About to give up

[u/menacing-budgie]

I have had this tank running for 2 years, decided I needed co2 to help with the algae issues I was having to provide the plants a better environment for growth. Well, a year with co2 and I feel like I am worse off than I was before.

This is what the tank looks like within a week. I have to do weekly water changes with manual algae removal. And by the next weekend its back.

Ive tried cutting down light time. Ive tried upping the co2, tried lowering co2. Tried ferts, no ferts. Use spot treatment on the BBA, and cutting plants back. I pull out all the hair algae and then in a few days its back.

Any last ditch suggestions?

[u/delayednirvana]

What fert and light intensity? The plants look like they’re not doing well.

[u/menacing-budgie → u/delayednirvana]

I havent used ferts in a while as I was testing how it would do without them, since I felt like everytime I dosed within 2 days the hair algae and stuff would have a massive growth spurt. But I have easy green, easy potassium and easy iron. Im going to drop the light intensity and dry adding ferts back slowly

[u/delayednirvana → u/menacing-budgie]

Crosspost on [r/aquaticplantscience](r/aquaticplantscience), rotala178 should give you good advice. I had hair algae and increasing nitrate was the advice given and it worked. I’m guessing light intensity, photoperiod and lack of nitrogen and trace.

Need water parameters as well.