Phosphates And Brown Algae. Help Please Please. SOLVED

Hello all. Im new to this forum and hoping for some advice please. I have a planted dwarf cichlid tank. I've always had phosphates. I can't seem to get them down.  They are  just over 1,0mg/l . I do weekly water changes of about 20% and try to clean bits off the sand. Ammonia 0 and nitrites jusr about 0 and nitrates about 20 at the mo.  Ph 7.5. I've changed my light to t5 from t8 for my plants and there on 10 hours a day max. Just started using liquid c02, iron and fertiliser. But I've had brown algae growing on my plants for a while and it's doing my head in looking at it lol.... this is why I changed my lights etc. Some people have said you can put a phosphate remover in but others have said don't.  It's always contradicting advice.  Should I put a remover in you think?? Will it effect the other treatments I use?  I watched a u tube video of someone using phosguard salts?? In a bag and then in the filter. Can anybody help me please.
Thank you
Maria

Have you checked the phosphate level in your tap water?  There's 2mg/l in mine!
I wouldn't think that 1mg/l is excessive.

                                                 Skittler

Oh brill thank you for all your replies it's appreciated.

Thats good to know sue thankyou.

It is a Farley new set up. Think it's been 8 to 9 weeks.  I did a fishless cycle with a prawn. It was cycled after 4 weeks. 

I haven't checked my tap water yet. I will do in a mo though.

Maria

Hi Maria and welcome to the forum. 
I'm only just starting to plant a tank, after having artificial plants in all of my current tanks. 

Welcome along, Maria, look forward to hearing of your progress. I'm fairly new to this - especially with planted aquariums - and I have a feeling I will learn something from your thread here so I will watch with interest!!

I hope you enjoy the forum 

Thank you. Hope it all goes well for you. I think these sites are really helpful.

Hi thank you for your reply. Wow 4 and here's me thinking mine wasn't good. Not one of the fish shops has advised me that there will always be phosphate plus that you need a bit.

That's good news about my external filter.  I was hoping it will help with the algae.  The 2 fluval internal filters I feel just arnt cleaning the water enough. I've never had crystal clear water either but think the wood contributes to that.  I am really looking forward to getting the external running on the tank. Just hope I don't look much bacteria when adding it. I'm going to either try fit both filters old media into the eheim filter or fit 1 of the filters media and leave that filter out and leave the otger one running. I'll wash all the new media out if the eheim in some tank water too.

Fingers crossed I don't start a mini cycle   

As Sue says that's not too bad  You should hopefully be able to fit your mature media in the new filter. I've just swapped from an internal to an external and although it did trigger a mini cycle it only last for 2-3 days. I was very pleased with it's effects on water clarity.

I've learned to live with brown algae as annoying as it is. I got some nerite snails first as they eat it and a few months ago added some fish specifically because they eat it too an that has made a difference. Every now and then I knock it off the plants.

What size tank do you have by the way and what fish? I'm sure we'd all love to know. Piccies of your tank would be great to see, we have a gallery showcase thread where people post pics. 

A lovely tank!  Thank you.

Lol....  thank you. Their always there as soon as you go to the tank. 

I love cichlids. I had discuss and parrot fish in the past. So far I'm lucky with the fish I've got as they all got on well. (At the mo) . My eheim experience 150 filter is hopefully being delivered tom. I've had the eheim classic in the past. I don't know what the difference is really. There isn't much on the internet about the experience.  I tried to watch some videos or how to set it up on u tube but I couldn't see any videos.  . I think my tank water needs an external but I won't lie I do worry about them leaking or siphoning the tank out. I am a bit of a worrier  . I have read eheim is good and less leakage than the fluval which I was originally looking at.
I hope your snails help with your algae.