Re: NANFA-- [Fwd: The Algae Wars] Corrected Links

Sajjad Lateef (sajjadlateef_at_yahoo.com)
Tue, 4 Mar 2003 07:26:43 -0800 (PST)

On usenet rec.aquaria newsgroups, there are
several techniques suggested for algae suppression:

1. Physical removal (i.e. pull it out, cut off leaves etc)
2. Starve algae of nutrients and light (i.e. reduce Phosphate
levels in the water, reduce or stop fertilizers, shut off
all light to the tank for a few days, add more plants)
3. Get fish that eat algae (eg: J. floridae, Ameca splendens,
Mollies, siamese algae eaters, farowella catfish)

I am TOTALLY AGAINST chemical treatment with algaecides (herbicides).
But, that's also an option, if you so choose.

Your algae looked like fine cottony clumps to me. I have seen that
with high-intensity lights near the top of the tank. I suggest
adding some fast growing plants (Hornworth, Najas, Riccia) to
the top of the tank to reduce some of the light and soak up some
nutrients. Also, dig in and remove some algae by hand. Your water
supply sometimes has an increase in the Phosphate content and
that will result in algae growth spurts.

So, try a few different things and soon you'll find out what works.

Sajjad
--- Todd Crail <farmertodd_at_buckeye-express.com> wrote:
> I've been thinking about this a bit John....
>
> I have no idea what the algae is... I've seen it before when I let
> hornwort
> or anacharis get too thick, and food and detritus gets kinda stuck
> inbetween, and even more so in the hairs. It seems to fertilize
> itself that
> way and only gets worse as it goes along. Perhaps it would be best
> to do a
> heavy duty trim? When I see that type of algae show up, I do a trim,
> significant water change, and then refertilize like it was brand new
> with
> Florena or Flourish... whatever. Seems to get the system back in
> the right
> general direction.
>
> The other thought I've had is... Perhaps all the ions and
> nitrification
> products are unmeasurable because they're getting converted so
> quickly by
> the plants and algae? A lot of people who, as an example, use tap
> water in
> their marine tanks, have hair algae as thick as a fine maidens head,
> and
> swear up and down they can't measure any PO4 until they actually test
> it
> *before* it goes into the tank :) You've *obviously* removed it with
> the DI
> (might also want to check the conductivity of your output water to
> see if
> the DI is getting old)...
>
> However, if there's that much detritus rotting down inbetween the
> plants...
> That's a great source of PO4. Something to chew on.
>
> Todd
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Bongiovanni" <bongi_at_cox-internet.com>
> To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
> Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2003 6:01 PM
> Subject: NANFA-- [Fwd: The Algae Wars] Corrected Links
>
>
> > Today begins my second battle of the Algae War. Approximately a
> year
> > ago I fought a battle against a similar opponent soundly defeating
> it.
> > But today, I begin the second great battle of the Algae wars.
> >
> > A little backround: Back during Christmas, on my trip up to Ohio to
> > visit the folks, I left the care of my native planted tank in the
> hands
> > of a trusted neighbor. She fed the fish and they survived without
> > issue. The plants were another story. In the space of 12 days I
> came
> > back to an absolute jungle; Rotalla, Riccia, Bacopa, Ludwigia were
> > entwined in a network that confounded all my attempts to untangle.
> I
> > also fixed a bank of flourescents (the rear pair of 40Ws) that had
> had
> > not been starting with the fronts. It was a grounding issue which
> was
> > fixed. My madtoms had tunneled underneath the java moss thus
> dislodging
> > the strands causing half the bundle of moss to float towards the
> surface
> > of the tank resembling a huge green wall. I removed the driftwood
> that
> > the java moss was attached wrap a hairnet around it and rearrange
> it it
> > the tank. This of course unsettled alot of organic matter that had
> > settled on the bottom. I did a 20% water change with DI.
> >
> > The madtoms were not finished. Seeing the driftwood java moss
> secured
> > they moved to the moss on a rock and did the same. I repeated my
> > efforts on the rock to get control. Almost immediately a nasty
> looking
> > green algae took over the tank.. Fine 1cm hairs are drifting all
> over
> > tank like snow, attaching themselves to the plants like persistant
> green
> > cobwebs. Photos are
> >
>
<http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/maxx8/lst?.dir=/Aquarium+Photos/Algae&.src=ph&.o
> rder=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/>here
> >
>
<http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/maxx8/lst?.dir=/Aquarium+Photos/Algae&.src=ph&.o
> rder=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/>.
> >
>
<http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/maxx8/lst?.dir=/Aquarium+Photos/Algae&.src=ph&.o
> rder=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/>
> >
> > I checked the nutrient levels in the tank. Phosphate, Nitrate, Fe,
> > ammonia, nitite is not detectable chelated and non; pH is 6.8, GH
> is
> > 20dGH and KH is 70dKH. All the time I had been injecting CO2 to
> > maintain ph and plants. Seeing no measurable nutrients i began
> adding
> > fertilizer (flourish micronutrient suppliment). Thing just got
> worse.
> > Now it is early Feb and my folks are coming to visit Texas from
> Ohioand
> > I wanted to make sure that the tank looked presentable. I reduced
> the
> > light to 8-hours and just one bank of lights and stopped CO2
> injection.
> > The algae nearly disappeared just as my folks arrived but now the
> stems
> > are stretching with the innernode length getting long making the
> plants
> > look somewhat stringy. I cut them back increased the light and
> whamo,
> > the algae takes off again.
> >
> > So now I've decided to turn on the lights on fullblast, CO2 inject,
> > fertilize like crazy and just sit back and watch the battle and see
> who
> > comes out on top.
> >
> > Anyone know what kind of algae that I'm battling?
> >
> >
> > John
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> necessarily
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> / Association"
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http://www.nanfa.org

=====

-- 
Sajjad Lateef
sajjad_at_acm.org
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org