RE: [APD] RE: BBA

["Graham Broadbridge" <graham at peachy_org>]

Hi Tom and the list for replies. 

I've midposted my trimmed comments/replies. To recap, I'm not looking
for a method to reduce BBA (getting rid of the elodea has done that),
I'm interested in any hypotheses that can explain the removal of elodea
resulting in the almost instant death of BBA in my tank.

-----Original Message-----
Subject: [APD] RE: BBA

>No matter how well the plants themselves are growing the BBA stays 
>ahead.  I am quite sure that there is no limiting factor to plant 
>growth other than light (around 3wpg).  Co2 is around 25-30ppm, 
>Nitrates around 10-15ppm and phosphorus around .1-.5ppm

>As an experiment last weekend (I got tired of pruning 500 grams of 
>elodea weekly) I pulled the entire mass of that plant out of the tank.
>All of a sudden, I have no algae growth at all!  The other plants are 
>happy and growing well.
>Why would removing a fast growing (nitrate sucking) plant from the tank
>make the tank less hospitable to BBA?   Nitrates were added to the tank
>previously (in the form of KNO3) to keep the elodea happy.
>Any and all analysis welcomed :-)
>Regards
>Graham.

Your Elodea was likely using HCO3, this makes your CO2 readings appear
higher than are since this influences KH. Also, is this tank DIY CO2?

- Tom this tank is using a big 6kg bottle of CO2 with a controller
maintaining pH at 6.7.  kH is maintained at 5 dkH.   The CO2 level
should be around 30ppm 24 hours a day.  The pH probe is calibrated every
month, so I am sure that CO2 is close to 30ppm.

You have very little PO4, are you adding it?
If not, do so. 

- Tom,  Phosphates using a salifert kit are around 1 ppm.

- I've recently (today) started using as a test the Salifert Profi test
kits..  The NO3 kit seems quite accurate with a home created 20ppm
nitrate ion solution measuring 20 ppm

Add some SAE's also. Trim off all that's there presently. Then make sure
your CO2 is in fact correct.  

- 5 x 1 inch SAE's were added 10 days ago.   They seem to be happy and
are starting to eat algae.

Regards
Graham.



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