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Hi All,

Ok here is my problem, and now I'm willing to tray anything since nothing I've done has worked.

A few months ago I did some nano cubes http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/thread.asp?id=41717, well everything was going fine, till I had an algae bloom, thread algae. I tried everything on it, even breaking down the cubes and cleaning everything up and putting them back together again. No luck, algae is taking over again and making them crash.

I recently added some fast growing nutrient sucking plants, like bacopa, whisteria (I know it will out grow the tank sooner or later), Magenta Cabomba, floating plants like salvinia to shade the excess light and it really thrives on high nutrients, red amania, nesaea (which is now growing emerged and flowering (?)).

Shading the light has forked more or less fine, with other plants, but I still see the *(^#&%^%!@ algae coming back.

I also tried to put a single otto in 2 of them and well I can't see any difference, I think I have to get a couple more to keep company and help these guys.

I was also thinking of a SAE since ottos don't touch the thread algae, but I know it's way small for them, even if I get them really small.

Another experiment was adding H2O2 which I read in a thread here, it didn't worked that well either, plants pearled like crazy but the algae was laughing at me.

So as you can see I practically have done anything, but adding chemicals which I'm a little scared of because they can kill the good plants. So if anyone has any suggestion, even with chems that are known to kill algae and not plants, I'm up for it, I'll try them.

I've never had an algae bloom in any of my tanks or tanks that I've done for clients, so this is driving me crazy!!! HELP!!!

Hi,
I suspect a couple, three, problems.

First, an unknown - "azoo's Plant Grower Bed."
I don't know what that is, and when I did a search
on your term, I came up with nothing.
It sounds like more than common, ordinary gravel,
or Flourite. It could be releasing all sorts of
nutrients into that small amount of water.
A regular banquet table for algae.

Second, you don't say how often you change the water
in the cubes, how much you change, or what kind/size/
quantity of fish you have in the cubes. Chances are
they are over stocked despite how few that might be.
There is not enough or frequent enough water changes.
And, with all the ornaments in the tanks and the depth of
the substrate, you have no where near a gallon in each.
Again, extra nutrients and an algae banquet.

Third, with tanks that shallow, even as much as one
watt/gallon will be as intense at the substrate, as
3 watts/gallon. I suspect that you have far too
much light for the size tank. Again jump start for
the algae.

Remember the basic tenant of all aquariums....
IF it's gonna happen... It will happen faster and
more aggressivly in a small tank, than in a larger
tank. Those are not just small, they are "micro"
and whatever goes wrong, will go wrong practically
overnight.

Frank


[span class="edited"][Edited by FRANK 2004-08-11 10:34][/span]

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

http://www.azoo.com.tw

Its all on the one addy,
Here is what it said:

"""PLANT GROWER BED
For garden aquarium, aquatic plant aquariums and ponds.
FEATURE:
1. Long-lasting Basic fertilizer: Offer the nutrients for aquatic plants for released 12&#65374;18 months,
2. Decoloration: Decolorize the color by driftwood and purify the water for 12&#65374;18 months.
3. Water purification: prolong the water exchange period to once every 6 months easy to maintain.
4. Stabilize pH: Keep the pH value at 6.5&#65374;6.8, plants still can grow well without offering CO2, is best for discus, tetra and the fish that lives in the weak acid water environment.
5. The best: The porous granular structure is easily penetrated by growing roots of the plants.
6. Natural present: Looks nature and fits for any planting"""



For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

sounds a bit like something I did...I've got a bunch of plants growing in a glass cookie jar on my windowsill. it was jsut an experiment to see if it'd work.

anyway after a week or too algae started to appear. interestingly enough, so did some baby snais, which I guess hitched in on the eggs. anyway they've eaten most of the algae so everyone's ahppy.

there are no fish in them except for 3 of them, one betta, and one otto y the other 2, those don't have a severe algae problem the rest does.

I do 100% WC on the rest and 50% on the ones that have fish, once a week.

In that case could it be that you're restricting the nitrates such that the plants can't outcompete the algae?

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Restricting how?

I know what the problem is, it's all that Frank mentioned, really high light, a nutrient rich substrate, and the water volume of the tanks (2 liters). That's why i tryed shading them with the floating plants, and giving them less light hours, they all have a mini filetr with activated carbon.

some of them are doing better, some of them just keep getting algae back, that's why i was asking if someone knew any chemical or medicine that will knock the algae out and still respect the plants.

I was thinking maybe CO2, but in such small tanks and so many of them it's going to be a real mess if i try a DIY system. besides i'm going to have a petit jungle in there!

Should i just give up and turn them into betta bowls, without decoration, they hold a gallon of water, fine for bettas.

I mean, if you're doing 100% water changes and there are no fish ... are you dosing nitrogen? If not, with that light, I wouldn't be surprised algae has found a good foothold. I'd say check your nitrate and phosphate levels - it's a lot easier in the long run to make it perfect for your plants and let them battle rather than dose something without knowing the whole story.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Hi,
Before you "give up" and turn them into betta bowls,
I'd rather see you try again. This time do not use
that substrate, use regular aquarium gravel in one,
Flourite or Onyx in another.

Place a piece of driftwood in each and similiar
plants. Put a fish or two in each or perhaps say,
5 neons or something equally small.
Light it with one watt. And let's see if they don't
meet your expectations.

Don't use anything from the old tanks as you would
just contaminate the new ones.


From the internet sites that you have shown, hundreds
of folks have been successful. I think you can too.
I personally think you have over done the light (wpg)
and the substrate.

Frank

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

Falstaff,

I think Frank is on the right track. I had a small problem with thread algae a while back. I had overdosed with an Iron supplement and the Thread Algae, once I got the Iron down the thread algae disappeared and has never returned.

If it is too much Iron, then the first thing I would look at, like Frank said, is the substrate, it just may be too rich for such a small environment (especially if it does all those things that azoo claim).I would definately say try again but with a different substrate. Be interested how it turns out as I'm planning to set up a Nano myself.

I'm very familiar with azoo here in Indonesia where it's very difficult to get western brands but easy to find the Asian ones. The shop I use for plant materials has shelves full of azoo products (and their range of products is huge), they have some good products but they also produce some stuff with wild fantastical claims which I don't trust. I've tended to keep away from their products and use a new brand out of Singapore called Dent/Niche which has some excellent products at very reasonable prices.

---

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.

Thanks guys!!!

I'll try that, i'll get rid of the substrate, or maybe add less, at the end i have 9 of them to experiment with, so i'm going to try regular gravel, half this substrate half regular gravel and see what comes out of it all.

I agree with you bensaf, regarding azoo, it is easier to get azoo's products here and also cheaper than any other brand, i've tried several of their products and some are excelent like lighting fixtures, bulbs and lamps. some are just to much talk and no action. some are just plain bad like their fish foods for example. Their fert pearls are awsome, at list they brought my amazon swords back to thriving conditions. so i guess it's just a try and tell situation. I'll look for the brand you mention though it's worth a try

I'll keep you posted on the results.

Falstaff,

If the root pearls you refer to are those red balls they make, while I haven't tried them myself, I have heard they are excellent.
I think the problem with azoo is that their range is too big and they just buy from various sources and stick their label on, so it can be a bit hit and miss. Agree I have one of their light fixtures 144watts of PC lights with reflectors and it is excellent and an absolute bargain at under $80

---

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.

Yes! those are the ones, the root pearls. IME they are excellent, i've been using them in my comunity tank, for several months now, and i don't have co2 in that tank, and the plants are as healthy and lush as the ones that do have co2 addition.

Specially for plants that require a rich iron source.