How To Control & Prevent Algae: STOP Using All-In-One Fertilizers In Low Tech Planted Aquariums!

[@PetfaxTV]

Between yourself, Father Fish, and some other upcoming channels, the planted tank community is in great hands. Every time I have a question or a problem, you and Father Fish have a video that straightens me out. Keep ‘em coming!

[@Fishtory]

Glad to hear it. If you ever want to search a specific channel now you can do @fishtory or @xyz and then type a keyword and itll show that channel's content more often than not

[@Phillycheeseaquatics]

Dont forget about lrb :)

[@luevang4113]

@@Fishtorythis is super helpful! I didn’t know feature was available!

[@nada347_]

​@@Phillycheeseaquaticsnot trying to be weird or anything, but who? Is it LRBAquatics? They're not on my radar. I'm still super new to all of this.

[@janecourtenay3676]

I know this is not a recent video, but it’s such good basic information for all of us who can’t afford to do hi-tech. Love your channel because you clearly do all the thinking for us! 🤗. Keep on keeping on, Alexander!

[@Fishtory]

Thank you so much for the kind comment and words of encouragement. I'm honored to know you are enjoying the videos and the info I've put together in them. Have an awesome weekend!

[@jandomingo9806]

Omg!! U r sooo right. U just solved my issues now and 10yrs ago. This is the best video ever!

[@Fishtory]

Glad to hear it!

[@debbieurias5151]

Great analogy on workers in our aquariums. I've always had large aquariums of 45 gal to 232 gal custom, cold water, salt water ocean educational aquarium in a elementary school for 15 years. Besides maintenance in an aquarium shop of 20 tanks all over 20 gal tank. And now trying something new, a low tech planted aquarium. This video answers many of my questions. Thank you!!

[@Fishtory]

Awesome! I bet your class is everyone's favorite!!!

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

I love how you break everything down!! Great video.wonderful discussion!! I sure hope you're having an amazing day!! Thank you always for sharing!!!🌿🐟🌿💚🌿🐟🌿

[@ApocalypticAlice]

Dude I love your angels. They are so spirited and almost look animated. Do you have a video with info on this tank? It is beautiful.

[@Fishtory]

This tank is in a lot of my videos on Kribs and Angelfish. Also lots of livestreams. But perhaps a tank update would be good to do soon

[@jenay6586]

Your opening list of plants made me think you were looking into my tank, from your place on my tv screen! 🧐

[@Fishtory]

Well there are about 15 very common and good plants for low tech and low light tank's that I can usually guess hehe

[@CF_Joel]

I wish there were a single big long test strip for planted aquariums. (NPK, micros, and everything else)

[@Fishtory]

Meee tooo!

[@jessicarubio1085]

Thanks so much for this!!! I’m still pretty new to planted tanks & it’s so nice to have videos like this! Great expiations as well.

[@Fishtory]

Of course! I have another video called can low light cause algae .. that explains things a bit better than this...you may find that video helpful as well. Best of luck!

[@MridulSinghMusic]

Love that analogy! There is a very fine balance between light, fertilizer, and CO2. Once you've found it, your golden!

[@Fishtory]

Glad it helped!

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

I agree!

[@nada347_]

Love the analogy. You use it well.

[@Fishtory]

Thank you kindly!

[@jackanddan]

great tips sir....beautiful planted tanks you have there!!!!

[@Fishtory]

Well thank you very much! That means a great deal coming from you

[@d.p.kfishaquariums8825]

Hey alex can u make a in depth video on root rot and stem rot going into common prevention or tips in saving that plant .i know with the knowledge u have it will be informative and educational.

[@Fishtory]

Yeah actually i want to make that exact video, i happen to be dealing with it in some 6 year old tanks that are needing some thining...but the biology and chemistry is cool too...so you got it

[@FinsbyProductions]

I REALLY needed this video. 😅 my tank has been running great for a year no visible algea then all the sudden I have hair algea collecting in the floating hornwart. Now what ? Lol thanks for this 😅 your channel is in my opinion the best out there ! ❤

[@newmexicoaquatics282]

Great video again. Thank you for sharing! - Little Bobby

[@brendap8675]

I hàd a different experience with the all in one Easy Green from Aquarium co op. I have kept soil bases heavy planted tanks going into 40+yrs, no filter, no water change, no co2 , some heavy stocked some low stocked. All healthy and breeding for profit. Medium 6500k lights on 12h LED. Started getting hair algae in the 75g shrimp tank started using Easy Green twice weekly and the hair algae gone in 30days. So I started using it in my other tanks weekly without issue. IMO/E some algae is good for the system all be it controlled and not impeding plant growth. Best testing IME is the power of observation.

[@Fishtory]

Different things work for different tanks/ people for sure. I appreciate your feedback and experience/ testimonial. Thank you. Different things work for different folks and there definitely isn't one easy answer for 100% of hobbyists generally. What lights do you use? If someone has fluval planted plus (2.0/3.0) lights or medium to high power lights, this video is not the right one (then you'd do as you say, and push through the algae, adding more....in most cases. ) Also if you have a heavy fish or plant load it can alter things (heavy fish load and you'll likely be adding too many nitrates if you choose to keep dosing non-stop, but if you have lots of stem plants or water sprite, duck weed, etc ... then those extra minerals in easy green may be more important and useful to your plants- even with the higher nitrates. It definitely all comes down to experience and testing your tank to understand what is going on. Also if you stay on top of water changes of even 20% a week you'll avoid hitting algae in many tanks that get it for folks who relax on their schedule. But as I say in the beginning, I think easy green is a great all in one product for low tech/ medium tech tanks, but people need to know which fertz cause which reactions and either dose elements individually during blooms or just back off all in one's if they can't power through it (generally).

[@Getsitdone]

Hey Alex! What are your thoughts on the better fertilizer I should buy? Thanks

[@Fishtory]

I really like brightwell flourin multi... low nitrates and decent potassium... its good for tanks that aren't requiring tons of nitrates (you want nitrates if you're running pressurized co2 and high light stem plants).

[@indoorfishinginside]

I just tuned in, too bad I missed it I'll check out the replay.

[@IridescentJen]

iʻm so glad i found your channel! currently trying to keep my lil betta boy alive in his hospital tank, meanwhile am learning so much here and looking forward to rescaping his home tank. i used to have gnarly algae blooms back when the eco complete was fresh, iʻm guessing now itʻs worn out since thereʻs zero algae but also the plants are looking really sad. iʻm binge-learning about all in one ferts and this helped... i think lean and infrequent dosing will be the best bet on a little low tech setup.

[@Fishtory]

100% I agree. And welcome to the community! If you need help with anything or have questions don't be shy. We are all learning together here :)

[@IridescentJen]

@@Fishtory thank you! this feels like the friendliest little corner of the internet, yay!!

[@Fishtory]

@@IridescentJen I try... even though supposedly 24k people are subscribed, it's been over the course of 5 years and people don't stay intensely into fish over 6 months.... OR they seem to stay for a lifetime...so it's more like a 2000 person channel of active members ...all whom are top level nerds 🤓 haha

[@IridescentJen]

@@Fishtory and that is the very best community, i love my fellow geeks! :)

[@chevyfish4028]

Thank you for using layman's terms to get the point across. It's all about balance and we need to be in tune with and observant of our plants. They are telling us by their visual condition. We just have to pay attention and employ the right remedy.

[@Fishtory]

Totally. People want a recipe that never changes...but that's not how this hobby works, and if you don't enjoy learning and trial and error to achieve balance and beauty...then it's not the hobby for you

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

Yes chevyfish this was on point!!

[@vikkirountoit497]

Thank you for your analogies and explanation. Really enjoy your videos and find them so useful:)

[@Fishtory]

Thank you very much. I appreciate you tuning in! There's a lot of content in the older videos (550 or so) , so if you have a question feel free to ask, or youtube search for it

[@nada347_]

How do you decide how many hours/day to use in low/mid/high light tanks and is it more the critters or the plants that is the limiting factor? Thank you, Alex.

[@Fishtory]

Generally i start with 6 as a given ... then add hours for the more plants...up to 12. If algae starts creeping in within less than a week... ill change the lightning and reduce by an hour. Generally speaking

[@nada347_]

Thank you @@Fishtory . Just FYI, I'm both following your advice, while experimenting, and also inversing it for a green water tanklet that I'm setting up for daphnia that should be arriving today. 😅 It's been a lot of fun so far! I just wish my shrimp weren't so good at hiding. Hopefully they'll get more used to the tank or start multiplying so I can find them more easily. As a new keeper, it's a little disconcerting to have 90+% of them disappear so easily.

[@aquariumtreasures1054]

That was great info. I'm going to hang in there with live plants. I'm not killing them yet, and algae in check still.🐟🌿👍😊

[@Fishtory]

Right on! Its so worth it, once it's dialed in... much less work after initial set up

[@baldeagle8500]

what is ratio for making our DIY liquid fertilizer from NPK+TE powder ?

[@Fishtory]

So there is no one set amount annoyingly. It's not like solid soil plants. Aquatic plants that feed at the root act similar and can usually be dialed in to a species "estimative index", but the water column plants need far far less nutrients , so most high end plant tanks will change 50% or 80% water in a week... and use a single pump or emulsified powder scoop of some diy or all in one plant fert. I recommend looking up EI Dosing or estimative index dosing, and then Tom barr at the barr report or 2 hr aquarist... or aquariumscience.com

[@patjesscole2709]

Makes sense I have a weird setup I have lots of plants and highlight but when I put fertilizer I get algae all over my plants 😵 I noticed when I add fertilizers the only time it happens I'm going to hold off on fertilizer for a while

[@Fishtory]

Yeah, your fish and fish food honestly provides most of what slow and low light plants need... without both co2 and light...the colors are not gonna happen... so forget overloading the water column with those subtle nutrients that the plants can barely use. That being said, mid light to high light can benefit greatly from liquid fertz and all in ones...just look for one that isn't full of nitrates, if you have a full tank load of critters, and don't want to do 2x a week water changes

[@patjesscole2709]

@@Fishtory I forgot one time when I added the fertilizer and I tested my water I started freaking out and did a water change because everything read so high

[@shesellsfish]

Great common sense analogies that almost anybody can relate to. Good job for us simple minded folks, 😂 👍💓👍

[@Fishtory]

Stop. Lol you're not simple minded in the least! But im glad the analogy made sense to one person at least hahaha

[@terrygorsch386]

Thanks again 🤓🐠

[@Fishtory]

No problem 👍

[@kevinpowell7948]

I've just had outbreak of hair algae, 3 inch pleco perished and was consumed without me noticing, the children sometimes accidentally push in the bits on the light timer or it could be the sun a little bit lower in the sky this time of year. I will watch and see how the tank deals with it. Great video it's a like from me. 👍🍀

[@Fishtory]

Been there before haha. Hang in there. These tanks are a life saver for the winter months

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

@@Fishtory absolutely!!

[@echoesvayne9790]

In my 20 gallon when I increased my light from 8 hours to 10 hours the algae stopped .... I started at 9... went backwards in 30 minute intervals to 7... and then reset to 9 and once it it hit 10... algae melted off and plants are thriving... less isn't always more... and I expect the sweet spot to change again

[@Fishtory]

This is totally true if you are using medium or high light, or co2. It's also true if you are just cycling a tank through the usual bloom that happens within the first 6 months. I have several videos covering the same thing your talking about..."powering through" blooms. However, low light, low tech generally that doesn't work out for most people other than that first big bloom you get with planted tanks

[@echoesvayne9790]

Yeah I have a mid range light. The tank is about a year old and the light increase was only in the last month, but it was amazing the reduction in algae growth between weekly changes... I did forget you were talking low tech. I have no co2 though and no active substrate just gravel, but I have my dwarf sagitaria just starting to send runners. Same with my microsword

[@echoesvayne9790]

That is in my 20 tall... my 15 long I have to run less light because the substrate is brighter and the same light is on that tank so it is too much. I just added a water sprite to it and my piece of hornwort is finally growing new branches so that might change too once it gets older

[@LickyMy9]

I'm still so confused. I can't pinpoint what my imbalance is. I use all in ones like easy green. My lights are on 10 hours, finnex timer on my 55. I don't really do crazy water changes. I just vacuum the gravel and clean the filter when needed.

[@Fishtory]

Do you test nitrates and nitrites? You may want to cut fertilizer use in half...or reduce feeding amounts a little...or set the light to 8 hours. Best of luck!

[@LickyMy9]

Thanks man, the wife and I love your vids@@Fishtory

[@mrsbodeutsch]

👏👏👏👏very nice video

[@Fishtory]

Thank you

[@sabinegray1450]

Great vid!

[@Fishtory]

Thank you kindly

[@cathyb7806]

Love the video. All my tanks are low tech and have noticed algae growth when using ferts on a regularly. You helped me put 2 and 2 together. I now understand why it (algae) happens. Thank you.

[@Fishtory]

So glad someone else understood my little analogy haha

[@cyndyyoungschimke5936]

I just watched this. So in a nutshell you recommend stopping all in one fertilizer (for awhile), do a big water change, reduce the lighting to maybe six hours a day but if you have a good light turning it up to the highest level. Am I understanding this correctly? I have a 12 gallon bookshelf Aquarium and algae is the bane of my existence. I have one of the Aquarium Co-Op new LED lights. I do at least a 50% water change every week. Since the tank is not very tall I have the light at 50%. I am very new to fish keeping and really enjoy your channel.

[@Fishtory]

Correct. I have another video on "can low light cause algae" that goes into more detail. Best of luck my friend!

[@cyndyyoungschimke5936]

Thanks for replying, Alex!

[@cyndyyoungschimke5936]

I hope you will forgive me for pestering you one more time. I forgot to ask how many days you should leave the light on 100% before backing it down. I'm guessing once the algae goes away but I just want to double check. Thank you again! 😊

[@PaulC.494]

Interesting Alex, I have two tanks side by side with water wisteria, same bioload, same feeding, same lights on timers, one has almost no algae, the other has significant brown algae, started siphoning each week to remove detritus and returning just the water as my fish do not like water changes, also trimmed the canopy that was growing dense so fish would find it hard to access to eat the algae, I don’t dose any fertilizers, what more can be done to reduce the algae ?

[@Fishtory]

Stronger lighting for an 8 hour or less window may help... and honestly using some fertalizers may help (or could hurt it... its a toss up to know if it would help your plants boost their metabolism, or whether it could just keep feeding the algae...so it's very trial and error, specific to knowing your tank). Sorry that's not of more help...

[@sabinegray1450]

You might look into h202 or even add some snails. Oh he just said that! Just do some research! Spot treatments are great!

[@peetos-chan2835]

👍👍👍

[@johnalbernaz8960]

Hey man what's up haven't talked to you in sometime things are going excellent for me how about you I can tell things are happen for you.so you're moving in the right direction I see that you said that you got a job with a cell phone company going to towers and rehoming .my son does the same thing yeah go to the towers usually at night but what he does is integrating them into the system once they finished in stalling the antinetor and hardware .then he installed the software and installs all the programs and stuff like that he's making good money I mean good money. He lives in Newport Rhode the lucky baster Lol, just trying to grab the scope of the money he making. So you said you might go to the salmon ladder and do some videoing the salmon climbs the ladder. I really like to see that. We have something like that in Dartmouth Massachusetts, at horse neck beach In the estuaries they had built lock with a small ladder and they try and climb it. I don't know the name of the fish but try to climb it and get into the freshwater streams and people catch them and use for bait. So back to the love of the hobby , all 10 of my tank All doing great great except for one of my tanks on a bottom of my rack. they had a breakout of tail rot not extreme but enough to kill my male betta and a few of large sailfin mollies. So not think of course I went right to salt treatment. I dose accordingly for fungus and bacteria, a few days later I was check out my 20 gallon that I treated. I said what the f*** happened to hornwort, the salt disintegrated it. My Amazon sword was staying to melt also. So I did a 50% water change, then 2 days after I did another . I never realize that salt could do that to a plant. One last thing my sobriety doing really good Sorry for a long message Ok your friend John e Massachusetts here

[@Fishtory]

Whoa! You have caught up on what im up to! Thanks for watching, my friend. Yeah the cell tower thing is very sporadic about when work comes available ...but GOOD MONEY hehe 300$ per night (4 to 6 hours work just driving). I'm so glad your sobriety is also doing so well. I hope life is going great, and I'm so happy to hear from yuh! Have a great week, buddy!

[@stefanritchie7667]

All I was thinking about was cities skylines lol

[@whiteowl8703]

I find the term low tech very offensive. My 55 has the best of everything except co2 injection. You don’t spend the money like I have and have a low tech system.

[@Fishtory]

You're gonna have a rough life if that offends you. It's all relative, if you have expensive or quality tanks that doesn't mean you have a tank with the latest technology. There is nothing wrong with a low tech tank, it simply means you don't have co2 injection, individual Estimative index nutrients and elemental Dosing, don't have high strength LED lighting, & may not be using an enriched substrate that had ammonia. Nitrates or nitrogen in it, along with root tabs.

[@crystalsplantsandlife]

Although u tried, by taking the analogy to a high level u completely missed the plot. I wish you would have just said it straight. Waste of time.

[@Fishtory]

Can you illuminate me on what was missing, in your opinion? I recently did another video on how low light can "cause algae" just as easily as high light...and perhaps that holds the remainder of what you were thinking should have been covered.

[@crystalsplantsandlife]

@@Fishtory To be honest its not whats missing, I kinda lost the plot after i reached 10 minutes in the video, I was really searching for a solution to my black beard algae in simple terms. Not all times do we need really verbose videos, when the answers are needed fast and simply put. All the best for your channel.