# Black Brush Algae (BBA) outbreak in planted discus tank--help



## demuddy (Sep 22, 2011)

Ok, I have generally over lit and overstocked my tank with the discus and have high Nitrates and a presence of Nitrites. Can I have this and keep it algae and fish-death free?

55g planted aquarium with mostly anubias nana previously (now tank defoliated with no anubias, and no BBA visible--but they're there!!--and I will bring back the anubias once the BBA algae have gone from them) with coarse gravel substrate with overstocked fish:
1) 4 one-year-old pigeon-blood and 4 six-month-old brown discus,
2) 10 cardinal tetras
3) 2 rummy nose tetras
4) 2 albino bristlenose pleco 2" (w/o tail)
5) 3 fresh water shrimp
6) 2 German blue rams


previously did once a week water changes with the planted tank (I, yes, need to do changes more often)

previously white florescent lighting at 13 hours a day (now replaced with Arcadia marine blue 20W 24" bulbs X2 at 13 hours a day)

pH: 7.4 or lower (didn't have low pH test on the Salifert kit I had, strangely)
NH3+NH4: < 0.25 or nil
KH: 3* dH
GH: 5* dH
NO2: 0.1 ppm
NO3: 50 ppm (not clear if 25 ppm or 50 ppm or 100 ppm on the Tetra kit)
PO4: 0.015 ppm
CO2: low

My question is, will I be able to maintain low nitrate levels once I restock my tank with plants with water changes no more often than once a week? There are sites on the internet that claim that once a week water changes for planted discus tanks are possible.

Will a nitrate filter like Algone be enough? Has anyone used this Aquaripure filter system (kinda expensive bio canister filter that requires once a week injection of sugar water or alcohol)? Good for discus?

I wanna have a planted tank for my discus, maintain low algae, and feed them as much as discus need, with decent lighting so that I can actually SEE them and enjoy their company.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Discus have low tolerance for Nitrates and Nitrites. Makes extensive water changes with Distilled or Demineralized Water to get them down. Make sure you aren't overfeeding your fish. Because of their tight water requirements (warm water >80F, clean water, low ph. low hardness) Discus don't make good community tank fish. Your Rams are too aggrssive for a Discus tank. If you try and spawn your Discus your Plecos will eat the eggs.


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## demuddy (Sep 22, 2011)

Hmm. I'm trying to control the feeding amounts and have been turning off the lights with little effect on Nitrate levels. I have been putting off replanting my planted tank, therefore, and simulating the planted tank water change schedule in the defoliated state.

Mostly have been using the blue lights (on the Arcadia marine blue 20W 24" bulbs X2 at 13 hours a day), although lights will not reduce the amount of Nitrites and Nitrates in the tank. I tested last night and still 0.1 ppm NO2+ and 50 ppm NO3, although the Tetra test is fairly inaccurate with the NO3 color differences with 25 ppm, 50 ppm, 100 ppm jumps in color although all three colors seem similarly reddish. I am pulling my hair out.

I have been using Algone filter pads (basically chemical filtration method for removing Amonia, Nitrites, Nitrates) for almost a week with no change in Nitrate levels. I have bought biological filtration that I have not unpacked (and can still return to my LFS): Seachem De*Nitrate biological filtration media (basically looks like rocks) and an Eheim 2213 subfilter (basically a classic 2213 without the motor pump) to fill with the De*Nitrate stuff to work with my Eheim 2217 classic filter.

I've been reading some reviews of the Aquaripure and the claims are in the near zero Nitrate levels, which if true would be excellent and quite fantastic. I talked to my LFS dude and apparently the method does make sense biochemically, and he knows people who use a similar method, but with their DIY way: the Seachem rocks with the subfilter.

Any thoughts on this biological filtration method? Apparently the bacteria for that biochemical process are anaerobic so the filter, once set up, can't be rinsed without killing them.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Light has very little or nothing to do with nitrate levels. Unless it is in your water naturally, it is all your bio-load and feeding. Running a planted tank with Actinic lights will do nothing for the plants and probably promote algae growth.

Discus don't like their water played with. If you constantly bombard the water with an extreme bio-load and don't try to reduce by a reduction in that bio-load (less fish, feeding levels) and instead just try to figure out some mechanical/chemical way (which may or may not work) you will end up in tragedy. Discuss is not the right fish to try to have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. I think the only way you get there is if you start doing at least twice a week PWCs.....or more.

Your stocking level is usually what people do for a 125g or 210g - for Discus. You have way too many Discus and too many other fish to go with them, IMHO.


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## demuddy (Sep 22, 2011)

Ok, I traded my German Blue Rams, the albino bristlenose plecos, and one of the runty Pigeon Blood discus for some tank accessories at my LHS. I now have a breeding pair in two of the Pigeon Blood discus whom I've moved to a newly cycled barebottom breeding tank.

That defacto leaches me one 12 month old Pigeon Blood and four 6 month old brown discus in the community tank with the remaining tetras and the fresh water shrimp. 

I'll post the nitrate levels and my luck with replanting the tank.


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## JUNKBOAT (Dec 16, 2011)

IVE BEEN READING UP ON ALGAE SCRUBBERS, THEY SEEM TO NOT ONLY KEEP THE WAST VERY LOW BUT KEEP THE ALGAE IN THE SCRUBBER TANK. 
IVE BEEN AWAY FROM FISH FOR SOME TIME, BUT WAS IMPRESSED FROM WHAT IVE SEEN. ILL PROBABLY ONLY USE THIS FOR FILTERING. THEY REPORT VERY LITTLE H20 CHANGES AS IT IS $ FOR SALT TANKS. CHEEP BUILD. SORRY IF OF SUBJECT A LITTLE.
I BELIEVE BLACK ALGAE GROWS BETTER WITH DIMMER LIGHT AND THE GREEN WITH BRIGHTER ON THE RED SIDE. GREEN RECYCLES FISH DEBRIS MUCH FASTER. YOU CAN HARVEST ALL OF IT IN YOUR SCRUBBER RATHER THAN THE TANK.

GOOGLE THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ALREADY.
Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!


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