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Re: Help!! Second try on the black thread algae
I sent this once before and got no responses, so I will try again, as I am
really stumped as to what I am not doing correctly..........
I've lurked a while on this list, so I should know a thing or two (still
don't have *all* the abbreviations down), but I can't figure out what might
be wrong with my tank. See if you can give me some suggestions.
I have black thread algae, and some green spot algae, growing the worst in
the back of the tank where the strip light is.
Tank specifics:
38 gallon, Fluorite substrate, six or so Flourish tabs in the substrate, 0
ammonia, 0 nitrites, ph of 7, kH of 6, two DIY CO2 bottles into a Fluval 304
intake, heavily planted, high fish load, 110 watts CF, weekly water changes
(about 30%), temp is about 80, lights are on about 12 hours a day. Tested
for iron (zero) and nitrate with a kit that gives me a range of 12-25. gH is
8 -- it used to be 5 all the time, but now 8.
I am staying on top of this stuff, but it grows so incredibly quickly! The
plants and fish are all doing well (some fish are spawning, and the other
fish follow and munch eggs like this is their personal Pez dispenser). The
algae seems to grow mostly quickly on the plants in the "current". Is there
anything wrong with taking off the directional outflow pipe and just aiming
the flow straight down? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?
I have some Kent bottles of liquid Pro-plant, and its partner (one is a pink
label and one a blue, and I'd go read them but I'd wake up my dh, and we
can't do that!). I used each once, but then hesitated to use them again
because I had read on here how iron dosing often will make algae grow worse.
I was feeling pretty smug about how well things were going with my first
tank, and now I feel like curling up in the fetal position in the corner!
Help! I thought I knew enough to survive, but apparently not!
Catherine