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Re: Algae, what type is it?

Scott is having a problem with algae.....

"I have recently re-set up my tank after moving it. The tank had been
sitting on
the floor for about 2 months, had all the water and fish in it, also
plants."

Did it get any light during this 2 month period? If not, the plants in the
tank would be pretty weak at the end of it, if any survived at all. They
would have to have survived on stored nutrients and after two months of
subsistence living they would probably be a mess.

"When i set it up i took every thing out, put a sand, top soil mix in,
Laterite, and
then toped it off with the original gravel that is 5-20 mm in dimension."

What do you mean by "top soil"??? How much organic material was in it, and
are you sure it was pesticide/contaminant free? Soils, when they are first
submerged, go thru a period of about three months during which they are very
"funky" and can be the source of problems. The solution NOW is to just wait
it out and do lots of water changes, but in the future I'd suggest following
Paul K.'s "soil soup" method as archived on the KRIB. I've used soils
extensively in the past few years and when I do the "soil soup" approach I
don't see problems (but it takes about 3 months to do it.....).

Why did you add laterite to this (and what kind and how much?).

Did you wash the original gravel before you re-used it, or was it full of
detritus as well???

You may simply have TOO RICH a substrate. You aren't trying to grow African
Violets.... it IS possible to have too much of a good thing in an aquarium
substrate (said from sad experience.....).

" I replanted the tank, and started to use a liquid fertilizer (at a bit
less than
half the recommended dose). Now I am seeing algae growing on most of the
leaves
of my plants. The algae is fairly hard, and doesn't wipe off of the leaves.
What
types could this be, and what can i do to eliminate it , or will it just run
its
course as my plants start to grow?"

Can't help you with identifying it without pictures, but given that you
probably have a very rich substrate which is leaching all sorts of things
into the water column, coulpled with possibly weakened plants (sitting on
the floor for 2 months), I don't think that you need worry about adding
liquid fertilizer at this point in time.

Plants, once they are transplanted, go thru a period of shock, while they
regrow new roots and re-establish themselves. During this time, they can't
use a lot of nutrients from the external environment so it is just available
for use by algae.

If I were you, I'd stop fertilizing the water column (adding Potassium would
be OK, because this can be absorbed thru the leaves from the water column),
and start doing some major water changes (like 20-25% per week) and keep up
the water changes for the next few months (you want to get rid of the things
leaching out of the top-soil laden substrate). In my experience with soil
based tanks, they work best when the water column is kept as nutrient free
as possible (again, with the possible exception of Potassium) . With luck,
your plants will recover and start to pull nutrients out of the substrate.
As they grow, remove the older, algae covered leaves.

This will just need patience and a bit of work on your part, but it can be
overcome.

Good luck.

James Purchase
Toronto