Joe,
Have you tried adding CO2 to the tank. I don't have much experience with planted tanks but I've been lead to believe that for higher plants, lack of CO2 in the tank is the restaining factor. If it is added the higher plants can out compete the bg and other algaes for the nutrients. I set up a planted tank several months ago and the algae was starting to take over so I put together a low budget home made CO2 injector and the higher plants have just gone nuts and the algae has diminished a lot. Just a suggestion.
Steve
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Date: Sat, 9 Sep 2000 17:42:36 -0400
From: "Joe Roegner" <jf.roegner at mpinet_net>
Subject: more on BG algae
hello !
I just worked through a big infestation of the BG algae that has dominated my
tank for almost two months. It had gotten a good start when I was on vacation
for a week.
during this time I had tried the following to rid the 30 gallon tank of this
algae.....
1. constant weekly removal of the algae this included scrubbing off the algae
from rocks
2. changing of 10% of the water on a weekly basis.
3. Siphoning of the bottom gravel.
4. Adding Ramshorn snails
5. adding a Siamese algae eater - SAE
6. Adding an additional outside filter.
Since the algae had covered many delicate plants such as Java moss and fern the
SAE did the most good even if it uprooted many other plants. The algae had
gotten to the point where I was able to peel it off the larger plants and bottom
gravel in sheets and shake off the clinging gravel. It had covered every plant
and was smothering them. In a weeks time it had covered the glass and regrown
over the rocks and gravel and what plants I had cleaned off. After I added the
SAE it was able to clean the aquarium better than I was able to and so far it
has been able to keep up with the growth and the aquarium is essentially free of
BG algae.
I had tried to create a dutch aquarium but many of the plants that I had tried
died perhaps due to the undersand filter and I believe the aquarium was clogged
with too much organic material. I had added perhaps two dozen live shrimp but
the fish ate them or they died off and I suspect that added extra nitrogen to
the tank.
best of luck !
Joe