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BGA

Luca responded - thanks Luca and Tom for your thouhgts.

At 09.48 07/12/2001, you wrote:
>I have major infestation of BGA and whatever I do I can't shift it - I 
>have not tried Erythromycin yet but have it on hand I want to get the tank 
>right first.
>
>The tank is 160litres (42gallUS) with 110W of fluorescent lighting 
>(Dennerle) and Dennerle substrate and heating coils.  Pressure Co2 setup

ok.. I've used Dennerle products myself for a long time! But you don't use 
their liquid fertilizer, do you?

Difficult to get and expensive here.  Shouldn't be a major problem though - nutrient and substrate compatiblity is
manufacturers marketing BS - I should know I have such a background :>)


>Temp 79, pH 6.6, KH 5, GH6 all measured with good (for the UK) kits

which means around 37ppm CO2 if there is anything else to acidify water. 
Which is a LOT of CO2! How do you make KH and GH? RO water plus salts? or 
tap water?

Rain plus tap to target KH5

>I change 33% of the water weekly and at the same time add 8g K2SO4.  This 
>gives me a starting point of 30ppm of K which I think is in limits

WOW! go down at 10ppm K, not more. Lots of SO4-- too... go down!

Tom also suggested this - will do.

>I dose with 35ml of AP LeafZone weekly spread over the week and I dose 4 g 
>of KN03 over the week to maintain a presence of 5-10 ppm NO3 on average 
>(measured).  Have used TMG but its difficult to get here but no difference 
>to the problems.

I dont know AP LeafZone as product and its composition.Never tried Dennerle 
V30?

Leaf Zone is effectively e15/v30 in a liquid mix

>And I have Algae!  BGA the worst offender, there is also green powdery 
>stuff on the glass and Green spot on the strictas.  The reason I haven't 
>tipped in the Erythro yet is that I am sure there is some kind of 
>deficiency going on and I can't work it out.  BGA I think would come back 
>becuase the plants have never grown well.

BGA is IMHO always due to some N/P imbalance. Always! You said that you 
have Dennerle substrate, which means Deponit mix, right? How much? Heating 
coils are connected to Dennerle Duomat?

Recommended amount for a 160l tank - 2 buckets

Heating coils on all the time - Duomat v expensive and not necessary according to dealer

Above all, did you have the same algae problems in the first 2/3 months of 
setup? - this is particularly important!!!

No but I did have the deficiency symptoms worse than I have now.

E Densa wouldn't grow - felll apart, Cabomba also


what is your fish load? and the filtration?

14 Cardinals, 12 Penguins, 4 corys, 2 ottos, 1 SAE

Check PO4 absolutely !!! it might be a PO4 deficiency !! :-)) if it's the 
case, you could buy di-Potassium hydrogen phosphate anhydrous (K2HPO4), but 
only with a very good PO4 test that could measure PO4 dissolved 
orthophosphate down to 0.01ppm.

Could be - any thoughts on the Hagen kit or the Salifert

Check NO3 to be *sure* that they are at least 5ppm too.

I use a low range kit from Salifert - should be good, measures down to 0.2 ppm

hope this help!

ciao,
Luca

It all helps Luca, any further thoughts welcome.

Many thanks

Matt




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