Algae on glass

[justy]

Just a quick question,rather than post in anybodies individual threads. Just thought I would ask about how often you clean your front glass.
It seems there is an anomaly in my tank at the moment. I have increased the filtration and I use AF products but my glass needs cleaning more often than ever??
Any thoughts?
Thanks justin

 

[PedroMurcia]

What phosphates and nitrates you have?

 

[justy]

0 - 0.25 No3 and 0.04 Po4

 

[justy]

I remember Andrew ( biggles) saying somewhere that he had to clean his glass every day and this was a good thing.
I run 2 Ltrs of siporax and 4 Ltrs of matrix.
What does it tell us if we have to clean the glass often but have low nutrients?

 

[PedroMurcia]

Decompensated have phosphates and nitrates having 0 will not be able to download them unless you use resins.
What I would do is let go up a little nitrate, also it is not good to have it to 0, once you have gone up a bit, to lower phosphate, with vodka you would suffice.
Although not let phosphate to 0.

 

[PedroMurcia]

It depends, low nutrients, 3-4 days I put up good crystals, usually after a water change, to provide traces of salt, algae dirty glasses.

 

[justy]

Hi yes thanks for your comments.
I just wonder if we are missing a trick?
Could we use it like a test kit, it wouldn't be enough to just count the days between cleaning. But other factors like what colour is the film, what time of day does it grow more? Is it bacterial or algae based?
I have been dosing pro f pro bio s and a b v e for 3 months now and recently added 4 Ltrs of matrix, glass needs cleaning more but nutrients have come down??

Many thanks justin

 

[PedroMurcia]

When a white film appears, they are bacteria, if green, are algae. Normally a thin film the first few days, are unicellular algae, phytoplankton.
Now, most of the products you use, are to add or increase the amount of bacteria. Which is fine, but in my opinion, and it is just my opinion, not necessary.
The bacteria are already in the aquarium, and its amount will be conditioned by the space you have to live (water, rock and other items) and food. If changes in food are prograsivos, they increase or decrease in number, until something the limit (space, food ..).
So I imagine that will add bacteria and food for these, each time you do it will grow. The good news is that although only the dirty windows, also are in the water and feed on corals appreciate them. The downside is spending money, food bacteria are usually carbon sources (acid, ethanol ...).
And it depends on what you choose, if you follow a method Strictly and achieve results that we like, or try something more natural and get other results that we like.
In short, if bacteria and food for these are added, one way or another, we get dirty glasses.

 

[justy]

Hi yes I agree with everything you say.
What I find odd is on previous tanks when dropping nutrients I got less algae on the glass. But this time around I seem to be getting more. AF products plus more bio media = more algae on glass??
anybody else experience this?

 

[PedroMurcia]

I would say that as long goals bacteria, food for these and the aquarium itself has food for them (nitrate and phosphate), a greater or less extent, you will have an overpopulation of bacteria and soiled more crystals.