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It's really long sticky hair algae. Lots of it. I'll spend an hour at waterchange time and get rid of it. In a week it'll be back full force, but for a few days the tank looks pretty good. I've checked the CO2 levels and they are good now that I've gotten a diffuser. Before it was a little low using the HOB filter. Haven't gone about testing PO4 and NO3, but it should be ok. I can't keep up with daily dosing, so I add 10ppm NO3 and K and 1ppm PO4 at waterchange time and once more during the week. That used to keep up with my old setup. I'm thinking my filtration could be upgraded to get some more biofiltration and I'd see a bit less algae. Maybe an eheim ecco 80. I don't know if that would help out a lot, but I don't think the AC 70 is doing the job.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I was starting to get some long stringy stuff in my 55G. I am not sure if it is in there anymore or not. I just got back from a week in MI. I will be doing water changes probably later today after unpacking everything. Mine was not growing nearly as fast as yours seems to be. I upped my CO2 and stated dosing Excel.

We should hook up sometime this summer... I have free time now...

Need any water lettuce?

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Is this the bright green variety of hair algea? During most of last year I had that in my big tank, it was relatively easy to remove most of it, but then wit would grow back in a couple of days. In the end I got rid of it by changing my lights, getting the CO2 dose fixed, and keeping up water changes with a steady fertilization. I don't know which one of those factors was the most important to get rid of it, but my guess is that it's a combination. It was nasty stuff, good luck with yours.

I know I talked to wings about it in the store, but I've purchased an eheim ecco 80 for this tank and made an inline CO2 reactor as well. At first it didn't seem to have any effect, but the super long, sticky, stringy hair algae has not come back since the last time I harvested it.

I haven't changed anything but those two factors. So I can't really pinpoint it to less fish waste (in trace ammonia) for the algae to consume due to better filtration, or increased CO2 diffusion into the water due to the reactor. I know that algae thrives off available trace amounts of ammonia, but it could also be that my old glass diffuser wasn't quite doing the job with the CO2 and the plants weren't able "do their thing" to limit the algae growth. Either way it seems that the environment has shifted to favor growing plants instead of algae.

Though I don't know which of the two (maybe it was both) to credit, the end result is a MUCH nicer looking tank. Since the algae has stayed away, I've been able to feed my fish quite a bit more, and they are looking fatter and very happy about it. I'm also thinking of increasing the amount of time both lamps are on to try and increase the reds in the plants. I'll also have to increase the ferts if I do that and dose a bit more trace and iron to get those reds.

I'll try and get a shot of it today after the lights come on and post it up. I haven't quite grown enough algae free plants to create an aquascape that I really like though, so bear with me.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

PICTURES!!!!!! Me want to see them!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I know! Empty promises and all that. I'll try again this weekend.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

OK, well here we go.

Here's some of the last bits left of the algea:

stringy hair type:


bba:


but the new growth is nice and clean:


FTS:


Now for some fishes, Boesmans:


male:


Turquoise:


Another:


RTBS:



It's been all this time and I really haven't worked much on the scape or put a proper background on, but the algae is mostly gone and the fish are nice and fat for sure!

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Pictures!!!

For not having a scape really worked on or planned out I think the tank looks pretty good. The blyxia doesn't look nearly as good as I would expect it to though.

I really miss having my rainbows. I think they are one of the nicest fish in the hobby. Pretty good pictures of some very fast fish too by the way!

I would post some pictures of my tank but my membership is still messed up....

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Very nice pictures! Very beautiful setup and fish! I love it. By seeing all of your tanks, it gives me ideas for my next tank (in my next life, since I'm still waiting for my current tank to finish cycling. *sigh*)

I showed the latest pics to my husband. He's so jealous! He wants a RTBS so badly.

Is there another name for the Boesmans? I tried searching in the profiles and couldn't find anything. Their soooo cute and colorful! Even my husband couldn't complain about them. (Ususally everything I pick, looks like bait to him. Or just plain girly. [His words])

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Hi Kelly,
If you should decide on a RTBS be sure you read up on them
and only put one in a tank.

http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-RedTailShark.htm

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Thanks guys!

Wings - yeah, I'm disappointed in the blyxa as well. It's just kinda blah now. I've ramped the lighting up a bit now so that both 96w bulbs are on together for 4ish hours in the middle. I would think that should be enough light for them. Don't know what else to do.

As for the scape, I think I want the narrow leaf fern and the crypts towards the center and some stems on the outsides and a bit shorter. Then I have to find some foreground plant that likes my tank. Might try myself a few e. tenellus.

Delenn- thanks, I hope to see your tanks soon!

Kelly - the rtbs are a really cool fish, you just have to realize they can get about 6" and have a bit of a mean streak. I have to keep an eye on mine to make sure he's not stressing the rainbows too much. The rainbows are aka boesmani rainbows to answer your question.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Thanks for the name of the rainbows. I noticed several species. All just as colorful as the next, but they need a much higher ph than I'm willing to go through the trouble for. I peak at 7.6.

Our original list of fish for the 55 gal included a RTBS. Once we read up on it we realized it was not suited. I wonder if my hubby ever gets his dream tank, if RTBS and a jaguar will hit it off? or just tear each other to pieces?

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Delenn- thanks, I hope to see your tanks soon!

Actually, I have pictures of my tank up in the Photo Booth section. The only thing my tank is missing is the fish. It's still cycling and has probably another two weeks to go yet. It's getting frustrating, especially since I think I FINALLY have my list of fish narrowed down and finalized. It just seems like it's taking forever for the tank to finish cycling.