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Re: Re: Battle plan



Hello Tom,
as always you have provided some excellent advice- which I will follow.
I decided to do the manual removal/waterchange and a 4 day blackout
first as you have recommended; Operation Kept in the Dark has commenced.

I only have bristlenose ancistrus in this tank perhaps I should consider
some other herbivores- what would you personally recommend to accompany
corydoras, brochis, colisa chuna/sota, and neon tetras? Maybe 2-3
siamese algae eaters?

I would like a gas CO2 system but I would prefer a complete setup with
instructions rather than putting individual componenets together and in
here in Australia I have the choice of Dupla (like I have that kind of
money to spend! : ), the Carbo-Plus unit (at $380.00 with the
Replacement Blocks at $59.95- no thanks) or Dave Gomberg’s CO2 System
$285.00 which has a Regulator, - Eheim reactor, - Eheim Adaptor and -
Silicone hose but no CO2 bottle.

Speaking of Co2 , I came across your external reactor on Aquabotanic(?)
and now I really really want one- but you can only purchase it in the
USA. I found it on another site- acrylics and stuff and wrote to them to
find out if they sell international but didn't receive a reply so I
assume that they don't either.

Tom I have to say this unfair! - a horrible injustice to the rest of us
non USA citizens in the planted aquarium hobby who can't purchase your
Co2 reactor. Couldn't you persuade one of your distributors to sell
internationally?

Thanks for your advice- most appreciated :  ),
Regards
Damian.


Tom Barr wrote:

> I've done some digging and decided on a battle plan. First I'll try
the
> 'natural' approaches
> beginning with seeing if I can help the plants out compete the BGA;
> manual removal, water change nitrate/phosphate testing, susbtrate
water
> column fertilisers, more frequent changing of Co2 reactors, addition
of
> new plants. and add a few bunches of hornwort.

Try a blackout for 4 days. BGA hates this one.
>
>
> If that doesn't halt or significantly slow down the BGA I'll try the
> 'lights out' approach combined with the snails which I've already
added
> last night (about 2 tablespoons full of ramshorns snails from my 15
gal
> tank) but will continue to add more.

They eat dead BGA perhaps but not the fresh stuff.
>
> My concern over that though is that without light the plants won't be
> producing oxygen and the Co2 levels will skyrocket dangeriouslyso is
> that a problem? Should the Co2 be turned off (detached from the
reactor)
> during the lights off period?

Sure.
Do the water change before and after and remove as much as you can
before
the water change.
>
> If that doesn't work I'm going to throw algae at it- make some green
> water and green fuzzy/thread algae in a bucket outside. Actually I
> spotted a lovely little clump of fuzzy green algae today- I think I'll

> leave in there and I was reminded that I had a strip of shadecloth on
> the back wall with java moss growing on it that was regulraly
inundated
> with the fuzz but I just recently took it down and put it along the
> front as a groundcover and it has no more fuzz on it.

I would caution against this approach, work on the plant part instead,
grow
them, not algae. Unless you like algae in your tank for some reason.
>
> And failing these 'natural' methods I'll use antibiotics or something
> similar to nuke the algae and reset the tank. I have a unused bottle
of
> 'Algae Cure' with simazine sitting around but I've read it can affect
> aquarium plants (so it is on the very bottom of the list!). I've also
> got some Waterlife Myxazin that I've used last year seemingly without
> bad effects and it is a bactericide- I might try that- think that'd
> work?

Use Erythromycin at recommended dosages(no 1/2 doses).
>
> I can't believe it but I'm actually fondly reminiscing the time before

> when I had a few straggly plants (before making modifications towards
a
> fully 'high-tech' planted aquarium) and I had an outbreak of brush
beard
> algae!
> Thanks again,
> regards
> Damian.

There is one true path, grow the plants. Quit letting the CO2 go and the

nutrients etc. There's something to said for gas CO2 systems on that
note
alone. One less thing to worry about and mess with. Nutrients are pretty

straight forward once the light/CO2 is dealt with(add X amount 1-3 times

weekly of nutrient). The rest is basic pruning, water changes, light
vacuuming of detrital matter, having enough herbivores etc. Plant growth
is
what you want and to do this you need to give them what they want and
quit
worrying about algae. Focus on the plants. This path will not steer you
wrong.

BGA, GW, BBA etc all need to be removed manually well, then a water
change,
correct the CO2, lighting , nutrient thereafter, add herbivores, basic
maintenance, keep up on it. BBA, BGA, GW, Hair algae etc all can be
dealt
with. If you have DIY CO2, this requires more work and monitoring.
I use 5 things for dosing.
K2SO4
KH2PO4
KNO3
Traces(TMG or Flourish)
And fish food. Not too hard? The hard part if the DIY CO2, pruning,
trimming.

Regards,
Tom Barr