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Algae Wars
I am almost exactly one month into my new algae infested planted tank. Ever since about the first week (when I over fertilized) I have had a ton of algae in my tank. First off, here are the particulars:
- 75 gallon freshwater
- 404 fluval canister filter with floss and bio max media
- DIY CO2, one bottle going into a Barr CO2 diffuser (just set up this weekend). I am only running one bottle right now because the seal broke on my second one but I had that going through the fluval intake.
- 2 x 96 watt light with 6500k (I think) running about 12 hours per day via a timer
- Test kit readings the last time I took them:
- Current tank occupants: 6 otos, 1 flying fox, 5 mollies of various type and a bunch of ramshorn snails that I am slowly removing by hand.
- Water conditions: 76 degrees F, 1/4/01 PH 7.4, NO2 0, NO3 0, GH 179, KH 89.5, CO2 6
Current Algae Control Methods
Well, all of the fish in that tank are for algae control purposes only. I don't really want to have mollies in the tank but I got them to go after the algae, and they seem to be doing that so far. I have not noticed a huge decrease in the amount of algae in the tank but it seems to be less. I have not been feeding them so that they have some incentive to go after the algae. :-) Also, each evening
The Algae
From what I can tell I have four different types of algae growing in my tank. I have had a little bit of difficulty identifying them since I am color blind. Anyway, here are the types that I have identified using the information from http://faq.thekrib.com/algae.html.
Algae 1
http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~pflum/pics/ALGAE1.JPG
http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~pflum/pics/ALGAE1a.JPG
I think that this one is Beard algae. It is all over the tops of my driftwood and very few other spots. None of the fish currently in the tank seem to touch it. It is very hard to remove by hand.
Algae 2
http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~pflum/pics/ALGAE2.JPG
http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~pflum/pics/ALGAE2a.JPG
I am pretty sure that this one is fuzz algae. The otos and mollies seem to be eating this one but it is not disappearing off my plants. Perhaps there is just too much of it that I am not noticing any change. It is also very difficult to remove by hand.
Algae 3
http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~pflum/pics/ALGAE3.JPG
Some of the algae in this picture is fuzz algae but my subject is the stuff in the upper part of this picture which I believe to be thread algae. None of the fish in the tank seem to touch this stuff so I have been removing it by hand. It seems to be under control with hand removal but I don't want to be doing this for the rest of my life.
Algae 4
Sorry, no pictures but I am 99% sure this is Staghorn Algae. I have found this mostly growing on my pieces of driftwood and has been mostly wiped out from hand removal.
What to Do?
I want to get the algae down to a manageable level so that 1) I can get the kind of fish I really want, b) allow the plants to be the highlight of my tank rather than the algae, and III) relax and enjoy the tank.
Option 1: I figure that I can but a bunch more otos and mollies until the algae has been wiped out. Then remove the extra fish leaving enough to keep the stuff under control.
Option 2: Use chemical means to remove the algae but I am VERY concerned about this path since I do not want to damage my plants.
Option 3: Reduce the lighting level/duration so slow the algae growth and allow the fish to make headway on the algae. Or I suppose that I could go for a total blackout but I fear that would have devastating effects on my plants.
Option 4: ????
I am looking for some suggestions/advice/sympathy on my plight. TIA.
--
John Pflum, Jr.
PKG Consultants, Inc.
5533 Fair Lane
Cincinnati, Ohio 45227
513/272-5533
Web: http://www.pkgconsult.com
Email: jpflumjr at pkgconsult_com
--
John Pflum, Jr.
PKG Consultants, Inc.
5533 Fair Lane
Cincinnati, Ohio 45227
513/272-5533
Web: http://www.pkgconsult.com
Email: jpflumjr at pkgconsult_com