JoeQ 10g (non 'turn down your light' ) Algea erratic-cation

[JoeQ]

Here's another tank journal, for my quarantine tank (because I like projects). The goal of this is to show the always present 'turn down your light' matra when concerning problematic algea in a planted tank, isn't necessarily the best course of action. 

I plan to accomplish this by: 

Adding cleanup crew

Trimming/removing dead organics. 

Adding lots of fast growing plants

Fixing flow

Stop over feeding the tank. 

 

I might:

Turn UP the light

Use eazy carbon to spot treat tough algea (hair algea) 

Use small amounts of targeted fertilizer(s) 

 

I dont plan on:

Scrapping algea 

Turning lights DOWN

Using an all-in-one fertilizer 

But if i do ill say so. 

 

Here is the start and the current light settings:

Edited May 10, 2022 by JoeQ
Clarity

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Turn it up to 11 Joe let's see this happen!!! 

[JoeQ]

On 5/10/2022 at 11:17 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Turn it up to 11 Joe let's see this happen!!! 

🤣 Gotta build a good foundation first! 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Ok ok, later then! Looking forward to the experience 

[Scapexghost]

Its all about balance. Its like a scale. You matter how much is on one side, it can always be balanced by changing the other to match. So, no matter how much light you have, the tank can be balanced by changing the plants or neutrients. 

That said, balancing tanks is hard. Much harder than just buying a bn pleco. Thats what i usually do.

[JoeQ]

On 5/10/2022 at 12:52 PM, Scapexghost said:

Its all about balance. Its like a scale. You matter how much is on one side, it can always be balanced by changing the other to match. So, no matter how much light you have, the tank can be balanced by changing the plants or neutrients. 

That said, balancing tanks is hard. Much harder than just buying a bn pleco. Thats what i usually do.

Exactly, but I wanted to avoid using 'balance the tank' instead show how to balance by building an eco system, which should happen after cycling a tank but 'building your eco system' is rarely mentioned. 

Edited May 10, 2022 by JoeQ

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I agree @JoeQI think the option is always up or down, I think it is easy for pundits on YT, FB and elsewhere to say turn it down but if you have the right mix of plants it may not be the right answer. It may be more fertilization not less. It may be plant more not stay static with the scape. I have noticed that a lot of the pro scapers add in certain very fast growing stems to be there to soak up excess while their scape plants settle in. Turning the light down would not be good for medium light or greater plants. If people are trying to get a carpet then turning down the light is never the answer. 

[JoeQ]

Just a little update, today I was able to find some black racer nerite snails and some hornwort at my local petsmart to quick start the fight until my other stems grow out.

I did a quick 50% water change and half ass gravel vac. I also set my bubbler to only run at night. Tomorrow I might try to make a somewhat presentable scape and trim a lot of unhealthy growth. The water change brought my tds down from 180 to about 144. I did not test other aspects yet but I usually add a pinch of baking soda after water changes on account of no kh in our tap. 

[JoeQ]

Snails happily munching away, however my nitrites were point5~1 so we went with a 50% morning waterchange. I'm not sure if my last paraguard dose killed my cycle or something I brought in from petsmart spiked it. Anyhow my numbers were :

10

Between Point5 to1

150

40+

6.8

0

160tds

Hornwort looks tired so it will probably get a drop of FlorinMulti around 1pm~3pm. Might trim today, might not, depends on how the day goes. For some reason the snail also prefer the line at which the sand meets the glass. 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by JoeQ

[JoeQ]

FlorinMulti seemed to perk things up. With the hornwort ill be feeding a tad more. Happy with my test numbers, nitrates hit 0, but ill be adding 2ml of potassium between 1pm - 3pm. Maybe trim algea covered growth. 

 

5

O

75+

-40

6.4-6.8

0

Tds 141

Sprinkle of baking soda 

[JoeQ]

50% Water change yesterday, gravel vaccume, filter clean,  trimmed a lot of dead/algea covered growth & dead organics , increased flow, root tabs (2) under crypts, hornwort growing like crazy. I'll keep trimming & replanting till i have enough to out compete algea. Added small banquet block. 

Edited May 17, 2022 by JoeQ
Adding info

[JoeQ]

Growing or receding? 

[JoeQ]

Big feeding soaked with Paraguard follow up dose. 

[JoeQ]

50% water change

4 drops FlorinMulti 

Tds 190 to 155

Plants look horrible, algea looking horrible ill start dosing small amounts of nitrate and potassium based on plant appearance. 

 

[JoeQ]

I need to apologize to anyone is following this thread. I kind of dropped the ball on this project for various reasons. Today I did have some time and picked the ball back up. Heres a before picture:

Today I did a 50% water change, filter clean, moved the hornwort (for better flow), & trimmed algea covered growth. I also planted 7~10 stem tops of Ovalis & Repen Ludwigia that came from my main tank. As a final I also turned up my lighting by 5% and added 2 drops FlorinMulti. Moving  forward ill also be dosing potassium and nitrogen to hopefully level at 10~15ppm no3, and potassium as needed. Heres the after along with light settings. 

 

 

I'm also still in search of a cleanup crew that will make a more dramatic impact.......  

Edited May 28, 2022 by JoeQ
Added info, added space between pics

[JoeQ]

Yesterday after this post I added a nerite from my main tank. Hopefully it will encourage the nerites bought for this tank (2 black racer nerites) to start being productive members of the community!! 😂

 

Also correction on the fertilizers. Today ill start under dosing a lower iron all in one fert every other day.

[JoeQ]

Just a little pic update, before a quick water change. Much if the green spot algea is gone from the front glass, replaced by some green dust algea with snail trails in it. There is also some nice holes in the carpet of algea on the back glass. Stems are also changing to a nice green while the hornwort i wouldn't say is dieing but its also not thriving

[JoeQ]

Start of hair algea, blue down by 5%, lets see what happens! 

[JoeQ]

I also gave a full dose of an all in one yesterday, today ill be giving a half dose of dtpa iron. 

[JoeQ]

Probably a 50% water change tomorrow, maybe add another bubbler to a dead spot. Not much small hair algea to speak of. Dosing this week was a full 10g dose of both a all-in-one and dtpa iron on seperate days. Wanted to show this guy tho who has been putting in some work! 

[JoeQ]

Not real happy with thr auto crop going on. 

[JoeQ]

50% water change today. 

Planted some clippings that weren't doing good on my main tank (which im neglecting) 

3 drops FlorinMulti 

Pinch of baking soda for kh

Tomorrow I should squeeze out filter pads which I forgot today

 

[JoeQ]

Lower leaf loss on the stems, will add a nitrogen supplement to my all-in-one days. 

[JoeQ]

Pic update, tomorrow ill water change and clean the filter. The new fertilizer schedule is 1ml all-in-one with 1/2 ~ 1ml nitrogen suppliment. Followed by 1ml potassium, 1ml iron on alternative days. Cleanup crew cleaning existing algea well. 

 

[JoeQ]

Quick before water change picture/filter clean, remove most of the hornwort who did not look so well, I believe im under fertilizing and it's competing with it's self. Still trying to go lean so my snail(s) can catch up. 

Edited June 12, 2022 by JoeQ