Need Help/Guidance with Persistent Algae Problem

[GaryC]

Hello all,
  I am new here so first, a summary of my setup. I have a 65gal (36in x 18in x 24in) that has been set up for several years.  the aquarium currently has  9 Cardinal tetras, 2 Black Skirt Tetras (old, have lost the others), 1 Platy, 6 Panda Cories, 2 Reticulated Hillstream Loaches, 8 Amano Shrimp, 6 Nerite Snails, 1 Siamese Algae Eater, 1 Male Betta. The Skirt tetras, Platy, and Siamese Algae eater are long time residents while all other livestock was added on 11/23/2022 shortly after the rebirth of my interest in maintaining the tank.  There have been several crypts (I think, got them at Petsmart a few years ago, can't remember what they called them) and a tiny bit of java fern that have been  in the tank for several years as well and on 11/22/2022 I added a Amazon sword, some Jungle Val, and some Micro Sword that I got from Aquarium Co-op. There is a fairly large piece of Mopani driftwood and SeaChem Flourite substrate in the aquarium (both for years now) The aquarium has been light by a Marineland 24/7 LED. I can't recall the model but it was on for 12hrs daily with a few hours of the blue "moonlight" each night. On 11/26/2022 I switched to the Fluval 3.0 Planted and am running pro mode using Bentley Pascoe's Daylight Sim Red Late settings (I'll include an overview pic). Oh, and I have a Marineland Magniflow 360 canister filter.  I've also added a 20-40gal Nicrew internal canister with sprat bar because I wanted to increase flow across the bottom o f the aquarium. I've not decided if I want to continue this, move the spray bar to the surface or just remove it entirely. Several of the fish seem to enjoy swimming in the current but I don't know if I'm just creating cirvculation overkill with it. I have Easy Green and Easy Root tabs on hand but given the nitrate level, I'm not sure if or how frequently I should use them.

My water parameters, using the API 5 in 1 test strips (I understand these aren't the best and will eventually get the API master kit), I'm seeing low GH, very high KH, pH around 8.4 (similar to tap water, from well), no nitrites, nitrates around 160 so, very high, I think.

Near future changes to set up, I'll be doing a bit of a reset. My plan is to pull all plants and remove as much algae as I can. I'm going to put the existing flourite sub into mesh bags and and then I'll be adding up to 60lb of Caribsea Super Naturals Tropical Jungle sand on top of the flourite. I'll then put plants back in. I have a number of small "boulders" I want to add and I have two nice large pieces of spider wood coming soon. Not sure if I'll keep the Mopani in as well. It might look weird with the spider wood but the Amanos sure seem to love hanging out on it and I actually like the algae growing on it. I also want to add more fish, inverts, and plants after I get things settled. I can also add leaf litter as I have several bags of magnolia and live oak that I bought for other bioactive setups.

My problem that brought me here today is that I have always had a terrible algae problem. I have green hair and I think black beard algae that grows on the substrate, plants, driftwood, the tank itself. everywhere. Now, full disclosure, I almost never did water changes (only topped off when the water splashing in from filter got too loud to hear the tv) and I cleaned the filter even less frequently. These behaviors are currently being modified as I get back into trying to have a beautiful aquarium rather than a large green acrylic block on a stand...

Might I expect this issue to clear up with the change in lighting and with the addition of regular water changes?
Can I do anything to help keep the plants alive or help them fight back against the algae?
Should I be overly concerned with KH and pH? I have some pH Down but I'm afraid I'll just end up constantly trying to fight the high pH and it will just continuously rise and fall as I try to find some balance. I would think constant fluctuation would be worse for the inhabitants than just having a consistent but high pH. Would the addition of natural materials such as the leaf litter help to bring pH down a bit?
What else should I be testing, perhaps Phosphates? I don't want to buy a bunch of different tests if there are specific tests I should focus on.

Sorry for the information dump but though I've had the aquarium for several years, I'm still very much a beginner when it comes to growing plants and understanding water parameters and how to maintain/adjust them. I really want to get this aquarium looking its best and I want to improve conditions for everything living in it and this seemed like a good place to ask for help. The goal is to do well with this aquarium to further support my desire to upgrade to a fully planted 150gal for behind the sofa :) My wife is actually kind of on board with this idea!

I've attached current pics of the aquarium, as well as my lighting overview and test results because photos are often better than words.

Thank you very much!
Gary

[Guppysnail]

When you do your reset here is a great way to treat the plants to be rid of algae without harming the plants. 

Reducing nitrate to no more than 40-50 should help keep future algae at bay along with whatever lighting adjustments if any other’s recommend. Hope that helps. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Mmiller2001]

Drop light intensity by about 35 percent and reduce the duration to 8 hours max. Use 30 minute ramp up and down. Improve flow throughout the tank and try to get tank turnover to around 5x to 10x water volume per hour without blasting the fish. Discontinue root tabs, continue dosing easy green per directions. Start 30 or 40 percent water changes daily but dose the the incoming water volume with easy green. Example, if you change out 20 gallons, dose easy green for 20 gallons. You want the all NO3 to come from fertilizer, not from the tank. Clean filters, lightly gravel vacuum, just clean the surface, don't jam it down in the substrate. Target an over tank of 20ish ppm NO3.

KH is high and I would research how to slowly lower it some. GH can be boosted with readily available products. Just do some reading. Ignore pH completely, it means nothing. 

This is where I'd start.

If a substrate swap is soon. Just water change for now. The tank will reset after and algae phase will restart.

[GaryC]

On 12/5/2022 at 11:42 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

Drop light intensity by about 35 percent and reduce the duration to 8 hours max.

Is the 8hr max recommendation based on the current set up so I would use that same layout but reduce all intensities by 35% and then shorten program duration to 8hrs? Or would you suggest I use the auto mode where it just ramps up 30min, there is constant intensity exposure (but instead of default color intensities change to a constant 65% of default intensities) for 7hrs followed by a 30min ramp down? So like the attached graph but with intensities reduced by 35%. And by reduce by 35% you mean, for example, if intensity is 40%, reduce to 65% of 40% (so 26%) and not subtract 35% from 40% (5%)?

Thanks

On 12/5/2022 at 11:30 AM, Guppysnail said:

When you do your reset here is a great way to treat the plants to be rid of algae without harming the plants. 

This is interesting, thanks. Regarding the seltzer water, do you know if people have had success using homemade seltzer using a Soda Stream or similar?

Thanks,
Gary

[Guppysnail]

Yes soda stream is fine. 

[JoeQ]

I didn't read this whole thread, but I did notice you are using Bentleys Day sim. In my signature I have a daysim reducer spread sheet that you might be interested in. Depending how far you are from substrate you probably want to reduce lighting way down. Im at 21 inches and only run mine at 35 ~ 40 percent!

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/5/2022 at 10:37 AM, GaryC said:

Is the 8hr max recommendation based on the current set up so I would use that same layout but reduce all intensities by 35% and then shorten program duration to 8hrs?

Set it however looks best color wise, but 30% less intensity from your current peak. Correct, however you set it, that photo period is on 8 hours.

[MattyM]

In addition to what everyone else has said, I'd cut the blues to less than 10% max. 

[GaryC]

On 12/5/2022 at 1:16 PM, JoeQ said:

I didn't read this whole thread, but I did notice you are using Bentleys Day sim. In my signature I have a daysim reducer spread sheet that you might be interested in. Depending how far you are from substrate you probably want to reduce lighting way down. Im at 21 inches and only run mine at 35 ~ 40 percent!

I actually made a spreadsheet myself. I made it just as a way to record Bentley's data and also to be able to adjust all times based on start time since his day begins much earlier than mine. I added the % reducer functionality after it was recommended that I drop intensities. My tank is 24in deep and am currently running at a 30% reduction across the spectrum.

[SabrinaKeister]

On 12/5/2022 at 10:12 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Drop light intensity by about 35 percent and reduce the duration to 8 hours max. Use 30 minute ramp up and down. Improve flow throughout the tank and try to get tank turnover to around 5x to 10x water volume per hour without blasting the fish. Discontinue root tabs, continue dosing easy green per directions. Start 30 or 40 percent water changes daily but dose the the incoming water volume with easy green. Example, if you change out 20 gallons, dose easy green for 20 gallons. You want the all NO3 to come from fertilizer, not from the tank. Clean filters, lightly gravel vacuum, just clean the surface, don't jam it down in the substrate. Target an over tank of 20ish ppm NO3.

KH is high and I would research how to slowly lower it some. GH can be boosted with readily available products. Just do some reading. Ignore pH completely, it means nothing. 

This is where I'd start.

If a substrate swap is soon. Just water change for now. The tank will reset after and algae phase will restart.

Thanks, I will do it as you said. If you want to write your essay if yes then you can visit https://writinguniverse.com/expository-essay-topics/ here where you will find a lot of help. It would be simpler for you to complete your tasks. You could choose from a wide range of essay topics available here.

Thanks, I will do it as you said.

Edited December 23, 2022 by SabrinaKeister