# do i need a co2 system



## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

hi guys i have 2 ,35 gal tanks , both have plants in them not sure of there names . i would say its what u guys would call lo tech tank , i seem to have a slime on the plants , i dont use any plant food .should i , should i invest in a co 2 system of any sorts can anyone offer me any help 
thanks 
tom


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

From your signature, your 40g tank is extremely overstocked. I would remedy this as soon as possible.

How much lighting do you have over your 35g tank?

Are you sure that the "slime" over your plants is not algae?


----------



## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

give u your specs... kind of gravel, lighting source, how much wattage and type of bulbs.. and what do u want to achieve.


----------



## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

40 gal tank , river rock gravel ( brown ) - nova extreme t 5 lighting 
teh bulbs in it are 10 000 ohm h/o . i have a low plnated tank prob five plants , just want a clean looking tank i cant seem to clean the plants 
thanks 
tom


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

How many bulbs are in your T5HO fixture? What is (are) the wattage(s) on it?


----------



## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

2bulbs 39 watts


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Unfortunately, with the light that you have, a low tech tank is probably not possible, unless you raise the lights significantly higher above your tank.

T5HO bulbs are very efficient at providing light, so you have quite a bit of light over your tank. As a result, you will need CO2 as well as both macro and micronutrients to better provide for your plants.


----------



## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Slimey algae usually excessive nutrients due to overstocking, overfeeding, underfiltration, exceessive waste in the water, lack of water movement. 

Some 50% water changes weekly should help balance things out, each time vac a quarter of the gravel. Lessen your feeding period, change more water, examine your stocking as pushing the limits on both tanks. Do you need more filtration for your amount and type of fish or need to clean/refresh your filter media more often ? (angels are heavy bioload)Flourish excel would be a quick cheaper (in the short term) way to add co2 and has unwritten benefit of combatting algae. Also fresh charcoal pack or better yet Purigen into your filter to further help absorb excess 'stuff'. 

Do a nitrate test.


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

DaFishMan said:


> Slimey algae usually excessive nutrients due to overstocking, overfeeding, underfiltration, exceessive waste in the water, lack of water movement.


Depending on what algae tom g has, it may or may not be indicative of excessive nutrients in the water column. For example, BGA is usually due to low nitrates, not excessive nitrates.



DaFishMan said:


> Flourish excel would be a quick cheaper (in the short term) way to add co2 and has unwritten benefit of combatting algae.


In all the articles that I have read, Excel has no effect on BGA. It does, however, work wonders on BBA and Staghorn algae.



DaFishMan said:


> Also fresh charcoal pack or better yet Purigen into your filter to further help absorb excess 'stuff'.


Again, as mentioned, if the algae is BGA, nitrates are likely not in excess, so removing it would be counterindicative. In addition, activated carbon is also contraindicated in a planted tank, as it can adsorb (not absorb) the chelated iron from the water column. In either case, activated carbon nor purigen will remove excess "stuff" (i.e. macronutrients) from the water column.



DaFishMan said:


> Do a nitrate test.


I agree with this; what are your nitrate levels? Can you also identify your algae (or at least post a picture so that it can aid us in the diagnosis of the root of your problem).


----------



## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

*yo*

bga is most likely what you have, and ***** here is def on the right track, check your ammonia levels while your at it, hopefully your tank is all cycles properly. But BGA is a biatch to get rid of unless your using EI.. I would dose it right now if its just starting out bud, cant remember the dosage but it worked like a charm for me.. just google it. Other methods would be to black out and water changes but its soo much easier to dose some EI.. by the way EI is a antibiotic ..and Blue green algae is a bacteria and not so much a typical algae. This might effect your water column but if your tank is doing crappy bc its not cycled properly then you might as well do it, it wont hurt the plants at all.


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

jimmyjam said:


> But BGA is a biatch to get rid of unless your using EI.. I would dose it right now if its just starting out bud, cant remember the dosage but it worked like a charm for me.. just google it. Other methods would be to black out and water changes but its soo much easier to dose some EI


You had me up until this point



jimmyjam said:


> .. by the way EI is a antibiotic ..and Blue green algae is a bacteria and not so much a typical algae.


You lost me here. EI is a fertilizing dosing regime. With tom g's lighting, he should be following the EI regime (i.e. dosing both micronutrients and macronutrients so that the plants can thrive). However, EI itself will not directly eliminate the BGA problem (i.e. it is the plants that will start to do better, and then outcompete the BGA).

If you meant erythromycin, then it would make sense, though.


----------



## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

I still have alot to learn DarkBlade, still to join the high tech ranks lol. I remember 50% w/c combined with excel knocked the crap outta my bba, but the underlying cause was lack of timely filter maint, dead spots in the current (underfiltration) and I think excess nitrates. I'll have to remember what worked for me doesn't work with all algaes


----------



## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

yup I meant erythro... estimated index def makes no sense lol. So you can either get erythro via your pharmacy (I hear its over the counter in the states, but I doubt it is here) or just get some EI pills from your lfs, it took 4 days to clear up my narsty case of BGA last month and no dead plants or shrimpies, then I dosed half the amount for another day and half to kill the spores. No recurrence ... yet (fingers crossed). 

And again, it will effect your bacteria content, so make sure to test for ammonia/nitrate levels. 

I used 4 EI pills for my 75 gallon a day, and reduced it to 3 on the 5th day and 2 on the 6th. I also used a syringe to stray it right on the bad spots, I found that it really helped.
But obviously, you have to find the cause of the outbreak, so your nutrient counts are important here. In regards to estimated index and pps pro, I use a modified version of pps pro as i know my tank very well and know what it need relative to the growth rate, types of algae growth, pearling and colouration or deffientcy of certain plants.


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

jimmyjam said:


> yup I meant erythro... estimated index def makes no sense lol.





jimmyjam said:


> So you can either get erythro via your pharmacy (I hear its over the counter in the states, but I doubt it is here) or just get some *EI *pills from your lfs,


I think you would need a prescription for erythromycin if you were to get it from the pharmacy.

My bolding 



jimmyjam said:


> I used 4 *EI *pills for my 75 gallon a day, and reduced it to 3 on the 5th day and 2 on the 6th.


My bolding again


----------

