Algae, Balacing my tank, CO2...

[Karen B.]

Greetings!

20 gallons, planted, cycled community tank. Currently using an aqueon quietflow 20 as a filter but I just bought the Seachem tidal 55 and I also have a sponge filter. Light is a Nicrew Slim Led Aquarium full spectrum light (6500K white LEDs with 460nm blue, and 660nm red LEDs) that is on for 8 hours.

As per aquarium coop testing strips, 0/0/10. No kh, 300 gh, no chlorine. 
 

As per API testing drops, ph about 6.6-6.8, kh 4, gh 9

Population : 2 honey gourami, 10 chili rasbora, 10 false julii cory (they breed like rabbits!!!), 5 otocinclus, 4 nerita snails and 87 pest snails 🤪

I use Aquarium coop easy green, seachem iron, seachem potassium, seachem excel and seachem fertilizer tab.

My soil is flourish black sand.

I have been battling hair algae and black beard algae on that tank for a while and I am just fed up. I know the solution is to balance my tank but I seem unable to do so. Meanwhile the 15 gallons right by its side has almost no problem.

I tried the trick to remove the plants and soak them in double seachem excel dose but it’s just a temporary solution, the algae come back, and it upset my plants.

The bottom leaves on the plants also fall off, gets holes...

I admit I am not a plant person. Never had a green thumb - I killed my cactus 😳... So while I know I could buy all the tests kits like @Irene did in one of her videos, they end up quite expensive and I am wondering if I should just go with CO2.

I did try it with the fluval base kit but I had so much problems with it (it was leaking, they replace it, the new one the water would fill up the hose when turned off so opening it back would created too much pressure and explode in the tank - Fluval solution was to remove the diffuser from the tank each night... 😳)... So I would prefer a real fool proof kit. I know there is the Ista professional kit with a solenoid but is it good quality (https://www.bigalspets.com/ca/ista-co2-aluminum-cylinder-set.html)

Or should I go with co2art? I am clumsy and accident prone so it really has to be easy, safe and secure as well.

Or do you have any other tips, comments, suggestions to help me with my problem?

Thank you!

Here is my aquarium few months ago. It has changed a bit but you can still get the idea

 

[laritheloud]

As someone with some staghorn algae and a high-tech planted tank... CO2 will not magically eliminate your algae problems. I've kind of learned to live with it and figure it'll work itself out eventually as I gradually fiddle with fert/light balance.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 7/17/2021 at 7:10 PM, Karen B. said:

I am clumsy and accident prone so it really has to be easy, safe and secure as well.

I'm only quoting you because *I'm* not saying it. But this tells me- no- don't do it! 

Like @laritheloud said, it's not necessarily the solution to the issue. And if I remember correctly @Irene in her video said she was really doing it because she was dissatisfied with the rate of growth in her tank. 

I run low tech- this means to me, no ferts, no heaters, just lights, fish and plants then whatever they do together produces what I have. Like you I have 2 tanks that run, side by side- used the same stuff to set them up- totally different behaviors. 

I run my lights from 0845 to 1830 with a moonlight on until 1930 (both tanks) so what, 10 and a half hours on (including the blue light which doesn't really have to be on but, meh). When I let them go full blast THAT'S when I had an algae issue. So I got a dimmer switch (or others say they can program their lights, no sir, not me.) and that helped- now hair algae is rare but I still have algae- thank goodness for Nerites, Otos and a little manual labor. Just a day ago on this forum were discussing a "siesta" (break in the day where the lights go off for a couple hours). So that's one way to battle it (lights). 

I've also seen where people keep the lights up and dose MORE fertilizer getting their plants to grow and outcompete the algae. Since I don't fert that's not anything I can speak to. 

How long has your tank been up and running in this case? It seems to me a lot of us go through a period of time where hair algae rears it's head within the first year- people get it dialed in, then usually don't have a problem. 

Edited July 18, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[laritheloud]

On 7/17/2021 at 10:38 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I'm only quoting you because *I'm* not saying it. But this tells me- no- don't do it! 

Like @laritheloud said, it's not necessarily the solution to the issue. And if I remember correctly @Irene in her video said she was really doing it because she was dissatisfied with the rate of growth in her tank. 

I run low tech- this means to me, no ferts, no heaters, just lights, fish and plants then whatever they do together produces what I have. Like you I have 2 tanks that run, side by side- used the same stuff to set them up- totally different behaviors. 

I run my lights from 0845 to 1830 with a moonlight on until 1930 (both tanks) so what, 10 and a half hours on (including the blue light which doesn't really have to be on but, meh). When I let them go full blast THAT'S when I had an algae issue. So I got a dimmer switch (or others say they can program their lighs) and that helped- now hair algae is rare but I still have algae- thank goodness for Nerites, Otos and a little manual labor. Just a day ago on this forum were discussing a "siesta" (break in the day where the lights go off for a couple hours). So that's one way to battle it (lights). 

I've also seen where people keep the lights up and dose MORE fertilizer getting their plants to grow and outcompete the algae. Since I don't fert that's not anything I can speak to. 

How long has your tank been up and running in this case? It seems to me a lot of us go through a period of time where hair algae rears it's head within the first year- people get it dialed in, then usually don't have a problem. 

Love this. I don't want to introduce CO2 to any of my other tanks except my 29 gallon (which will probably turn into the plant testing grounds, lol). I have one high tech and one low tech tank, and I actually find that I prefer the small low tech in terms of ease of care and fewer algae problems. My 55 isn't set up yet, but it will also be low tech, fluval 3.0 dialed in at 30 to 50% intensity max with no plans to switch it over.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@laritheloud I think co2 is super cool but just not for me- too fiddly, tech, science, failsafes, what if blah blah blah and my mind goes off the path and chases other shiny objects. So I like to admire tanks where other people do it. I don't know about you but I enjoy watching my tanks mature and the plants that grow sloooowwwwlllyyyy so slow I actually don't notice until their HUGE and think "when did that happen?" I enjoy solving the little problems that pop up (as long as nobody dies!!!) like hair algae or water parameter changes- it feels like when you run low tech things don't go south quite as quickly and you have buffer time to react to things. This is of course NOT always true, but I am thinking of things like overdosing ferts, heaters breaking, canisters doing wonky things (yay sponge!), co2 doing whatever it is that can do....

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Oh and beyond all my yammering, @Karen B. that really is a gorgeous tank. 

[laritheloud]

On 7/17/2021 at 11:00 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@laritheloud I think co2 is super cool but just not for me- too fiddly, tech, science, failsafes, what if blah blah blah and my mind goes off the path and chases other shiny objects. So I like to admire tanks where other people do it. I don't know about you but I enjoy watching my tanks mature and the plants that grow sloooowwwwlllyyyy so slow I actually don't notice until their HUGE and think "when did that happen?" I enjoy solving the little problems that pop up (as long as nobody dies!!!) like hair algae or water parameter changes- it feels like when you run low tech things don't go south quite as quickly and you have buffer time to react to things. This is of course NOT always true, but I am thinking of things like overdosing ferts, heaters breaking, canisters doing wonky things (yay sponge!), co2 doing whatever it is that can do....

Nope, I think you're right-on. I use CO2 but I intentionally 'under'dose (pretty sure it's well below 30ppm) just to get some of the benefit but still give me a buffer to keep the fish safe. I swore to myself I wouldn't go for the CO2 injection because of my anxious nature, but, well, here I am, the perfectionist in me wanting to do things in some weird idea of 'right' that I made up for myself. 🤣 I'm happy that I tried it out, because now I know that having patience and taking things slowly and giving myself time and space to enjoy and care for my fish and the overall ecosystem makes me happier than plant growth speed.

[Mmiller2001]

Don't waste your money with Itsa and the other cheaper options. Grab the CO2art and be happy you made the choice.

Read here for all your questions about CO2.

https://www.2hraquarist.com/

[Karen B.]

On 7/17/2021 at 11:02 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Oh and beyond all my yammering, @Karen B. that really is a gorgeous tank. 

Thank you so much!!