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plant recommended for barckish water & pH 9
Our lab has about 80 tanks (10-50 gal) where we keep the African cichlid
fish Haplochromis burtoni. The water in the tanks has a pH near 9 and
contains cichlid salts with a temperature of 80 deg F. It's total alkalinity
is around 240 ppm CaCO3. One of our fish rooms has 18 50 gal tanks connected
in series with a large filtration system. We are getting great aerobic
nitrification, but have about 120 ppm NO3. Changing the water doesn't seem
to help much. All the tanks have bright broad spectrum fluorescent lights 12
hr/day. I would like to set up a tank to keep some plants which would
consume nitrate and phosphate in the water to compete with algae growing in
the water and the walls of the tanks. Can anyone recommend a plant which
would grow well in brackish alkaline water that would consume NO3? Fast
growth is not a problem. Do you think "hornwort" could survive in these
conditions? What about "elodea"? Also, do you know where I could get aquatic
plants that have now been grown in tanks with other tropical fish? My boss
is worried about viruses and bacteria from other fish species infecting our
fish. Thanks
--
Michael Vagell, Ph.D.
Fernald Lab
Stanford University
Jordan Hall, Bldg. 420
Stanford, CA 94305-2130
Work Tel. (650) 725-6362
Fax. (650) 723-0881
http://www.stanford.edu/group/fernaldlab/