Variety of algae in 55 gallon tank

[yvonnedono]

Hi there. It all started with an outbreak of black algae attached to the decorations and then it moved to plants. For months I slowly worked on killing it with hydrogen peroxide. I got the outbreak down alot. I also was treating with co2 booster by api. Great side affect of that was my vals took off with tons of growth after being dormant for a long time. anyway, I then started seeing redish/brown algae stringing off my plants. It is different though because all I have to do it wiggle the plant and it comes right off. It almost just seems like dead algae. Is it or is it some other kind of algae?

Recently bright green algae is starting to grow along the substrate.

Any ideas ?

 

[UmNick]

Recently bright green algae is starting to grow along the substrate.



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I believe this is Cyanobacteria. If i'm correct you should do EVERYTHING you can to contain in now. It grows incredibly fast and will over run your whole tank if not dealt with.

 

[Kribensis27]

Not sure about the brown stuff, but the stuff on the substrate is definitely Cyanobacteria. That stuff is toxic and spreads like crazy. Get it under control as soon as possible or it could poison your fish and take over your tank.

 

[yvonnedono]

I am getting so frustrated that these three algaes are growing (I also have black algae). I am strict about siphoning the gravel, putting in fertilizer 3 times a week, have plenty of water circulation. I have zero ammonia and zero nitrites. I keep nitrates between 10 and 40. It is a battle with nitrates because I have nitrates in my well water. I have to keep nitrazorb pouches in my tank at all times.
I also can't seem to get my ph down below 8.

I do have really deep gravel - can that create the problem?

 

[Mudminnow]

I sympathize with your algae frustrations. I've definitely been there myself, and probably will be again some day.
Generally though, here are some things I've found that have helped me get control of algae:

• not too much light
• provide plants with all the fertilizer/carbon they need
• make sure the tank is cycled--no ammonia/nitrite
• good flow and oxygen saturation
• keep the tank clean (water changes, syphoning, removing dead leaves)
• get a lot of fast growing plants
• use algae eaters
• time

Given my list above, it seems to me like you are doing most of what you need to. The few suggestions I have are to check your light, and see if you can reduce it; try and get more plant mass (especially hardy fast growing ones); get some algae eaters (SAEs are my favorite, but amano shrimp and nerites have also worked great for me).

Also, if the algae really starts to take hold, look into doing blackouts.

And, finally, I don't think your nitrate levels or deep gravel are part of the problem.

 

[86 ssinit]

What’s your substrate? And if 8 is your ph it’s better for your fish to stay at 8 than constantly trying to change it and it going up and down. What is the ph of your tap water?

 

[yvonnedono]

What’s your substrate? And if 8 is your ph it’s better for your fish to stay at 8 than constantly trying to change it and it going up and down. What is the ph of your tap water?

Hi. thanks for your reply. My well water is extremely acidic and high in nitrates (6.0 ph). I mix that with distilled water which was around 8.4 the last time I tested it. My substrate is mostly black Carib-sea eco complete substrate. Then I added crushed coral by carib-sea. It is quite deep - like 4 1/2 inches.

I sympathize with your algae frustrations. I've definitely been there myself, and probably will be again some day.
Generally though, here are some things I've found that have helped me get control of algae:

• not too much light
• provide plants with all the fertilizer/carbon they need
• make sure the tank is cycled--no ammonia/nitrite
• good flow and oxygen saturation
• keep the tank clean (water changes, syphoning, removing dead leaves)
• get a lot of fast growing plants
• use algae eaters
• time

Given my list above, it seems to me like you are doing most of what you need to. The few suggestions I have are to check your light, and see if you can reduce it; try and get more plant mass (especially hardy fast growing ones); get some algae eaters (SAEs are my favorite, but amano shrimp and nerites have also worked great for me).

Also, if the algae really starts to take hold, look into doing blackouts.

And, finally, I don't think your nitrate levels or deep gravel are part of the problem.

I did try amano shrimp and nerites and they died pretty quickly. not sure why

 

[86 ssinit]

Got my answer!! That is the green slime you get from eco-complete. Could be cyano but it definitely came from the eco! Distilled water should have a ph of 7. I’m betting the eco also raised your ph. Because a mix of 6.0 and 7.0 isn’t going to give you 8. Retest your distilled water.

 

[dMog]

get water lettuce and duck weed... let them take over the entire top of your aquarium...iit will help control the algae blooms...you will still need to do weekly water changes and have all other parameters where they need to be

 

[yvonnedono]

Got my answer!! That is the green slime you get from eco-complete. Could be cyano but it definitely came from the eco! Distilled water should have a ph of 7. I’m betting the eco also raised your ph. Because a mix of 6.0 and 7.0 isn’t going to give you 8. Retest your distilled water.

I have had the eco-complete for at least a couple years - although recently added the coral. Could it happen after a couple years?

 

[86 ssinit]

Not sure why it took so long for t to show up but it’s associated with eco. Maybe the coral set it off. It will go away with vacuuming it up and 50%water changes. I finally got rid of my eco.

 

[altwitch]

I have used Eco Complete in multiple tanks and have never seen or heard of any blue-green slime. Eco is an inert volcanic rock based substrate that on it's own couldn't 'cause' anything. The selling point of Eco is it comes in a nutrient rich bath, that's the liquid in the bag that is nutrient rich which is one of the variable that contribute to algae growth. If the tank is relatively new a strong infusion of the nutrients in it probably contributed to the growth of cyanobacteria but would not cause it on it's own - basically it's just an algae buffet. The three best things you can do to control or prevent algae growth are control light, control light and control light. I had cyano pop up in a fairly new tank in which I used Eco so I cleaned as much as I could, did a 2 day blackout and then turned down the intensity and time the light was on. Never had a problem again.

 

[yvonnedono]

blackout will not kill my plants?

 

[Kribensis27]

blackout will not kill my plants?

It will kill algae and cyano faster than plants, meaning the plants will survive, but the algae/cyano won't.

 

[86 ssinit]

2 days won’t.

I had eco in a 90 for 2 years. If I missed a water change that slime would show up. It has a very bad smell which doesn’t come right off. Finally got rid of the eco early this year and haven’t seen it since.
there’s plenty of accounts of it online. Eco green slime.

 

[yvonnedono]

Got my answer!! That is the green slime you get from eco-complete. Could be cyano but it definitely came from the eco! Distilled water should have a ph of 7. I’m betting the eco also raised your ph. Because a mix of 6.0 and 7.0 isn’t going to give you 8. Retest your distilled water.

I tested my distilled water today while doing a water change and was quite surprised because the last time I tested it was app 8.4. Today it was 6.0. I tested two different gallons with two different products and always 6.0. My well water is approximately 6.0 as well.

2 days won’t.

I had eco in a 90 for 2 years. If I missed a water change that slime would show up. It has a very bad smell which doesn’t come right off. Finally got rid of the eco early this year and haven’t seen it since.
there’s plenty of accounts of it online. Eco green slime.

how did you switch out your substrate without screwing up the bacterial balance of your tank? And which one did you switch to?

 

[86 ssinit]

Yes this is a debate. Many say your bb is in the gravel others say it’s in the filter. Yes there’s bb in your gravel but the majority is in your filter. Water is flowing through your filter but over your substrate.
So changing out the eco wasn’t to hard and I took my time. When doing my 50% water changes I removed 1/4 of the eco once a week with the hose from the python. After I removed I added a plain gravel walnut colored about 1/4” or smaller. Cleaned it and installed while refilling the tank. Took a month or 4 wc. Also plants are growing much better than with the eco.

 

[Bunkerchunk]

I tested my distilled water today while doing a water change and was quite surprised because the last time I tested it was app 8.4. Today it was 6.0. I tested two different gallons with two different products and always 6.0. My well water is approximately 6.0 as well.

I’m a little confused. Shouldn’t distilled water be neutral?

 

[86 ssinit]

That’s what I thought! Distilled water 7.0 ph

 

[dMog]

distilled water would not have minerals...not having minerals in your aquarium water will kill your fish...use distilled water to cut down on hard water if your TAP WATER is too har for your fish
additionally, PH is a completely separate issue

 

[coralbandit]

I have had the eco-complete for at least a couple years - although recently added the coral. Could it happen after a couple years?

I'll bet the coral is what is raising your pH ...

 

[dMog]

how are you testing your ph in the distilled water...with test strips, liquid test, or electrode test

 

[yvonnedono]

how are you testing your ph in the distilled water...with test strips, liquid test, or electrode test

I have api and sera liquid test kits. plus my wife works at a manufacturing plant where they have high end ph water testers. her number agreed with the sera number so I tend to use that one more frequently. I was shocked the distilled water was so acidic. those shells really make a difference - and they are only 40% of my substrate.
I ended up doing a two day black out and it got rid of the bright green algae and some of the black algae. l The brown algae is still present. I do need more plants so I should get some but I am thinking of switching the substrate and want to do that first. Not sure which substrate to get.
so, after the last water change my numbers are as such: PH 8.0, KH 107.4, Nitrate 5 (my well water seems to be much lower in nitrates all the sudden so I took the nitrazorbs out as well), Ammonia, Nitrite,Phosphate 0, GH 125. Is this good for plants and fish? I think I need PHosphate. I use NilocG Aquatics shrimp fertilizer (for less nitrates) 3 times a week, api co booster every day, stress zyme with water changes and KH/GH when needed. I wonder if my well water nitrates are much lower now because the nearby farmers aren't farming in the winter.