Plants and Algae

[Lady Hobbs]

Yesterday afternoon I planted a 29 gallon tank and put pots of plants in the 20 gallon (sand bottom.) The 20 gallon has fish and of course is cycled and is clear as a bell this morning.

The 29 gallon that I planted in Fluorite is cloud heaven this morning with algae swirling all over the place. Is this due to all the nutrients in the Fluorite? Or due to the fact the tank is still cycling?

Also, my filter media is filthy. I left it that way to finish the cycle but possibly it contained too many nutrients from the new Fluorite?

Anyway, I did a large water change and changed the filter floss. Nitrites and Nitrates were off the charts as I've been adding ammonia "forever" waiting on my plants to come.

I have CO2 running in both tanks and turned the air pumps on during the night.

About the plants......the ones I thought that arrived in very bad shape were infact the vals and not the onions as I first thought. They were in such bad shape I couldn't tell. But, I have been in contact with the buyer and he says he will send the onion plants and replace the Val so we'll see. He actually asked me if I wanted to buy Vals and onions. I told him I already had paid him and he owed me for them. sheesh

[sergo]

i seem have read that it takes some time for the fluorite to settle out. and yes i bet the fluorite is feeding the algae along with the co2.

[hungryhound]

I've read that plants can normally out compete the algae, it might just take a while for the plants to absorb most of the extra nutrients floating around.

[sergo]

hobbs how many plants are in your 29? and what are they?

[Lady Hobbs]

amazon sword, 2 anubias, java fern, a potted pearl grass and echino tenellus (grass) that is also planted. I thought the light was off and it was on. Geez, about murky in there. I wonder if several water changes might to in order to get rid of some of the access nutriants. So strange the other tank is so clear with even less plants which is why I have to think this is coming from the Fluorite.

edited:
Well heck. Come to think of it, I just don't know. It was clear after adding the Fluorite and I posted pictures showing as much. All I did different was pot the plants and add the CO2. I may turn off the CO2 for a while to see what happens.

[xoolooxunny]

hobbs, i had to wait A LONG time for my water to clear after i filled it. i didnt do any water changes but i continuously cleaned out the filter, then cycled, then added the plants now every month or so i have to pick up little tufts of algae that grow in the flourite, but its no biggy.

[sergo]

do happen to have you filter on high. maybe it keeps the surface disturbed. long shot but what the hey.

[Chrona]

Hobbs, Flourite dust leeched silicates into the water for me, which results in lots of brown algae. There isn't much you can do about it besides getting some algae eaters or just waiting for it to subside while removing as much mechanically as you can. Almost all plant substrates I've seen have some kind of break-in period where everything is out of wack. It will subside though. Ok, now for what you need to do lol.

1) Try to remove as much of the brown algae as possible. Each swipe takes more silicates out of the water and the brown algae will die off eventually.

2) I would say replace half the filter floss at a time with 2-3 day intervals. The floss already there will seed it enough to keep your cycle going (although the plants will support a decent bioload by taking in ammonia as well)

3) CO2 should not be shut off. Many types of algae only thrive in low-CO2 conditions.

4) Try to get some fast growing nutrient sponges, like anacharis (don't use Flourish excel with this plant though) They will outcompete any algae and reduce the "plant cycling" period.

5) Add some otos or SAE (makes planted tank algae maintenance MUCH easier)

My water cleared up after a few days. It still gets slightly hazy whenever I move stuff around and kick up Flourite dust, but I just pack some more filter floss in and remove it in 2 days. Are you sure it's algae btw and not just the white hazy water from cycling? Is it green water? If it's not brown algae, then just do a blackout for a few days (cover the tank with something) and wait for the cycling to finish. Algae is a normal part of a planted tank, and to fight it effectively, you first need to wait for the tank to "settle down" so you can isolate what exactly is causing it. You've got too much going on now: cycling, new plants, CO2, Flourite... :)

[Lady Hobbs]

I didn't have brown algae. I had white slimmy stuff swirling in the water. I did two big water changes (like all of it) and filled again and turned the co2 off. Had to add more ammonia as I assumed my cycle went South when I removed the filter floss and dumped all that water. I tested this morning and all was back to 0 which really surprised me so it's good to go.

Since the tank was clear after adding the Fluorite, I almost have to think it was a combination of the CO2 running all night and nutriants in the tank. Possibly was just too much.

I will turn off the co2 at night. Found out if you just remove the top of the bottom that it will start in right away when you hook it back up. I was afraid it would loose it's punch but this is easy to do and works fine.

[Chrona]

I didn't have brown algae. I had white slimmy stuff swirling in the water. I did two big water changes (like all of it) and filled again and turned the co2 off. Had to add more ammonia as I assumed my cycle went South when I removed the filter floss and dumped all that water. I tested this morning and all was back to 0 which really surprised me so it's good to go.

Since the tank was clear after adding the Fluorite, I almost have to think it was a combination of the CO2 running all night and nutriants in the tank. Possibly was just too much.

I will turn off the co2 at night. Found out if you just remove the top of the bottom that it will start in right away when you hook it back up. I was afraid it would loose it's punch but this is easy to do and works fine.

It's not algae if it's white. Perhaps a bacterial bloom from the cycling? CO2 actually inhibits the growth of certain types of algae and will never cause more algae so you are better leaving it on. Just "leave things be" for a few days and the bloom should go away :)

[Lady Hobbs]

It's not algae if it's white. Perhaps a bacterial bloom from the cycling? CO2 actually inhibits the growth of certain types of algae and will never cause more algae so you are better leaving it on. Just "leave things be" for a few days and the bloom should go away :)

I turned my co2 on and let it drip no more than an hour and the whirly stuff started at the bottom of my tank again.

Looks like slimy egg white. LOL I will leave it be for now and just not use the co2. My gravel is not as deep as this pic looks BTW. It's 2 inch at the front.

[Chrona]

I turned my co2 on and let it drip no more than an hour and the whirly stuff started at the bottom of my tank again.

Looks like slimy egg white. LOL I will leave it be for now and just not use the co2. My gravel is not as deep as this pic looks BTW. It's 2 inch at the front.

What the heck??? :confused:

Check your CO2 bottle. is any of the sugar yeast solution getting into the tubing?

What do you mean let it drip btw? You aren't putting any of the solution in the tank are you? lolz