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All right, I am actually, finally buying a nice light. Tomorrow, I'm going to pick up a fixture that will give me either 65 or 130 watts of lighting on my 29 gallon tank (depending on how many bulbs I keep on). Since I'm new to the planted deal, I'm looking for the best ways to prevent algae growth before it starts. More specifically, I'm talking about the algae that often grows on plant leaves and spreads. I have no ottos or other nimble algae eaters, and I don't plan to get them. Otherwise, I'm all ears. I just don't want to buy nice plants, only to have them ruined by an unsightly menace.

I've got two algae-eating plecos (a BN and a blue phantom) that will take care of the tank's sides, substrate, and decor. My twice-weekly water changes will help me with suspended algae, if that ever becomes a problem. I just don't know what to do with the plant-borne stuff.

Thanks for your time!

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Preventation? That's not a word.

Ancistrinae, IME, prefer offered fresh vegetables to algae. I'd maybe get a little triradiatus female to keep your big guy some company. 100+ watts is really killing it, IMO, and will likely guarentee you SOME algae, if not a bloom, with your current heavy stocking. Also, I'd actually desist in twice weekly water changes with the new fixture, as that's just BEGGING for BGA (nitrate and phosphate levels being out of proportion), which is far worse than the average green stuff.


Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 10-Apr-2005 12:14

How about if I only use one bulb for the time being, and go with 65 watts? That wouldn't be overdoing it, only 2.25 wpg.

I'd planned to add a female BN, but I still have to wait until I can grab a new tank. The folks are starting to come around, it's only a matter of time.

And... you think that the new plants will offset the extra water change? I know that BGA is terrible stuff, but I don't want my fish to suffer from poor water quality. Since I'm going to have quite a few plants in there by the time I'm done, I guess I won't have to worry about nitrates. Ammonia and nitrite are of course not a problem.

Thanks for the answers.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Stick to just 65 watts. Lights on a timer (this is very important). 10-11 hours a day.

Plant heavily.Keep to simple easy to care for plants.It's better to add all the plants at the same time. Planting a few at a time is leaving openings for algae to get in.

Do not fertilize unless you see a deficiency. With Plecos in the tank running out of nitrates hopefully will not be a problem.

What Noodles mean by easing off the water changes is that the plants may make your water quality "too" good, so need to worry on that front.

Zero nitrates is bad, very bad.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Add lots of plants before you add the new bulb. If you add the plants afterward your more likely to get an algae bloom. Flourish excel would probably help alot. Don't add the other bulb unless you want to go all out with co2 and fast growing plants. The more light you add the harder it will be to keep the tank balanced so that no algae shows up. My 29g has only plecos for algae eaters and 2wpg. It's planted in crypts, aponogeton, and java fern. All the plants are clear of algae. It's just the glass that gets some when I feed the plecs too many algae wafers and they get lazy.

Do NOT add flourish before the plants get settled in. Try not to dose until you've set up a good ferting regime and let the plants thrive for a little bit after transport shock.

I wanted to grow some algae for my otos so I got a jar and some rocks to sit in the sun. Added one rock that had some algae already. Then thinking to help it along I added a drop of leaf zone and a few drops of flourish excel. The algae failed to grow. It even started to die. So I dumped the water out added nothing and tried again. Algae coated everything. Now I use a 5g tank sitting in the window for oto rocks. As an experiment I tried adding flourish excel again. No algae growth and if I overdosed the tank most types of algae started to die. These were setups without plants that should have been excellent conditions for algae. Excel will not increase algae. At least not in my water.

somebody told me to use uv light for algae control. So I added UV light to my fluval filter on my 95 galon tank. I'm not sure it does anything really except maybe kill a few extra bacteria or algae but I wouldn't say control it.

Thanks for all the help, I will add plants as quickly as I can! Hopefully this tank will turn out nice, I'd love a great-looking planted tank. Even if things go wrong, it will be a learning experience.

One question: Is it really necessary that I fertilize or add nutrients or chemicals? I know that such things will aid the growth of my plants, but I don't want to do something that really isn't needed. I'm not looking to grow delicate, fragile plants, so don't worry there.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Funny, I do the same thing with algae for my o. flexilis, and the algae thrives. Hair algae is apparently exterminated by the stuff, but god forbid you try it in your tank with the regular green specks--you'll be all but overrun. This, btw, is water straight from the RO, which is why I added the flourish in the first place.

EDIT: With your stock, I'd do mostly anubias/java fern/moss or something along those lines. Therefore, no ferts are necessary.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 10-Apr-2005 22:27

Jucifer,
UV light only helps with green water, not with any other type of algae, as it needs the algae to pass through the UV lamp which kills it. I would try to turn it off and see if you even have a problem with green water, if you don't, it's really unnecessary.

Sirbooks,
If you don't add CO2 to the tank and you don't have nitrate sucking plants like hornwort, then you probably have enough fertilisers in the tank water as it is. If something is lacking from your tank your your plants will tell you in due time.

Would the following plants work out, then?:
Jungle val
Corkscrew val
Sagittaria (any)
Anubias barteria or nana
Narrow leaf ludwigia

I like these plants, and they are all available at work. If the tall grasses (vals and sagittaria) wouldn't work out, what other plants would be good for the back of the tank? I can figure out more fore to mid ground plants, but I'm limited for choices in the back.

Thanks again for the help.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."