Can't start a new thread in "algae control" and other subs...

[Gerryd]

Hi Koen,

Why don't you ADD an additional reactor or other type of diffusor so you have two?

It seems like you are almost there so maybe you just need to get 'over the hump' so to speak.

Can you add a DIY PVC reactor or another AM1000 and maybe power it with a 400-500 gph pump? You can have this outlet run from the opposite side of the tank.

Maybe run either of the reactors with a needle wheel pump to help break up the c02?

Maybe direct the current c02 flow more from the bottom so it has longer dwell time in the tank?

Yes a week is sometimes not enough time to see differences. You should see it soon though........

Another powerhead may help, but I found that I needed less flow when my c02 diffusion method was improved. Most likely won't hurt, but another reactor/pump will also increase flow........

Hope this helps.

[Koen_v_V]

Hi Gerry,

I'll buy a second one AM1000 (as external DIY solutions were not my best floor dry results...) and hook it on my 600gal powerhead (Eheim 2000), which i'm currently using for establische current/flow. The AM1000 uses just tighter piping/tubing, so output will be reduced. But as you noted hopefully better CO2 diffusion and distribution will result in decreased need of flow. Of coarse the outlet will be in the opposite corner of the tank. Hopefully this improves something. Adding a koralia can always be done after that.

CO2 outlet is already at the bottom.

Second idea I got was to add nutrients (red and white clay, with micro and iron) in the gravel for the ammannias and strictas which are stilll not doing too well. Maybe the leaking issue will be solved then, as bga, bba and surface film issues are stilll there.

I'll get back with some updates next week, accompanied with pictures.

Thanks for the suggestions, Koen.

[Koen_v_V]

^$%%@#&%^, I accidently made an error so my two Eheim filters were not powered for 48 hours, when I was a weekend away from home. Came back and see that there was a vague white mist in the tank...

So I didn't have time yet to show my pictures of the tanks problems, it adds one up now. I changed water for around 70% and did a cleanup of the unpowered filters, hopefully the impact will be limited. A second water change of 70% is planned for thursday.

In order to stop the problems:
- (last sunday) extended CO2 dosing in the morning, where light are in fact off, but the tank receives light from outside window for six hours. Maybe that influences stunting? I also extended it a few hours in the evening so CO2 shuts down when the light are turned off.
- added last evening active carbon to the filter to help eliminating proteins and vitamins in the water from possible leaching.
- tonight I will give some stunting plants some laterite with micros, KSO4 and clay, to see whether this helps. Zero measument is done via not giving it to some other plants of the same species.
- tonight I hook up the external reactor to a biggen powerhead so diffusions and distribution of CO2 will be better. A second reactor (AM1000) is not in budget, sadly enough.
- tonight I cleanup all tubing, to make sure this won't cause problem I am overlooking.

Problem of surface film is still there, takes a day to complete cover the surface.
BGA is still expanding slowly as well for the BBA.

I'll keep you updated on any results. Tank pictures are always nice to have accompanied in a thread, so here it goes:

[Koen_v_V]

Ohh, I change last week my EasyCarbo dosage from 25ml to 35ml per day on the net 500 liters/130 gal. It's 3.5 times more than factory recommended. Maybe BBA will slow down more.

Not sure whether this causes Egeria to leach, growth is still very good.

[Koen_v_V]

Hi,

Some good news:
- My second AM1000 reactor is in and installed yesterday, hooked it on the Eheim 2000 powerhead. It decreased flow quit a bit, but CO2 is diffusing very good. The outlet is on the other backside of the tank as the other CO2 outlet.
- The ammannia isn't stunting anymore after I pruned it.
- On some plant species the old leaves are not infested with BBA anymore. Only the older leave edges of the strictas, javefern windelov and crypts are 'infected' by it.
- Overall it seems that lengthen CO2 dosage and increasing ppm does seem to help against BBA, but the easy carbo was influencing results.
- It didn't seem that the 48 hours fallout of the Eheim filters did make a difference, but who can tell when BBA and BGA are already around.

Some bad news:
- Going to 35 mls of Easy Carbo each day did not do any good to the Egeria, I've completely stopped dosing it, because I ran out. Already stocked Excel yesterday though, but'I won't start dosing to see whether BBA will come back stronger.
- the dosage of laterite with micros, KSO4 and clay isn't showing better growth compared to other stems.
- I've cleaned, replaced and reallocated tubing of the E-heim, the outlet of the e-heim broke off! So one the E-heim isn't running anymore... Now I need to get a replacement.

Once I've got the replacement, I'll introduce purigen as filter medium. Yesterday I've added a Seachem product to get the water clear, hopefully it works. For now my water was entirely white clouded.

I am still having trouble with surface film. A club member has a Tunze surface intake, maybe this will help for a few weeks. Stabelising the tank should help much more, but a broken E-heim won't.

I have to much changes to point out the effect, but I'm not out of trouble so I'm not near linkeing changes to effects.
I'll report the status within 1,5 weeks, just before my my 3 weeks holiday

[Koen_v_V]

Hi all,

New update.

After weeks and weeks of high level CO2 with EI dosing, the same BBA and BGA and stunting problems persisted. Some problem in the tank remained there and I'm not conslusive where is came from. During my 3 week holiday I've thought it over and came to a conclusion: The CO2 dosing and related problems to keep it at a certain level everywhere in the tank was giving me stress and tank problems and took away to much time. And when the fun factor drops, something has to change. So I've come up with a plan for me to stop CO2 dosing after 4 years and fully go for a excel only tank.

Hopefully the metabolism drops for plants giving more stabile growth and nutrients levels can go down. BBA shouldn't like this situation of Excel and no CO2 in the tank. The tank should overall be more stabilized which BGA should back out as NH4 peak levels should be less. Daily carbon support from Excel should be enough for most plant species I've read, so I was good to with this less demanding setup. Less need for diffusors and other techy stuff, less frequent waterchanges, less tank maintenance.

After my holiday I found out that CO2 was halted for at least a week, the tank look awful and BGA was all over the place. So there was no need anymore to phase out CO2 slowly, this was done already... I did a black out of 4 days to eliminate the BGA, cleaned the tank and did a WC every 3 days. I've calculated the dosing for the Excel setup and started dosing to this new regime. The upcoming 2 months I will do weekly WC and then back out slowly to once a month as growth should be 4 times less with high CO2, so 4 times lower dosing need as nutrient levels don't go under a minimum value.

After three weeks so growth is indeed much less, but new leaves looks very nice. Nothing more is to conclude right now, takes a few months to draw a conclusion whther the fun factor is back to normal.

Currently dosing is:
Daily Excel: 175% of recommend manufacter dosing = 20mls on net 130 gallons.
2x per week KH2PO4 = +1.6 ppm PO4 per week.
2x per week KNO3= +9.6 ppm NO3 per week.
2x per week 6 mls of TMG.
some Mg and KSO4 after weekly WC.
Every other week a filter clean up.
2 tubes of 49watt T5 4000 kelvin for 8 hours.

Is there anything to keep in mind with this setup? Anything wrong?

[adam mcisaac]

Hello I Have A 55 Gallon Set Up.
Lights Are 4 65 Watt 6700 K Coralifes On For 8 12 Hours
Injected O2
Dosing Kno3 At 20ppm
Csm+b 5 Ml Everyother Day
Plants Are Ludwigia Repens
Amazon Sword
Penny Wort
Micro Sword Chain
Anubis Barti
My Problem Is Hardley Any New Growth
New Growth Dies After A Week Or Turns Brown.
Brown Stuff Can Be Cleaned Off With Finger It Is Like A Slimy Brown Gunk. What Am I Doing Wrong?

[Tom Barr]

Hi all,

New update.

Currently dosing is:
Daily Excel: 175% of recommend manufacter dosing = 20mls on net 130 gallons.
2x per week KH2PO4 = +1.6 ppm PO4 per week.
2x per week KNO3= +9.6 ppm NO3 per week.
2x per week 6 mls of TMG.
some Mg and KSO4 after weekly WC.
Every other week a filter clean up.
2 tubes of 49watt T5 4000 kelvin for 8 hours.

Is there anything to keep in mind with this setup? Anything wrong?

Good plan. Wise perhaps.
I think s a few modifications will help.
If it is Seachem Excel(or equivalent) not Easy Carbo, then you will want to add a bit more than this amount, about 60msl on the water change and maybe 40-50mls daily.

I'd run the light longer, say 10-11 hours.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Koen_v_V]

Good plan. Wise perhaps.
I think s a few modifications will help.
If it is Seachem Excel(or equivalent) not Easy Carbo, then you will want to add a bit more than this amount, about 60msl on the water change and maybe 40-50mls daily.

I'd run the light longer, say 10-11 hours.

It's Seachem Excel (bought half a liter but already half way) but stil have 2 liters (half a gallon) of Easy Carbo in stock. So building up to 40mls should be allright, dough it's more than 300% recommended by Seachem... But for Easy Carbo 20mls is okay? Is the glutaraldehyde mixture that different? So next week I'm already switching to Easy Carbo, so probably safer to stay at 20mls. Do you have experience with the volume of Easy Carbo dosage in comparison with Excel?

I'll start extending my light, as a fwe months ago I normally did run it with 10 hours.

Cheers, Koen.

[Tom Barr]

Easy Carb is different, I'd follow their ranges, but maybe a tad higher dose.
Not much, say 10-20%.

Regards,
Tom Barr