# thought about co2 and algae



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I've read many times that co2 can help reduce hair algae. I have a theory on how this helps in part. With co2, your plants produce more oxygen and can pearl, maybe its the extra oxygen on the leaves that kills the hair algae?

I redid my co2 yesterday and I see lots of pearling in my main tank. I did a bit more yeast than usual and this is the first time I've had pearling in this 90 gallon with 2 t5ho lights.

It has probably helped that I recently got a timer for my lights and now the light on time is consistant


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## Sameer (Sep 30, 2007)

Ive never ever had thread/bba type of algae. I have a pressurized co2 system. co2 helps plants grow like weed combined with lights and nutrients. This means they out compete algae. I believe inconsistent lvls of co2 causes this type of algae. Maybe your co2 lvls are not high enough either. It is a misconception that co2 itself kills algae.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

Sameer said:


> Ive never ever had thread/bba type of algae. I have a pressurized co2 system. co2 helps plants grow like weed combined with lights and nutrients. This means they out compete algae. I believe inconsistent lvls of co2 causes this type of algae. Maybe your co2 lvls are not high enough either. It is a misconception that co2 itself kills algae.


+1

And its pearling on a 90g with yeast and sugar really?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4


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## Greg_o (Mar 4, 2010)

I thought it was more of a basic theory that by keeping the plants thriving with the strong CO2 they will out compete any algae.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

yup pearling with diy yeast on a 90 gallon with dual t5ho. I use a power head to diffuse so I get 100 percent or close to it.

2 to 2.5 cups sugar and almost 2 tsp of yeast, put in a little baking soda as I've read it helps stabilize it. I don't expect it to last too long with that much yeast but it is nice to see pearling actually happen in this tank for once.

in a 15 gallon that has dual t5ho I get pearling without even using co2, but that is very high light.


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## GAT (Oct 8, 2011)

DIY CO2 is great if you can get consistent CO2 but its hard unless you have few bottles going but each starting at different day. This is too much work and I would rather have a proper CO2. It is costly but its worth it in the long run.

Personal experience: I used DIY CO2 on my tank and it was great but i am a lazy person and I don't want to deal with changing the bottle every 3 week (you get less bubbles after 2-2.5 weeks). I'm just waiting to save some money so i can upgrade both the CO2 and T5 light fixture.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I'd love to have a proper pressurized system, but that isn't possible right now.

I know the main theory is the plants out competing for nutrients for reducing algae. My thought was just another side effect of pearling that might also be a contributing factor in reducing algae


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

What baking soda does is to really slow down yeast growth.. it does not stabilize it. In fact, if you use a bit too much baking soda you will kill the yeast stone dead.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

oh, I'll just skip the baking soda in the future then to be safe.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Much safer that way. Bad enough the alcohol kills it off in the end without adding a yeast toxin at the start too.


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## kyle (Oct 9, 2006)

I find that Keeping Algae at bay is very similar to the ideas of keeping weeds out of your lawn now that herbicides have been banned. 

The idea that re-seeding, refertilizing and letting the grass grow longer will keep most of the weeds out of the lawn. The grass then will out compete for ferts, water and space and sun - preventing weeds from germinating growing and taking over the lawn.

A key point with Co2 and light is finding the right amount for each tank and keeping it consistent. Many of us have achieved nice planted tanks for months/years, with no algae growth by keeping things consistent (ferts Light intensity, co2, light duration, water changes) only to come home and experience algae growth when Co2 runs out or faulty regulators but everything else remained the same.

Also there is something called false pearling which occurs just after a water change. The dissolved gasses (ie O2) of the tap water are escaping and not
necessarily CO2.

If you are seeing Pearling it is a great sign and may back up the theory that a healthy tank fully planted is out competeing the algae for other things it needs to thrive. Not necessarily that O2 or Pearling itself kills the algae. However if that O2 bonds to Hydrogen and becomes H2O2 or hydrogen peroxide that will definitely kill algae.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

kyle said:


> However if that O2 bonds to Hydrogen and becomes H2O2 or hydrogen peroxide that will definitely kill algae.


Kind of what I was thinking, it might contribute to killing algae in some way, even if very minor.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I guess the only real way to test all this would be to have a tank without plants and has algae and using co2 and see if the algae decreases at all.

Just one of those interesting thoughts


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