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Re: Alage hell



> The BGA went away after the full treatment but promptly
> returned a week later.  I felt like throwing my tank out the window... Now my
> tank had both hair algae and BGA.  I am extremely frustrated to say the
> least.  Now as a last resort I turn to you my fellow APD'ers.  Any ideas of
> what I could be doing wrong or overlooking? Thank you for your help.

You likely reintroduced it or did not get all the first time. You could have
had an old net etc that had a little on it. Increase your surface movement
(I use a hagen mini or a Magnum HOT) clear off any surface plants or growth.
Give a good scrub and then do a water change, filter cleaning etc. Keep up
on this. Add a bunch of shrimps they will pick and pick at everything in
your tanks.
 
> Tank info:
> 20 gallon( 20% water change weekly)

Try more.

> eheim ecco with spray bar and powerhead for filtration and water movement

Tilt up for a small amount of movement, not a torrent.

> pH  6.7-7.0
> 55 5600k PC on for 12 hours

Try 10 hours for awhile.

> 2 DIY co2 yeast bottles into filter intake(one changed a week)
> Flourite
> kh 3
> gh 5
> phosphate .05 (seachem test kit)
> iron .1 (although this never seems to change)
> nitrate .2 (i never got a reading higher no matter how much KNo3 I add)

Sounds like a bad kit to me. Lamott is one of the few that are trustworthy.

> Jobes and flourish Tabs added to substrate for nitrate and phosphate

You have plenty in there and you might have some seepage.
Flourite by itself is quite rich after a few months. Stick with the water
column for now.

> I add 1 ml TMG daily and 1 ml if KNo3
> Plants: lots of hygrophilia(green and tropical sunset), lots of rotala
> indica, chainsword, glossostigma, crypt lucens, mayaca, hairgrass, and Java
> fern

Most of your fast growing stem plants are very suspeptible to BGA, Mayaca,
Rotala, Hygro, hair grass.
> fish: 4 rummy noses, 2 diamond tetras, 1 emperor tetra, 4 ottos

More/larger water changes(50%) and more critters that eat algae will help
you. Snails &/or shrimps. Good test kits also. At least for NO3.

* A trick you can use is to do big water changes then you know the
replacement water has almost no NO3 in it. So if you have a known
concentration of NO3 for dosing you can estimate semi closely how much NO3
residual you'll have after your water change. Same goes for most nutrients
generally. Cures the mistakes you've made during the week on dosing.
Regards, 
Tom Barr
>