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Re: CO2 & algae growth



David Webb wrote:
> 
> Brown apple snails eat the long variety of red algae.  From what 
> I've seen, the long variety grows in my tank under high light conditions when 
> there isn't enough CO2 available.  It's about an inch long and grows in mats 
> covering the leaves of my plants.

This and other comments about "balancing" CO2, micro-nutrients and light
makes me wonder if I'm getting enough CO2 in the tank. Previously, a good
healthy bubble rate has been a good indicator but with the much stronger
MH lighting (compared to the deep tank with the same wattage there's a
dramatic intensity difference) I think the CO2 is getting used up. The
pH is higher than I'd like it so that's a pretty good sign the CO2 isn't
enough. I will probably need to add a second CO2 yeast bottle. A shortage
of CO2 would explain the dramatic increase in algae growth of all types.

I did a lot of work over the weekend to try to save the worst affected
plants. Some of the C. wendtii is moved to the deep tank, under the
shade of the E. cordata and a large H. diff is now providing a little
shade for the remaining crypts. I removed most of the lilaeopsis for now;
I'll have to find a place to keep it. It just gets too much thread algae
tangled in it. I'm really concentrating on the fastest growing plants
now which seem to be able to keep ahead of the algae growth. I just did
not expect this big of a change when increasing the lighting level.

I'm hoping that once I get the fast growers established well, maybe
I can re-introduce some of the slower ones like Ludwigia (glandulosa?)
which has a very attractive olive-red color, and Alternanthera. The old
leaves on the Ludwigia sp. just got attacked by brush algae however the
new growth seemed ok. I think if it were healthy and vigorous enough it
would be ok in there.

Oh well... back to square one. On with the balancing act!

Steve (on the high wire ;-)