[APD] Re: Algae Fix

[Ghazanfar Ghori <ghori at ghori_net>]

> Well I think everyone tries it at some point but it doesn't grow plants,
and that's why you have algae, not good consistent >conditions for the
plants.

I have plants growing like there's no tomorrow. The black film had been with
me
for almost 10 months now - during which time I pruned out plants by the
bucketful.
Consistant conditions? Didn't work for the black film at all. I then took to
varying
different conditions trying to see what it won't like. It likes most
conditions I give it.
Then I got BBA. You can't prune driftwood and with the slate bottom I had
attached to it, I didn't want to pull it out. Scrubbing it? Tried that - and
it came back.
I pruned all the Anubias but it came back on the new leaves. It's nearly
impossible
to get rid of it off the flourite. I spent countless hours with a tweezer
trying to get it
all out - nearly impossible. My CO2 levels are consistent - always above
25ppm.
BBA may have bloomed when I ran out of CO2 and it took 2-3days for me to
get a refill but levels have been consistant besides that.

> Getting fed up is good but you should be motivated to get in there and
trim, prune and scrub it off etc, Neglect and then using an >algaicide is
not a good method.

Because of the algae, which has plauged that setup since the beginning, that
tank has gotten
a LOT more attention then the algae free tank - so I don't think neglect
caused it. I think I got
that black film off a trade early on - and it didn't want to go away.
However...well..let's just say that it aint a problem now. ;)


> So your plants are now growing better? That's the only way you will have
the upper hand.
> It's not about algae, it's about plants.

Plants have been growing good all this time. The only time the plants
weren't growing too well
is when I had way too much K in there. Cutting that back improved plant
growth dramatically.
I know you think there isn't such a thing as too much K. Too much of
anything, or too little
for that matter, causes issues. Especially in a 'closed' environment such as
an aquarium.


> Folks always tell me, "Well if I could just get ahead of the algae
alittle, then everything would be fine."
> Or "I have a little bit of algae I cannot seem to get rid of".
> But you can easily by pruning and picking the algae off. Then the big
water change and nutrients.
> Harass the algae, they hate water changes, they hate being scrubbed off,
lights out etc.
> Your water conditions with the algae you mention tell me a few things
about likely nutrient/CO2 issues.
> Perhaps maintenance.

KH 4, GH 6. CO2 at about 25-30 ppm. 50% water changes weekly - religously. I
add back the traces
right after the water change and the macros a day later. Dose every other
day.


> I am not so subtle. Nor are my methods and my methods are always cheaper
and address the long term needs/effect. If folks want >to gain the upper
hand, they perhaps may want to read general algae cleaning methods I did and
talked about in the past.

But after 10 months of trying everything - with plants growing plants like
crazy - I was sick and tired
of this algae. Now its gone and I can enjoy my tank. Did I take a shortcut?
Maybe - but I gave it 10 months.
Do I have any regrets? Only that I didn't use this product 6 months ago.
Take a look at
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=2&id=38
Growing plants! A ton of them!  I probably listed half of them there for the
AGA.
Take a look at the lower leaves of the ludwigia glandulosa  - you'll see
some of the black film algae I'm talking about. Hell it was even growing on
the Cardamine lyrata - a plant
that I had to take the weed whacker to every week!

> I need a nasty algae ridden tank and do a focus group on this next time.
It's not brain surgery.
> FWIW you can add light amounts of CuSO4, H2O2 etc to kill algae too. But
these don't grow plants either.

Copper is something I'd never add to my aquariums. I'd rather empty the tank
out, scrub it down and
start from scratch with a new substrate.


> I'm not picking on you personally here, just another general reminder
which seems to happen every few months.

Not taking it personally. Just posting my experience with Algae Fix.


> Tom Barr
> -
> Ghazanfar Khan Ghori
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