Losing A Couple Of Fish

The tap water in our area has nitrates around the 40 ppm mark. I use 50/50 RO tap to reduce this (and the hardness).

Thanks, this sounds like the route I’ll need to take.  What is your tank size and water change amount? Do you see a drastic change?

I’ve never used this service but I’ve seen the advert before for a window cleaning company. Having also looked at the prices you could use the pay and to option and fill your aquarium for less than £5 at those prices. As long as you have a suitable container and transport why not give it a go!

Right I've bought 2 x 25Litre containers which will fit in the car so can pick up 50Litres of this water in one go.  How long can you/do you keep RO water resting in containers? 

Also what sort of introduction should I do?  I'm guessing 10% at a time rather than a full 40%.  I'm interested to see if the softer water and reduction in PH helps in anyway the brown film algae i've got on the plant leaves.

The recent switch to a filter on my tap water so I'm adding 0% nitrate should help too but not sure how quickly things will tidy up.  I'm hoping the plants start using up all the excess nitrate.  Also added a Clearmax to the media list in filter in an attempt to help reduce Nitrate levels.  Do hope that is the reason my plants are brownish rather than green.  They are growing well, just got the brown film on the leaves.

Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5ppm potentially 10ppm the colours look the same on both
PH 8.2
GH TBC
KH TBC

Got some updates pictures to assist with the brown algae.  Hopefully it's just silica brown algae.

Untitled by Marcus Fellerman, on Flickr

Untitled by Marcus Fellerman, on Flickr

Untitled by Marcus Fellerman, on Flickr

Untitled by Marcus Fellerman, on Flickr

Thanks Matt, agree the algae situation is not that bad compared to examples I have seen but it's been going on for a few months now so got thinking it might be worth sorting at the same time i switch to RO water mix.  Those photos were taken after I rubbed some of the leaves with my fingers which removes the brown film.

The tall plant (cant for the life remember the name) just looks yellow and brown but still growing as I get new leaves at the top of all stems which are green.  Had to trim and replant at the weekend.

Substrate is Carib Sea's Eco-Complete and my ferts are JBL Ferropol which I add 10ml when I do a water change so every 4 days or so.  My light is on for 9hrs a day to help boost plant growth.  This is a cube tank so I'm concerned with light reaching the bottom of the plants sufficiently.  56cm height is the tank.

As for the amazon sword, that was one of the plants I rubbed with my fingers yesterday but the tank was full so was tricky.  I'll do it again properly during a water change so I can reach it better.  Could be the photo is picking up where I've not rubbed it properly.  If at the weekend the clean does no good and is revealed as browning leaves, I'll trim them off.  Do have smaller green leaves coming from the base already.  I do also think potentially the leaves are swaying towards the heater, those leaves closest do always suffer from browning.  Might have to think about the heater position, potentially add  bit of angle to get it away from leaves.

I read about algae needing 4 hours of light to grow and a lot of people do their 8 hours of light over two periods.  This also has the added benefit of creating more CO2 when in the dark so the second phase of lights allows them to absorb more and is really beneficial.  Any truth in those rumours?

Everything I've ready suggests this brown film is silica algae and likely relating to high silica in my tap water.  I mean my tap water seems to be so bad for fish I would'nt be at all surprised if this is yet another item present which is causing issues  Hopefully the Fluval clearmax and RO water will help.  Amazon delivery today or tomorrow for containers and then I can go get some.  Going to be looooong process I feel of slowly introducing RO water to not upset the fish.

Repositioning the heater sounds like a good plan and looks like a likely culprit from what I can see. If you have strong growth from the base this is a really good sign. Especially given the depth of the tank, as you say.

The split lighting period (known as siesta lighting) is something I’m looking to take off my site to be honest as I’ve extensively tested with and without and found it to make basically no difference (as did George Farmer).  I think the theory is probably sound but the difference it makes so marginal that it is negligible.

The Ferropol instructions aren’t all that clear are they lol

Re your lighting schedule - can you reduce the ramp up time from 30mins to 15mins? The light really needs to be at max strength reasonably quickly (though I get the need for the ramp for the fish and also have a 15min ramp up on mine) as low lighting levels will encourage algae as a less complex life form they can take advantage of lower levels of light. I would include it in the 8hours for now whilst you deal with the algae issues and see how you get on.

All algae types are present in the air as spores, you’ll have a hard job preventing it getting in, its healthy plant growth that out completes it. Use the excel alongside your ferropol, look up the max dosage you can give, lower the water level or take the wood out and get the excel on the wood and let it have direct contact with the algae at full strength for a bit. Never exceed the recommended dose, use less if you can, never breathe it in and don’t let it get anywhere near anyone who might be pregnant. It’s not nice stuff.