Bluish Greenish Algea Growing In Plants...
Ah, so you added more light, and dosing, but not CO2? Are you noticing algae on other plants in that tank? The best thing you could do for you aquarium and plants would be to add CO2... The biggest thing is to balance you lighting, CO2, and dosing. If you add more of one, you really should add more of the other two, or you'll likely going to end up with imbalances like you're seeing.
If CO2 is not an option, you may want to lessen the light a little bit, and dose what you're currently dosing.
What Catalina fixture did you get? 6 bulb or 8 bulb? How many hours are you running them? Are you staggering the amount of light, so, for example, all bulbs are on mid-day, but only a few are on in the morning and evening? Or are all on at once?
If CO2 is not an option, you may want to lessen the light a little bit, and dose what you're currently dosing.
What Catalina fixture did you get? 6 bulb or 8 bulb? How many hours are you running them? Are you staggering the amount of light, so, for example, all bulbs are on mid-day, but only a few are on in the morning and evening? Or are all on at once?
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ddavila06
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- Real Name: Damian Davila
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i did get the 6 84W. only about a week ago though and this was a problem is been going for about 2 months but its at its peak now...i turn 4 lights around 8 am, i turn the rest when i come from work~6 until 8 or so and then leave the 4 on until is bed time. i am going to set up the timers that i jsut got to have 4 early until around 11 then all 6 until around 5 then 4 until ~9pm. also, the light bulbs are staggered 5 feet ones, not six. surprisinly i am not getting ANY algea anywhere else... 
(now my whole tank is probably going to bloom some sort of algea 
) most of the plants are doing really well, some are doing much better than before, i have a second flower coming out of my crypt usteriana (need to post in the other section 
) all my other crypts and stem plants growing well...
(now my whole tank is probably going to bloom some sort of algea ) most of the plants are doing really well, some are doing much better than before, i have a second flower coming out of my crypt usteriana (need to post in the other section ) all my other crypts and stem plants growing well...Damian Davila
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
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ddavila06
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- Real Name: Damian Davila
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ok, im coming out with my own explanation on whats going on. today, after about an hour of redoing, organizing and getting rid of weeds etc, i noticed two things: one medium size anubia petite that was probably uprooted a while back was all the way in the back loose and green and healty! 2- most of the anubia coffefolia leaves and the barteri leaves were almost completely covered by hygros so only two three leaves were looking bad in each and those are the ones not covered. BOTTOM LINE, direct light is killing my plants! makes sence because the ones my mom has in her 75 are quite covered by javas and hygros and they are doing very well!
now i am confused. even though anubias are a low light plant, they are also known to be able to take high light settings, besides this light is been up and running for only about two weeks and again, the issue is been there a while... do i make any sense?
makes sence because the ones my mom has in her 75 are quite covered by javas and hygros and they are doing very well!now i am confused. even though anubias are a low light plant, they are also known to be able to take high light settings, besides this light is been up and running for only about two weeks and again, the issue is been there a while... do i make any sense?
Damian Davila
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
Damian, the light is not bad for Anubias. The algae is caused by the amount of light combined with a lack of available nutrients/CO2, and probably circulation also. As mentioned previously, when you increase the amount of light, you need to increase you fertilization and CO2, or things will get out of wack. Also, even if you're dosing the correct amounts, if you don't have proper circulation in the tank, the nutrients aren't going to flow to where the plants are.
In your case, the shaded plants are photosynthesizing less, thus requiring less nutrients, meaning that water around them is likely not devoid of nutrients to continue growing, and thus algae is not creeping in. In the light, the plants are photosynthesizing more, thus using up all available nutrients around them, so the plants can't continue to grow, and algae creeps in.
If you can't add CO2 or consistently dose, you probably ought to reduce the amount of light over your tank.
In your case, the shaded plants are photosynthesizing less, thus requiring less nutrients, meaning that water around them is likely not devoid of nutrients to continue growing, and thus algae is not creeping in. In the light, the plants are photosynthesizing more, thus using up all available nutrients around them, so the plants can't continue to grow, and algae creeps in.
If you can't add CO2 or consistently dose, you probably ought to reduce the amount of light over your tank.
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ddavila06
- GWAPA Member
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- Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:50 pm
- Real Name: Damian Davila
- Location: Burke, Va
[quote="In your case, the shaded plants are photosynthesizing less, thus requiring less nutrients, meaning that water around them is likely not devoid of nutrients to continue growing, and thus algae is not creeping in. In the light, the plants are photosynthesizing more, thus using up all available nutrients around them, so the plants can't continue to grow, and algae creeps in[/quote] \
that makes sense, less light=less photosyntesis. however, i do not have any algea anywhere in the tank and have the two fluval's flow and one power head to keep good circulation and aereation. thanks Chris
that makes sense, less light=less photosyntesis. however, i do not have any algea anywhere in the tank and have the two fluval's flow and one power head to keep good circulation and aereation. thanks Chris
Damian Davila
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
"Fishes-up, chill, Plants too"
"so many plants, so little space!"
This is the 125, right?
Unless that is one huge powerhead, you have very low flow. VERY. Your two filters combined are pushing (on paper) less than 700 GPH - and in reality, that should be closer to 400 gph (or a little less) with media in them.
I remember you posting the filters, and thinking "wow, that flow has to be doubled".
An idea of the difference:
My 180g is filtered/flow default with an Eheim 2260, and a Mag9.5. On paper, that is ~1500 gph flow....and my setup is much closer to the on paper number, given the MAG has almost no head and Eheim's push a much higher % of published flow rates when actually running vs. about any other filter.
Real rates, I should be pushing right about 900, maybe 1000 gph.
Yes, tank is a little bigger, but that is over twice the flow... And I still had to add a larger Koralia (can't remember if it was a 2 or 3, so minimum 600 gph powerhead anyhow) when it was a lot of tall stems in the last scape!
Short version: I'd also be looking at flow, maybe add a Koralia 2 - or 2 of them.
Unless that is one huge powerhead, you have very low flow. VERY. Your two filters combined are pushing (on paper) less than 700 GPH - and in reality, that should be closer to 400 gph (or a little less) with media in them.
I remember you posting the filters, and thinking "wow, that flow has to be doubled".
An idea of the difference:
My 180g is filtered/flow default with an Eheim 2260, and a Mag9.5. On paper, that is ~1500 gph flow....and my setup is much closer to the on paper number, given the MAG has almost no head and Eheim's push a much higher % of published flow rates when actually running vs. about any other filter.
Real rates, I should be pushing right about 900, maybe 1000 gph.
Yes, tank is a little bigger, but that is over twice the flow... And I still had to add a larger Koralia (can't remember if it was a 2 or 3, so minimum 600 gph powerhead anyhow) when it was a lot of tall stems in the last scape!
Short version: I'd also be looking at flow, maybe add a Koralia 2 - or 2 of them.
Dave
The Koralias it is a ton of difference.
They aren't like other powerheads, they make a large overall flow instead of the narrow jet of say a Maxijet. They'll bend over a tall thin plant right in front of them, but they don't shoot a pinpoint jetstream - so it turns into a nice gentle current in the tank.
Try a 2 or 3 (I'm almost sure I was using a 3 w/850 gph, have to dig it out and make sure), and have it push side to side across the front of the tank. It made a huge difference for me (when I didn't have a lot of open water like the current scape).
I use a nano in my 30g cube, and a 1 in my 60g for additional flow - 30g is a RenaXP2 and the nano, 50g is an Eheim 2228 and a Koralia 1. 75g has a koralia in it too.. see a pattern?
I'm sold on them for additional flow!
I don't have it in the 180g now because I don't have a lot of nooks and crannies, dead spots, as the tank sits now. I also switched out how the MAG was returning its flow in last rescape, now has directional Loc Line ends that helped me direct flow for its gph.
They aren't like other powerheads, they make a large overall flow instead of the narrow jet of say a Maxijet. They'll bend over a tall thin plant right in front of them, but they don't shoot a pinpoint jetstream - so it turns into a nice gentle current in the tank.
Try a 2 or 3 (I'm almost sure I was using a 3 w/850 gph, have to dig it out and make sure), and have it push side to side across the front of the tank. It made a huge difference for me (when I didn't have a lot of open water like the current scape).
I use a nano in my 30g cube, and a 1 in my 60g for additional flow - 30g is a RenaXP2 and the nano, 50g is an Eheim 2228 and a Koralia 1. 75g has a koralia in it too.. see a pattern?
I'm sold on them for additional flow!I don't have it in the 180g now because I don't have a lot of nooks and crannies, dead spots, as the tank sits now. I also switched out how the MAG was returning its flow in last rescape, now has directional Loc Line ends that helped me direct flow for its gph.
Dave
