[APD] APD] Re: BGA advice

["Martin Gorjup" <martingorjup at blueyonder_co.uk>]

Tom
 
< Firstly thanks for your time and help.  You say ?KNO3 KNO3, KNO3 and
KNO3?  Is this assuming the water is Potassium and Nitrate poor?  If
not, mines about 45mgl out of the tap, then adding KNO3 is unnecessary?"
 
It assumes the NO3 measurement is actually correct and assumes it is
inorganic bioavailable.  KNO3 is both. >
 
The 45mgl NO3 and 2.5mgl PO4 are the 2004 water company figures.  My NO3
test kit confirms that figure.  I have no test for PO4. 
 
Inorganic bio available?  Is not all NO3 equal?  I have assumed the NO3
from the tap is available to plants as food.  If its not inorganic bio
available and therefore unavailable to plants, can I assume it is
unavailable to algae?  
 
I could be mistakenly thinking I am NO3 rich when in fact I could be NO3
poor in terms of NO3 available to power plant growth/limit algae?
 
< You can still be limited in respect to K+, add K2SO4 and see if you
have a rapid decline in NO3.>
 
I add Seachen K.  No noticeable reduction in NO3.
 
< If you think BGA is caused by high NO3, add some to see if it does.
>
 
I think we are talking at cross purposes.  I don’t have BGA; only
staghorn on very slow growing plants  i.e. crypts, and “normal” green
algae.  The latter is not a problem.  
 
< Plants. Quite effective.   Adding a load of plants and not douing a
water change for 2 weeks will drop these levels way down, >
 
I couldn’t add more plants.  I have a substrate chocca with fast/slow
growers.  Trimmings get replanted, if there is room.
 
< Okay, now I'm getting a clear picture of what your tank is going
through and where it's been in the recent past. Something was messed up
awhile back, you either did a large scale up rooting of the substrate, a
fish died/rotted, the CO2 went off for awhile, you added Jobes sticks to
the substrate, anything that added some urea/NH4 to the tank for awhile,
then the algae bloomed. >
 
Nope.  I assume staghorn was introduced on a new plant.  My fault.  I
keep things constant, fert regime, water changes, pressurised CO2 levels
(25-30) photoperiod timer etc.  PH 6.7, KH 4.5.  I am looking for a
natural remedy for Staghorn algae.  No bleach, H2O2 etc.  More CO2 saw
off the thread algae.  Is there a similar magic bullet for Staghorn
algae?
 
Regards Martin
 

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