Nitrate too low for algae??

BotiaMaximus · Post by **BotiaMaximus** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:05 pm

I've had my 75 gallon up and running for over 4 months now. Still no real algae growth. I had a little on the underside of the glass canopy under the light, but that was it. I have been trying to encourage a little to start up with leaving the lights on 12 hours and keeping the blinds open a bit. The only thing I can think is that I simply don't have enough nitrates in the water for it to get going? Right now nitrate is at 0ppm (water change 24 hours ago) it never gets over 10-15ppm before I change out water. I don't want a full blown bloom, just a little.

In my 30 gallon which had a higher fish load and the nitrate would hit 20ppm between changes I started getting some until I moved some fish to the 75. Unfortunately this was the yellow/brown type which if I understand correctly isn't desirable. I want to avoid that as well.

So... what do I need to do to encourage a little growth of nice green algae in the tanks without it getting out of hand?

Thankyamuch!!
Keith

FishyLady · Post by **FishyLady** » Sun May 31, 2009 5:20 pm

Hmmmm

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:13 pm

It probably just needs stronger light or more time. IME, a 55w compact flourescent bulb will grow algae. You could increase the lighting to 16 hours per day also.

BotiaMaximus · Post by **BotiaMaximus** » Sun May 31, 2009 6:52 pm

I have a 40 watt "Eclipse Natural Daylight" 48" traditonal flourescent in there.

Probably not enough??

Loaches like it

plaalye · Post by **plaalye** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:56 pm

I have 56 watts on my 75 and I grow more than I want. Do you have some algae feeders that your trying to feed? If so the brown stuff, diatoms, that usually comes in the early stages of a tank seems to be a favorite of my hillstreams and gobies etc.

BotiaMaximus · Post by **BotiaMaximus** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:20 pm

Not really trying to provide food for anyone, I have two common plecs in there but they eat as much brineshrimp as they do algae wafers. I was just expecting to see more of it by now. I'm really bad with plants, so algae is the only live "plant" that is usually in my tanks. I like having a little layer of it on some of the rocks and such and the fish do too.

I didn't remember having to go through the brown algae phase before you got to the green stuff (these are my first tanks in 10+ years). I had thought brown algae was from poor lighting.

I guess I just need to make sure the lights stay on a full 12 hours every day and keep the shades open a bit. I had been easy on the lights when I was still introducing fish to the tanks. Just wasn't sure if nitrate or other ingredient was not sufficient to get the process started.

Diana · Post by **Diana** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:36 am

Green algae will probably take off if you can get the light to around 1 watt per gallon. Some nitrates may help, but doing a water change that makes the nitrates read 0 ppm does not mean that there is not any ammonia in the tank. Nitrifying bacteria grab the ammonia when it reaches them, but algae can also utilize it. You just never see it on the tests.

Brown algae/diatoms generally grows in low light situations. I would increase the watts per gallon and the hours of daylight and see where that gets you.

BotiaMaximus · Post by **BotiaMaximus** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 11:50 am

Both tanks are pretty well stocked, so there is ammonia available if that's what they want. My tank consistently reads zero, but I'm sure plenty is being produced.

More light - more time seems to be the needed ingredients.

Thanks!!

Bully · Post by **Bully** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:06 pm

If you really want to grow some algae then you could add some nutrient into the tank, most aquarium plant fertilizers should do the job for you. If there are more nutrients in the tank than there are plants to utilise them, then algae should take-off as there's nothing to compete with the algae.

helen nightingale · Post by **helen nightingale** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:39 pm

i am sure there is somebody (no names mentioned) on here who uses a special naturally produced fertiliser to get algae going....

i have my lights right at the back of the tank, and there is plenty of algae growing for the garras to graze. one of the silly whotsists insists on bending himself in half to graze te strip of algae at the bottom of the front pane of glass, where struggle to clean it properly though

they are worse than cats i am sure

Diana · Post by **Diana** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:09 pm

Helen, pull the substrate away from the glass and let the little guy go for it!

Yes, I have a cat like that. No matter how difficult the spot is to get into, that is where he wants to be. (Just babysitting this guy- none of my other cats are like this!)

Nutrients for plants (including algae) come from several sources in an aquarium.
If you have a soil (garden soil) substrate then the tank ought to be very well set for macro and micro nutrients.
With gravel or sand then the nutrients need to come from the fish food and the water (water changes).

Fish food (digested or not) and tap water are usually rather low in potassium, and sometimes iron. In a low-tech set up these would be the first two items I would think about adding.
Carbon is likely to be the next nutrient that is in short supply. I am not sure if algae can use Excel.

plaalye · Post by **plaalye** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:34 pm

I've read often that the presence of silica in sand promotes diatoms. That's what I've attributed the brown algae growth that occurs in the early stages of my(all low tech) tanks to. What's your take on that Diana?

Diana · Post by **Diana** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:36 pm

Diatoms do incorporate silica into their skeletons.
When a glass tank is new, or sand is used as a substrate there is more silica available, to the Diatoms grow pretty fast.
As the Diatoms grow they are removing silica from the water, but then die, and the silica is recycled to grow more Diatoms.

You can interrupt this cycle by removing silica from the tank. There are a couple of ways that work pretty well. The Diatoms are acting like a filter, removing silica from the water and concentrating it, you need to then remove the Diatoms.
Wipe the Diatoms off the glass, plants and anything else that is easy enough to clean. When you physically remove the Diatoms, you are removing the silica.
Allow a fish (Otos, Bristlenose Plecos) to eat the Diatoms and do a good job of vacuuming the poop.

Another concept: Diatoms are part of the food chain. If you like Loricariads then keep one in each tank, and let them do algae (including Diatom) clean up for you.

BotiaMaximus · Post by **BotiaMaximus** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 12:51 am

I have 2 common plecos in the main tank and a bulldog pleco in the small tank. they probably aren't helping with the cultivation process.

I would imagine I have enough iron in the water (plenty of rust from pipes in my water)? I might be deficient in potassium. Is this a good time to find out if the loaches like banana??

I've been leaving the lights on about 15 hours a day since I started this thread. I think I will start getting some action in a week or so.

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