RE: NANFA-- Algae attack-THE ANSWER!
Stott Noble (stottn_at_ncgconsulting.com)
Thu, 16 May 2002 00:17:24 -0500
I whole-heartedly second Ken's advice. Read this paper and then mix up
a batch of the "Poor Man's Dosing Drops" (recipe at end of paper).
I've been using this method for over two years in a heavily planted 110
gal.tank with very bright compact-fluorescent lighting. I get vigorous
plant growth (I have to "mow" monthly) and almost no algae. A good
nitrate test kit is helpful in the beginning to tweak out the dosing but
after that it's very easy. I also believe that adding CO2 is critical to
success with planted tanks. I use a 5-gal glass carboy that I charge
with H2O, 6-8 cups of white sugar and a single packet of bread yeast
about once every two months and then run the resulting CO2 through a
piece of air-line tubing (add a check valve- trust me!)into the intake
of a power filter. A smaller setup in a 3-liter bottle will work for a
smaller tank. An added benefit of adding CO2 and using bright lighting
is that your plants will saturate the H20 in your tank with O2 (O2 will
bubble off your plants in tiny streams reminiscent of champagne) and
that's got to be good for your fish. CO2 will also drop your pH
(dramatically if you have very soft H2O so be careful). The jist of the
paper is that if you'll provide all nutrients EXCEPT PHOSPHATE in slight
excess, including light and CO2, the higher plants will out-compete the
algae for the remaining phosphate and the algae will starve. I tell you
from experience that it works. All the other methods of algae control
I've tried, such as reducing light levels and reducing feeding frequency
seemed to only hurt the plants and make the algae worse.
I got Ken's link to work fine but here it is again:
http://www.cam.org/~tomlins/algae.html
Good Luck!
>Subject: RE: NANFA-- Algae attack-THE ANSWER!
>Hello Fellow Algaphobes,
>An interesting and helpful paper on Alga control is at
>www.cam/~tomlins/algae.html It is written a sort of semi-scientific
paper >and reveals the truth about controlling algae in planted
FRESHWATER >aquaria. KITD
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