Oedogonium

["Kinney, Travis" <kinney at pdtarchs_com>]

Steve,

I Agree with Dan's comments. If you are using the PMDD formula your ferts
might not be balanced with your tanks requirements. I originally started my
planted tank on PMDD and had a large Oedogonium outbreak. Here's what
happened;

According to the instructions when dosing PMDD Fe levels are used as the
basis for how much to dose. The problem I ran into was that the plants
sucked up the Fe so fast I could barely ever test for any. Like a fool, I
kept plowing forward to the point where I was no longer adding drops of PMDD
every couple of days, I was wringing that bottle of PMDD like I was trying
to kill it. I was doing a ton of ferts, because I was trying to maintain the
Fe level where it could be detected. Well, no wonder the fuzz algae began
growing! Someone (I think Ed Dumas, Thank you) clued me into the fact that
my tank might be sucking up the Fe to where I can't detect it, but my
nitrate levels are probably off the chart. Too true. I finally got myself a
Nitrate and Phosphate test kit. I rarely ever test Fe levels now, but I stay
on top of my Nitrate and phosphate testing. I no longer use the PMDD formula
and dose my ingredients separate. You may want to buy a nitrate test kit and
phosphate test kit and start dosing individual ferts. I find it just as easy
if not easier than mixing the PMDD.

Also, if you co2 levels are not where they should be, then the ferts in the
water column is probably exceeding what your plants can consume, so the
algae has an edge. If your Co2 levels are off and with that much light, the
algae will love you. Don't keep pumping in that much light if your co2
levels are off. Cut your light load and slow things down until the co2 is
where it should be. Same with dosing, it doesn't make sense to keep dosing
if co2 levels are off.

You indicated that after dosing additional PMDD the plants began thriving
again. There's probably an ingredient in the PMDD mix, like Nitrate that is
lacking, so when you dose more PMDD it gets things going again. However, at
the same time you might be introducing too much Fe.

To help rid the fuzz, scrape the glass, prune lots of the infected plant
leaves, do a water change. Do this a couple times a week as you get your
nutrients in control and co2 stable.

If I have made an ass of myself in helping Steve, someone please step in and
advise. (I remember the first time I posted, suggesting to someone to use Ph
down to help increase their co2 levels! Boy did I get flamed! Sure glad I
did, I deserved it!)

-Travis