Can someone else please give me some help here? I'l put the tank specs below:

75 gallon tank
~85 degrees
Fluval 404
exactly 12 hours of 110W power compact light (on a timer)

In the tank I have:

right now only 1 pigeon blood discus
4 SAE (siamese algea eaters - yes they are the real thing)
3 otto cats
1 pleco (he's coming out in about a week for safety of the hopefully future discus)
3 tetras

Can someone please gove me some advice on rectifying this problem? I don't want to get more discus until this problem goes away... any help would be terrific!

Thank you!

Michael A. Merlina

[Sketchy]

...well, Micheal, you don't mention anything about plants in your post. The algae you see is using nutrients that the plants aren't. Also, I don't see any mention of CO2 at all. If your plants aren't growing, or are growing slowly, I would suggest that you add some CO2 into the mix, you could try some Flourish Excel too. In addition, I would use some fast growing bunch plants, like Rotala Indica or Parrot Feather, to soak up some of the excess nutrients.

[bryalk1]

michael,
what are your water parameters? ph etc. why gravel? i had grown planted tanks for years and with discus gave up. it was either discus or plants. tha gravel harbored bacteria etc. move the gravel around do you get clouds etc. i was always playing catch up and never got it right. bb way to go. set up a separate tank with different fish for planting.
then again i know i had to learn myself and there are those who are willing to put in the time to do it.
either way good luck.
bryant

[Paulio]

Michael,

110 watts is quite a bit o flight for a 75 with no co2 injection. Can you give a little more info on the tank?
Plant types
Type of substrate
Ferts used if any
pH, kh, gh
Nitrate and phosphate level
etc etc etc
True algaes are almost always because nutrient balance is off. I have found (IME) that most times you need to add more of other things (nutrients) rather than remove something (phosphate). Higher plants will out compete algae every time as long as they are given what they need in the QTY they need.

Paul

[Carol_Roberts]

You don't mean the dark blue/green algea (cyano bacteria) do you? IF so, erythromyacin will get rid of it pronto.

[mmerlina]

Hey everyone, thanks for your responses! Sorry about my delay, I explain why later. ;) I didn't want to post 50 things to all the replies so I'll do it like this.

(To Sketchy's reply): I don't have a CO2 tank pumping in anything yet. I seriously wanted to wait to get all the other stuff until I solve the algea problem.

I've never tried Flourish Excel before, I'll take a look into it though. Thanks! I didn't know algea fed off the unused nutrients.. I'll try and get those two types of plants you mentioned to help combat.

(To bryalk1): I had gravel before I had the discus. I really don't like the look of a bare bottom tank. The discus is very healthy even in the algea growing waters. I keep the gravel very clean and very light clouds come up when I swish stuff around. Discus also love places to hide and plants serve as the perfect home.. plus I love the way everything looks together. I'm willing to work hard to help balance everything.

(To Paulio): I have a couple types of plants, Red Wenditi, Amazon Swords, Anacaris, Java Ferns, there are a couple others that I don't really know the name of. I put a picture of the tank about a month ago (right after I cleaned it), at the bottom.

Right now I have 1 bag of Seachem Red Flourite mixed in with my gravel. The pH is a hair above 7. I don;t have tests for gH, kH or Nitrate yet, the damn store charges a fortune for these things! Nitrite is 0. Phosphate was once at like an astounding 2.0, it's much much lower now, around .4 or so.

With each 10 gallons of water I put back into the tank, I add the appropriate amounts of these suppliments: Electro-Right, Plant-gro iron enriched, and pH adjuster.

(To Carol Roberts): Nope this stuff is a green blanket, no tint of blue at all.

Oh, a little addition. Every drop of water I put back into the tank is run through the de-ionizer filter first.

Thanks for everyone's help! Sorry I didn't respond sooner I was waiting for emails from the forum telling me about the replies! :)

Here's a picture about amonth ago right after I cleaned all the green gunk out:

http://pictures.merlina.info/fishtank/9-17-03/1.jpg

Thanks again!

Michael A. Merlina

[mmerlina]

This just came to me. I was told that algea feeds off the nutrients that the plants aren't easting.. maybe I am adding too much Plant-Gro for the amount of plants that I have?

I add 7 1/2 capfuls every 2 weeks or so. The bottle says 1 capful for every 10 US gallons. Think this may be the issue?

This is the stuff I use: http://www.petsmart.com/fish/shopping/live_plant_supplies/products/product_33002.shtml

Thanks again!

Michael A. Merlina