Just Flooded My Dsm And Running Into Some Algae - 45P, High Tech Noob Here

[Drebula]

Hi, new member here, I usually lurk around planted tank forum, but I figured I might as well sign up to a forum where I live!

I am very new to EI, co2 Injection, and high tech tanks, the tank I am talking about here is my first and I'm running into some algae issues.

Some background info -

Tank: ADA 45P

DoAqua! Accessories: (Lily Pipes, Music Glass, Bubble Counter) - Broke the Outflow while setting up! arg.

Lighting: is a ADA Aquasky 451

Using a co2 ART Paintball Setup for the Regulator / Solenoid.

Eheim Canister Filter (2213)

Hydor Inline Heating

ADA drop checker

Plants:

Monte Carlo

Dwarf Hairgrass

Current Lighting is at 7hours, with co2 injection on timer.

Dosing Ferts Using EI Calculator from Rotala Butterfly, Ferts bought from the Plantguy (EI Kit), alternate days, 6 days a week with Sunday being the 50% W/C

It has been just over a week since I flooded this tank after roughly 1 1/2 months of dsm.

After flooding the tank I have had lots of new growth, but in the past 3 or 4 days, lots of melting of the monte carlo (still lots of new growth) and the dwarf hairgrass seems to be fine, however I think I may have misted too often during the DSM as there is some mold that appears to be forming on the HG. I have been manually trimming these areas and taking as much out as I can with a toothbrush. That being said, the HG is still showing lots of new growth.

For the first 5 days I had the co2 blasting - 4 to 5 bubbles a second, now I turned it down a bit to 2 bubbles as I started to see hair algae the past 3 days. I think it may because my light period is still too long. I have dosed with EI since the flooding.

Please see photos below. I'm not sure if this is just the regular algae bloom that occurs when you are starting a new tank - that being said, I obviously dont want to put any amanos in to clean up as the co2 and water parameters are probably going to kill them pretty quickly.

Another note - the co2 bubbles coming out of the music glass appear to be floating on top of the water more than mixing into it. Is this an issue as well?

Any help would be awesome!

[jvision]

I've never done a DSM, bit have grown lots of plants. From what I've read about DSM, you need LOTS of CO2 to start. I would put the diffuser right below the filter return to hopefully get those tiny bubbles dispersed a bit better, and maybe up the bubble rate a bit. If you're dosing EI per instructions, then chances are your CO2 is too low.

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but I would run the lights 10-12hrs, giving the plants EVERYTHING they need. IME, if your plants are happy, algae doesn't become an issue.

[Drebula]

Thanks Jason. The one thing that I was worried about was the whole co2 floating on the surface bit. I guess putting the diffuser close to the filter return would allow it to absorb into the water rather than floating on the surface. I was worried that having the lights on for 10 hours would be too much for algae, which is why I decreased it so I could decrease bubble counter as well, to get rid of "floating bubbles"

[ckmullin]

I'll give you a shout. You have to be careful about "excess" co2 in the air.