camtang Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Some people including Tom Barr recommend not doing a water change that often even as low as once a month if you have problems with algae. This method can be useful but it depends both what type of algae you have and what's causing it. No real one size fits all for algae but I can almost guarantee a lack of CO2 is responsible in this tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 What makes you guarantee this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Because IME, the cause of most algae issues is a lack of CO2. Any tank I don't run CO2 on gets algae, it's that simple. I do get a bit of algae when starting a new tank or from direct sunlight even with CO2 but that's easily fixed. Sort the CO2 and you should be algae free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 I would like to argue this a bit. The tank I have beside this has zero algae in it, runs no c02, same light times if not longer.I think it has less flow in the tank and gets the same amount of fert as this one ( more over the last 2 weeks as I have stoped doesing this tank now). Only major diffrence is the substract mix and it has fish in it. The plants are similar as well. Neither seem to be going crazy as far as growing goes but the one in this thread is growing a bit more noticably than the other. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 So you've isolated the issue as substrate then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Even low amounts of co2 will show an improvement in plant growth over a tank with no co2. Have you got a drop checker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Thats what I think it is, but I dont know for sure. I was only guessing that thte substract can leech into the water. is that correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Drop checker is on shopping list for this week, unless I need to buy textbooks then it will wait till the week after Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Have you got a ph and kh test kit? If so you can get a rough idea of what your co2 levels are from comparing the results from both those tests with this chart; http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/pla ... Chart.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 I dont have KH. bugger I was looking at one the other day but didnt have a real reason to buy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 have a swig. if the water tastes metallic then you got a KH issue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 :rotf: :rotf: :gpo2: :gpo2: :gpo2: :rotf: :rotf: That made me giggle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 I've tasted my aquarium water before and I'm not sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 i do sniff tests daily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 I often smell my water, but there is no way for the life of me that I amdrinking my tank water. I know what my fish do in that water! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 I've had a big mouthful of my tanks water before (damn siphon) and it wasn't very appealing, my mind was telling me for a week that I felt sick when I didn't lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 The mouthfuls of water I've had didn't taste particularly bad. The one time I sucked on the outlet of a filter and it spit a bunch of a the brown gunk from in the filter into my mouth was a lot more unpleasant. Not so much from the taste but mostly because it was chunky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reptilez Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 The mouthfuls of water I've had didn't taste particularly bad. The one time I sucked on the outlet of a filter and it spit a bunch of a the brown gunk from in the filter into my mouth was a lot more unpleasant. Not so much from the taste but mostly because it was chunky. That is gross saltwater doesn't taste good either :dno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomGilberg Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 BBA is caused by flucuating CO2 levels. so if the other tank doesnt have Co2 running in it the CO2 levels shoul be stable, right? in the tank with algae you have been starting CO2 now its empty so you will have flucating Co2 levels, right? i am of the same opinion as Sam. in my tank ive been running 40ppm consistantly and i have 0 bba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rouseabout Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 The mouthfuls of water I've had didn't taste particularly bad. The one time I sucked on the outlet of a filter and it spit a bunch of a the brown gunk from in the filter into my mouth was a lot more unpleasant. Not so much from the taste but mostly because it was chunky. :rolfl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 BBA is caused by flucuating CO2 levels. so if the other tank doesnt have Co2 running in it the CO2 levels shoul be stable, right? in the tank with algae you have been starting CO2 now its empty so you will have flucating Co2 levels, right? i am of the same opinion as Sam. in my tank ive been running 40ppm consistantly and i have 0 bba I didnt know that caused BBA, in that case how come my flatmates tank has a few tuffs of it popping up, he has never used co2 in his tank at all? So on the consistent co2 theory, once the bottle is filled and running again, should that mean the BBA is elimintated? The more I look the less BBA I am finding, so I think its a diffrent algae that I have. P.S Planted tanks are way to much effort, how do you planted guys keep up with all this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 i'm with ya on that one. my one is looking pretty neglected at the moment, and the fish have white spot. i think my daughter and i will give it a clean up this weekend. rada rada. my other two tanks have nothing but stone and rock and i never have algae issues, ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted March 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 I hear ya brother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 Regarding your flatmates tank, I already explained that when you do a water change from the taps it will contain quite a high level of co2 which once used causes fluctuating co2 levels. Also I personally love planted tanks it's all about patience and studying what works and doesn't. I have 6 tanks going and they all have plants to some degree lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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