Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- plants and soil
From: Todd Crail (farmertodd at buckeye-express.com)
Date: Thu Sep 30 2004 - 07:28:38 CDT
----- Original Message -----
From: "njz" <njz at clevelandmetroparks.com>
>I have no doubt that your wood is adding color to your water, but I do
> believe that it is exaserbated by the 55K bulbs. Your reef tank had
> nothing
> to leach out tannins into the water, since it was relatively algae free.
It didn't? http://www.farmertodd.com/presentation/feeding/1.htm
I never rinsed that brine. There were plenty of organics. They were fixed
quickly, but they were still there. The 75 gallon did not have a protein
skimmer. Any excess organics were dealt by the system.
> What I am getting at is that the 55's are not helping your tannin
> situation.
I'm not sure I'm down with this. If I put the water into a white bucket,
take it outside and look at it in sunlight, it's still yellow brown. Or
under the flouresents in the laundry room, or if I poured it into one of my
bluish daylight other flourescent tanks. I don't think the physical
spectrum of the light has anything to do with it (especially when the
perceived spectrum is white light). I think it has everything to do with
the fact that I put some Malaysian hardwood in some water and it has organic
properties that's going to leach, bleach, etc for a while. Or as Jim said,
for a long while :)
> Carbon will of course do wonders for the color, and you
> may have to keep it in for a while.
I could do this, but it costs money too. I'd rather waterchange every three
weeks instead.
> Have you tested phosphates at all with the use of the soil? Any signs of
> cyano?
I have not tested the phosphates. I doubt they would be detectable in the
system, but I don't know that we'll ever know because I'm not interested
enough to pay for a phosphate test kit :) If I had a problem, I might...
But I just don't see that happening.
What I can tell you is:
- There isn't a single splatter of cyano anywhere. Even where detritus
accumulates and those cool little worms in the upper lay of sand eat on it.
- Hydroids obscure the view on the glass far worse than algae.
- Plants that were previously heavily parasitized by filamentous algaes are
regaining their allelopathic abilities and chasing it off.
- New shoots and leaves have zero algal parasites.
- The system is being fed about 2 oz of food 5 times a week at this point.
Some food does make it overnight, and hasn't been a problem yet.
Todd
The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com
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: Fri Dec 31 2004 - 11:27:24 CST