[APD] RE: 120 gal algae issue

["Thomas Barr" <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

> From: "Rozell, Spencer" <srozell at mdsi_ca>

> The problem I'm faced with is I've set up a tank in a front room where my
window is South facing with a beautiful view of the sun. I COULD ask my
wife to close the blinds, but then she'd probably to tell me to pack up my
beloved tank and leave. 

Well she is worth more than the tank it seems to me. A good spouse is.
You can use the sun to your advantage but consider it like a high light
tank.

> As you can guess by the title, Anytime I come home after a particularly
sunny day I have nice green algae on my tank glass. I scrub it off and
everything is beautiful. I don't get algae on my plants, it only grows on
the glass facing the window.

Since the blinds are off limits, what about a towel etc over the tank
during the day till you folks come home?

> My set up is as follows.
> 120 gallon tank (3 feet x 2 feet by 3 feet deep)
> 3" of potting soil covered with 1.5" of sand.
> 160W of shop lighting
> An Endler and Lamp Eye Panchax population that I can't seem to
exterminate.
> Lots of Hygrophila polysperma, difformis, corymbosa and Vallisneria
gigantea.
>
> I occasionally dose calcium carbonate and potassium sulphate. I typically
only top up water, and I prune regularly. Fish and plants are thriving,
though the PH is high.

Since it's a non CO2 tank, the sun light is going to cause you issues,
consider the towel or placing something in the way( a book shelf etc).
pH is a non issue here, amount if light is.
SeaChem equilibrium is good to add a non CO2 tank also.

> So, that being said, obviously I have opted for a very low maintenance
tank. Since the food is on a timer I often walk away from this tank for 3
weeks at a time and come back to a very healthy looking tank that needs
pruning. Is there something else I can do to this system to inhibit the
algae growth on the glass and still keep it low maintenance?
>
> Spencer

Algae eaters but sometimes they do not do the work you would like on this.
Given the situation, a towel, sheet, throw rug, room divider panel etc
might be just the thing, the tank should run super if you reduced that
inpout of light and have the goal you want.
There's not much you can do for your goal without reducing the light.
It's like adding 5 w/gal and no CO2.
Bad idea.
I think a nice high backed chair might be the thing to block the tank and
also provide a nice viewing point.

If you don't view the tank during the day, just plop a towel over it.

If you forget, you have to clean the glass, but it does not bug the plants
so that's not a huge issue.
Get a nice rug or sheet that matches things and make it look nice,
otherwise your other half might not like it.
Ask her if that would be cool since she does not wanna close the blinds(I
understand that one, but at least let you take care of the tank) and if she
has any good dieas about blocking the light or can chose a nice rug or
"tapestry" might be a better word for this purpose.

 
Regards, 
Tom Barr



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