CO2, Algae, New Plants. Need guidance on strategy.

[Minanora]

Alright Fam.

Here's the situation.

1. I had and am now seeing new growth of hair algae, and staghorn algae. It was at a standstill before the CO2. I just want to stop its growth.

2. I added a TON of new plants on Wednesday. They are growing gangbusters since I started injecting CO2 on Thursday.

3. I dosed a single dose of easy green after a 30% water change where my Nitrates were at 10+\-. Now my Nitrates today are at 20*. Yesterday I moved a lot of the baby swordtails out.

4. My pH was at 7.8 before CO2. At the height of the day it is at 6.6/6.8. Is that okay? Too much, too little? Plants aren't really pearling but that's not really my goal, just trying to get the plants to outcompete the algae. So far... I think the algae is growing at about the same rate.

My current photoperiod is a split. See below schedule. It's not well thought out. I just did it fast because I have so much going on right now.

My CO2 comes on at 3:55am, and turns of at 12:56pm. I run about 4 bubbles per second using a NEO diffuser placed near the bottom of the tank below the center of the spraybar.

All in the name of fighting this algae and helping the plants get established I could appreciate some guidance in these areas:

I feel like my course of action should be to change out some water to lower the nutrients down. Maybe a 30% change? Keep the Nitrates down at 20?

Is it okay to change water while the CO2 is running or is it just a waste?

Should I lower my photoperiod even with the new plants that need to get established? Or just hold out for a week or so? Same question for the water changes. And should I adjust my CO2?

Example of current growth rate: Stargrass has an average of three new leaves per stem. The crypt Petchii that I got as tissue cultures have leaves that are 3 times the size at least; the leaves are about 1.3" long on a few of them. There is a baby java fern that has gone from .125 to .3" long. This is in a period of 4 days. Colors look good, I did use Seachem Flourish Advance on day 1 and day 3. 

 

Thank you for the time and the help! ❤️

 

Photos of plants and the ALGAE! OH THE ALGAE! *Shakes fist* I don't mind the super cool carpet of algae on the logs and back wall, it's the rest of the nonsense that is getting to me. Mainly it growing on the plants. 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Minanora
Wrong ppm for nitrates.

[Jack.of.all.aquariums]

I'll answer a few of your questions but I've got some clarifying questions so I'll be able to give you better info from there.

The 1 ph drop you are getting is what most people using ph as their co2 level indicator aim for so I think you are good there.

In my experience, consistent weekly 50% water changes are extremely beneficial during a battle with algae. Once it is under control/basically entirely gone, then you can dial them back if you want. 20ppm Nitrate is an okay target if you know that most of that is coming from fertilizer. For example my high tech tanks run at 0ppm nitrate if I don't dose fertilizers.

It's technically wasteful to change water after the co2 has been running but it's really only a few cents of CO2 wasted. (Cost of tank refill/how many days for it to run out). Also doing water changes in the middle of the night doesn't sound fun.

Your photo period being broken up is fine but it looks like it is still quite long. It's hard to tell exactly when the on/off times are though. 8 hours total is basically the max I would do. I don't go less than 6hr. If I'm having issues then I start worrying about intensity but I don't have dimmers. 4 on, 4 off, 4 on is the common method. I have mine come on for 45 minutes in the morning so I can check things out before work, then off, then run from 1 or 2pm until 9pm. I don't really count the 45 in the morning.

You said that your CO2 goes off just before 1pm. Does it come back on? My co2 turns on 2 hours before the lights go on and shuts off 1 hour before the lights go off. The goal being to get CO2 levels up and keep them up the whole time the light is on. 

And lastly I am a big ol' cheater when it comes to algae. I use algaecide. There are many people that are against it and for good reason. It is very much a crutch. It absolutely does not fix the problems but it does help the symptom. I use algaefix when I do. It will kill algae (IT WILL ALSO KILL SHRIMP!!! I Guarantee it) while you get everything back on track with water changes etc. It's important to learn what you need to do to control/get rid of algae without it but it does speed up the process. It's also very useful for some less common types that basically are impossible to get rid of through just good husbandry.  I have a tiny bottle that has gotten me through like 8 years of plant keeping. I dose it a few days before my water change and then again the next week if necessary. By killing the algae you are adding A LOT of organics back to the water so it's imperative that you remove them with water changes. 

[Minanora]

Thank you  @Jack.of.all.aquariums.

 

My CO2 runs just the one set. Through the break of the photoperiod. Lights run for a total of... I dunno, I left my phone out in the garden apparently... Based on my own photo it looks like I may have messed it up and it's 10 hours. Hopefully it's only 8 hours.... >.> Ehehm. My CO2 turns off at least 4 hours before the lights turn off. I think. I'm useless right now without the mobile device. Ugh. Why did I do that and not add it to my spreadsheet.

I will not kill my shrimp. Their breeding experiment that they started for me is too valuable. Lol.

[Streetwise]

That is a lot of blue.

[Minanora]

On 4/10/2022 at 6:49 PM, Streetwise said:

That is a lot of blue.

Too much blue light? It's pretty.... but I can pull it out like I have the shrimp sanctuary set up.

[Jack.of.all.aquariums]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:42 PM, Minanora said:

My CO2 turns off at least 4 hours before the lights turn off

Bring this up to shutting off 1 hour before. Make sure to do it on a day where you are able to watch the tank incase levels get too high. This plus a light adjustment will likely be a major help.

[Minanora]

Thank you so much guys

Alright. I'll extend the time for the CO2. I did change my photoperiod as well. It was almost 10 hours between the two photoperiods...... *Facepalm* It was long because I moved some time so my husband could watch the fish and feed the cories when he gets home.

So of course I just turned it into a totally different light schedule. Kind of like the shrimp sanctuary dual siesta.

Thoughts? CO2 schedule changed. Still on at 3:55 then off at 17:00. Still an okay schedule for the CO2? Too much light?

 

I just realized what the overview of the light schedule shows. Sorry for the previous schedules screenshot on the first post that's way harder to understand. Lol. 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Minanora

[Streetwise]

Your first screenshot actually has more information! I still want to try a proper CO2 setup with my Apex.

Please keep sharing!

[Minanora]

On 4/11/2022 at 4:54 PM, Streetwise said:

Your first screenshot actually has more information! I still want to try a proper CO2 setup with my Apex.

Please keep sharing!

I'm a bit obsessed with the 3.0 lights... The fight with algae continues. 30% water change happening today. Then another on Thursday, and another on Saturday. Reset button, activated! I need a better water change system. 5 Gallon buckets and a small ID python suck so bad for the 75.

[Streetwise]

Your lighting changes will probably take about a month to show an impact.

[Minanora]

Interesting.

I changed about 40% of the water. Got the nitrates down to just under 10 with that.

Decided to go ahead and add 10mL of the Fluval Gro+ Micro, 4 pumps of easy green, 4 pumps of easy iron. 20 minutes later just about every plant in the tank is pearling. Not like a wicked stream of bubbles but everything is bubbling. Is this just a coincidence @Mmiller2001? 

I've been running CO2 all day but the plants weren't pearling before. The only pearling I'd seen since adding the CO2 was a bit of the algae pearling and the Stargrass did a tiny bit.

On 4/12/2022 at 1:24 PM, Streetwise said:

Your lighting changes will probably take about a month to show an impact.

About half of my plants are medium light. I feel like they should be good with this new schedule. I don't have a PAR meter so it's just a game of "sit and wait"... I am not super patient but really hope I'm not just encouraging algae.

[Minanora]

I manually removed as much stringy algae as I could with my water change today. I also scrubbed a bit of the furry green algae off of the wood just as a gauge. Same with the empty (I'm still super sad about this) nerite snail shells. They're placed in various areas of light/shade to gauge growth.

[Mmiller2001]

On 4/12/2022 at 2:25 PM, Minanora said:

. Is this just a coincidence @Mmiller2001? 

Could be. I notice positive things right after a water change too. My fish seems to celebrate the freshness.

[Minanora]

On a side note, I'm quite certain that my corydoras are spawning every time I water change the 75. Since I have the spray bar the water hits the surface like rain as I am removing water. Then I generally drop the temp from 77.6 to 72 with the water change itself. I'm just thinking about this because I am watching them pair up, chase and do the shimmies.

[Minanora]

Before water change:

After water change and manual removal of excess algae:

[Jack.of.all.aquariums]

On 4/12/2022 at 3:25 PM, Minanora said:

add 10mL of the Fluval Gro+ Micro, 4 pumps of easy green, 4 pumps of easy iron

Have you been dosing all of this regularly?

From the Easy Iron description: "Watch for signs of overdosing such as an increase in filamentous or hair algae. Excessive amounts of iron can be attributed to algae overgrowth in planted tanks."

You are super dosing Iron since all 3 products are adding some.

[Minanora]

On 4/12/2022 at 2:16 PM, Jack.of.all.aquariums said:

Have you been dosing all of this regularly?

From the Easy Iron description: "Watch for signs of overdosing such as an increase in filamentous or hair algae. Excessive amounts of iron can be attributed to algae overgrowth in planted tanks."

You are super dosing Iron since all 3 products are adding some.

Nope. First dose of iron since early December. I had not been fertilizing regularly until the new planting. With how sparse the tank had become I was worried about just feeding algae.

I agree that the dose total is high on iron. I did however dose at about a .5 rate for each except the Gro+. My plan is to omit the Gro+ and easy iron when I change water on Thursday. I thought it was a good idea since our tap water has such a high pH and GH/KH. My plants in the garden always enjoy a good dose of iron every now and again, same with magnesium and sulphur. Maybe not such a good idea for the aquarium...

[Minanora]

On 4/12/2022 at 2:16 PM, Jack.of.all.aquariums said:

Have you been dosing all of this regularly?

From the Easy Iron description: "Watch for signs of overdosing such as an increase in filamentous or hair algae. Excessive amounts of iron can be attributed to algae overgrowth in planted tanks."

You are super dosing Iron since all 3 products are adding some.

I'm getting antsy. Did I just do a big no-no? Or can I wait to change water until Thursday? It's a lot of work to change 40% on this tank with a "small" python and five gallon buckets over my shoulder. >.<

[Jack.of.all.aquariums]

It will be fine if you wait. You might consider a python water changer that hooks up to a sink. No more carrying buckets. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NXC/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_JF7J6JDAMSM048AMZX08?psc=1

[Minanora]

I forgot about those!!!! Yup. That's happening.

[Minanora]

Ok. 40% water change today. I scrubbed more algae off of the wood, removed the sprigs of staghorn algae, and spun up the strings of thread algae I saw.

Nitrates at 5ppm after the water change. Added 4 pumps of easy green.

Next water change on Saturday or can I get away with Sunday? I still need to order the water changer 😂.

After the change, before the dust settled.

[Minanora]

No mess water changer is on order. To be delivered on Sunday. Thank. Goodness.

I like changing water but a 40% change on the 75 takes me just over two hours with my current bucket and siphon method.

And I've totally had to get the carpet cleaner out to clean up my *oh snap I hear my bucket overflowing* moments. Mom can only do so much at a time.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Minanora

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/14/2022 at 10:39 PM, Minanora said:

And I've totally had to get the carpet cleaner out to clean up my *oh snap I hear my bucket overflowing* moments. Mom can only do so much at a time.

I'm gonna have a nightmare about this line tonight. LOL. 

The worst part is I have a python, but no sink to hook it up to and to get it from the tank, through the hallway, through the front porch and to the hose hookup, I need to add another 10 foot of hose.  It's fine..... I need to lift all them buckets, good for the arms and core, right?

I saw the updated pic of your tank, it's looking like mine except for mine has BBA/Staghorn and a different color shade.  I know algae takes time, but I feel your impatience you mentioned earlier.

[Minanora]

@nabokovfan87 I was so upset at myself the last time it happened. But I was making a toddler lunch at the same time and getting ready for a conference call. *shrug*

I don't mind moving buckets of water. I like watering my lawn with it and my garden, and my house plants, and the front landscape. But, lifting things up over the edge of the 75 is a pita with a toddler running around in front of me all the time. Plus my right shoulder is pretty messed up. Can't do much about it without having the tip of my acromion shaved off, which is just a surgery that isn't happening for me for a while.

 

I did figure out what the "export" function of the fluval app is for... I just made a file for a reduced lighting siesta.

I cut the light intensity down and the length of each siesta down by 2 hours total. I've seen growth of the thread algae every day, even with water changes and lower ferts so I'm hitting the lights.

 

I am having some issues with the CO2. I keep having to adjust the pressure to keep the bubble count up. Is that normal?

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/15/2022 at 11:21 PM, Minanora said:

I am having some issues with the CO2. I keep having to adjust the pressure to keep the bubble count up. Is that normal?

I had similar issues, yes it's normal. There is a method to the madness of course. It takes a long time for CO2 adjustments to show themselves. Keep an eye on bubble count but check it every 2 hours the next couple of days (let it run for at least an hour to have "true readings" on the lines).

On 4/15/2022 at 11:21 PM, Minanora said:

Plus my right shoulder is pretty messed up. Can't do much about it without having the tip of my acromion shaved off, which is just a surgery that isn't happening for me for a while.

Yeah, please don't lift buckets. If you ever have to fill and can't use a python I'd recommend just having a pump that you can use to feed water into the tank. Some people get a large trashcan on wheels and use that instead of the buckets. A bit more to store week to week, but I just mention it in case someone ever needs the tip.