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From: Aquatic-Plants-Owner at ActWin_com
To: Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com
Subject: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #288
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Errors-To: Aquatic-Plants-Owner at ActWin_com


Aquatic Plants Digest    Wednesday, 28 February 1996    Volume 01 : Number 288

In this issue:

	Correction on MHs
	Black algae; Carbonate hardness
	re: Taking pictures.
	DIY UGH
	[none]
	MH vs. T-8's
	Nitrate from tap water

See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the
Aquatic Plants mailing list and on how to retrieve back issues.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: gtong at sirius_com (G.Tong)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 12:45:55 -0800
Subject: Correction on MHs

I wrote:
>In terms of efficacy (lumens per watt), HOs and VHOs are as bad as
>incandescents, which include metal halides.

That's wrong as David Webb kindly pointed out to me. Metal halides are
high-intensity discharge lamps and don't burn filaments to produce heat.
Too many lamps ... too much confusion.

Greg. Tong
San Francisco, CA, USA
gtong at sirius_com

"Every infinity is composed of only two halves."



------------------------------

From: MGW925 at aol_com
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 16:02:25 -0500
Subject: Black algae; Carbonate hardness

Hey all!

Another lurker coming clean and yet more newbie questions.  First, some
background:
I have a 55 gal tank, temp 80 F, ph=6.4/6.6, no ammonia, no nitrites, slight
measure of nitrates, no phosphates.  With a tetra kit, the GH took 3 drops
and the KH took 1 drop to make the described color changes.  I admit
confusion about the measurement:  degrees? ppm?

My fish are a 4" angel, 3 harlequin rasboras, 6 growing false siamensis
(<sigh> a bum steer from the fish store), 5 long-fin danios, 2 brown
spiketail paradise fish, 1 brilliant rasbora, 1 black tetra, 1 sunset
gourami, and 3 corys.  I use a Penguin 300 filter without the biowheels.

My plants are 5 generic swords, 1 mellon sword, hydrophila, java moss and
fern, 5 small banana plants, and ludwigia growing in a gravel substrate under
70 watts of light (not enough, I know, but working none the less) and
everything taking off since the advent of yeast CO2 a couple of weeks ago.

?#1.  The swords are now growing faster than I am picking off the
black-algae-infected leaves so now the bulk of my algae is growing on a med
large piece of driftwood.  If I remove it and give it the copper or bleach
treatment will it absorb the chemical and introduce it into the tank?  Or
should I remove the java fern, sacrifice the java moss and boil the whole
thing?  I like the way it looks in my tank and I'd rather not remove it
permenately.  The rest of the algae is growing on mechanical equipement which
I can bleach.

?#2.  I realize from what I have been reading on this list that my KH is very
low.  The whole system looks good, fish are healthy, and I have been testing
the ph frequently since introducing the CO2 and there haven't been any large
fluctuations.  But I realize now that lack of buffering was probably at the
root of some severe problems I experienced about 6 months ago.  I add baking
soda to raise the KH?  How much?  How often? With water changes  (which I do
weekly to bi weekly) ?

Thanks very much for your help and suggestions.  I've gotten more concrete
and usable advise from 1 month on this list than I've gathered in the last 5
years of aquarium keeping.  Yes, I admit it!! An aquarium for 5 years and
still a newbie!!!!

Mary Gale Woolford
Mobile, Alabama

------------------------------

From: nguyenh at nosc_mil (Hoa G. Nguyen)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 96 15:05:30 PST
Subject: re: Taking pictures.

>
>From: "David W. Webb" <dwebb at ti_com>

>There are two ways to take pictures of your tank.
>

There is a 3rd way:  Don't use flash, use just your aquarium light, and take
the pictures at night, with your room lights off.  See an example of a shot
taken this way:  http://www.nosc.mil/robots/people/images/nguyenht.jpg.

Hoa


------------------------------

From:  (Dirk)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 19:33:55 -0600
Subject: DIY UGH

Andrew:

I have been reading the same stuff (about DIY substrate wire/cable heating)
lately.  I haven't done anything like it myself . . . yet.  I have,
however, had communications with one person who had set up a 12v 10m system
with 30gal wire-wrap wire more than two years ago, and he says that it has
worked flawlessly to date.  I have also heard of people running the wire
through airline hose and others who have laid multiple sets of wire under
the gravel, so that in case of failure alternates are in place.

I've also heard that one needs to take great care not to kink the wires,
and to make sure to build up the 30 gal with heat shrink and then use heat
shrink to seal the connection between the built-up 30gal wires and the
larger exterior wires.

Hope this helps.

Dirk 

P.S.  I'm getting a 20 dollar temperature controller from Radio Shack.
It's basically just a thermometer with outputs, from what I understand, so
I'll probably need to design a circuit with relays etc., but, if it works,
it will be a sight cheaper than a Dupla or Sandpoint.  If it doesn't I'll
just have a $20 digital thermometer.  I was thinking of sealing the temp
probe in a little test tube or something.  Comments, suggestions, or
experiences with this unit will be appreciated.



------------------------------

From: Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com
Date: Wed Feb 28 02:37:04 GMT 1996
Subject: [none]

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From: Aquatic-Plants-Owner at ActWin_com
To: Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com
Subject: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #287
Reply-To: Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com
Errors-To: Aquatic-Plants-Owner at ActWin_com

Aquatic Plants Digest     Tuesday, 27 February 1996     Volume 01 : Number 287

In this issue:

	re: Taking pictures.
	Orchids
	Great Deal? Dupla CO2-set Delta for $55?
	Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #285

See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the
Aquatic Plants mailing list and on how to retrieve back issues.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "David W. Webb" <dwebb at ti_com>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 13:04:46 -0800
Subject: re: Taking pictures.

>  From: Ghazanfar K Ghori <ghori at netcom_com>
>  Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 09:41:50 -0500 (EST)
>  Subject: Taking pictures.
>  
>      How do you take pictures of your tank? I have a regular camera
>      and the few times Ive tried it the flash reflects off the tank
>      and I get a werid flashy tank picture instead of a good
>      planted tank one. I aint no good at taking pictures.
>      How?

There are two ways to take pictures of your tank.

1.  Remotely mount your flash in a place that it won't bounce back off of the
tank at the camera lens.  This can usually be done by mounting it above the
camera where the reflection angle from the flash off of the tank doesn't hit
the camera.  If you have the equipment, you can use this technique and multiple
simultaneous flashes mounted in different places to get your best pictures.

2.  Take your pictures where the camera is never perpendicular  to any of the
tank surfaces.  The camera can be directly in front of the tank, but just above
it, just to the side of it, just below, etc.  Your pictures will appear
slightly angled because they are.  This is the method I use and is good for
point-and-click type cameras.  The more angled your picture is (off to the side
or top), the less secondary reflection (from objects in the room) you will
experience.

David W. Webb in wet, cooling off Plano, TX.

- ------------------------------

From: Stephen.Pushak at saudan_HAC.COM
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 96 11:10:32 PST
Subject: Orchids

Dave Webb mentioned the idea of growing orchids. I wondered if any
of our paludarium folk have tried this? There is a tremendous range
of orchids with slightly varying temperature requirements. My mother-
in-law has a beautiful orchid garden in Mindanao. Orchids are quite
beautiful! High humidity and an air temperature of ~70 at night to 
~80 during the daytime are typical for Mindanao.

Vancouver Steve

- ------------------------------

From: BreedOFish at aol_com
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 14:17:57 -0500
Subject: Great Deal? Dupla CO2-set Delta for $55?

Well folks the subject says it all.
I have the chance to get the Dupla CO2-set Delta for $55, should I do it?  It
comes with a 12oz CO2 bottle, a pressure reducer, a diffusoir, and a little
CO2 test kit thingy.  I would want to get a bigger CO2 bottle, so does
anybody know if the regulator would fit on another bigger bottle?

     - Keith

- ------------------------------

From: Erik Wolla <ew at vingmed_no>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 21:07:45 +0100
Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #285

>From: MMMORRIS at smith_smith.edu
>Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 22:08:26 -0500 (EST)
>Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #284
>
>I have a question for those who have an answer about a problem I am having 
>with a dual light fixture I bought for my 20 long.  I took the fixture apart, 
>connected the endcaps to the inside of my custom made hood, added about 18" of 
>wire to all leads in order to mount the Advance Magnetic ballast under the 
>stand.  I was sure to wire it just like it was originally in the fixture, 
>grounded the ballast, soldered the wires together to assure a good connection
>and when I put it all together . . . . it did not work. All I can assume is
thatthe additional >length in the wire from ballast to light creates enough 

I'm not an expert on FL or advanced magnetic ballasts, but if you used
roughly the same gauge wire as was orginally used, the extra 18" will add a
*very neglible* amount of resistance
to your new circuit. It must be an incompatability between the old and new
ballasts, something wrong with the new ballasts, or (most respectfully) you
have done a wiring error.

>resistance that there isn't enough juice to form the arc necessary to start
the bulbs.  This is >a rapid start setup.  What am I doing wrong?!?!??
>
>				Thanks in advance,
>
>					Miles Morrissey
>					Easthampton,MA
>						
>
  -erik


- ------------------------------

End of Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #287
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------------------------------

From: krandall at world_std.com (Karen A Randall)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 23:09:01 -0500
Subject: MH vs. T-8's

 Subject: MH and Fluorescent efficiencies

> Ok, Karen, I guess I'll concede :-) that VHO FL is more efficien
> than MH in converting electricity to light energy. 

I think you're conceding the wrong thing.<g>  I'm not sure that 
VHO's _are_ more efficient than MH's.  I was talking about 
T-8's.<VBG>

> I'd suggest
> folks who are interested in MH to shop around locally. I would
> imagine most big cities must have surplus outlets and liquidator
> for this kind of stuff and for those interested in building thei
> own kits and capable of wiring it together, I'm sure you could
> save a few bucks. 

That is definitely true.  I have a MH that I purchased (with bulb) 
for $75.  There are certainly a number of valid reasons why 
someone might choose to use MH lighting, and it _can_ be done 
economically.

> MH needn't be the most expensive item in your aquarium.

IMO, lighting, no matter what kind, tends to be the most expensive 
part of setting up (and running) planted tanks!
 ------------------------------

Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Assoc.
Boston, MA

------------------------------

From: krandall at world_std.com (Karen A Randall)
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 23:08:48 -0500
Subject: Nitrate from tap water

 Subject: New planted tank and nitrates in local water supply and

>      I recently tested my local water supply for nitrates (after
> nitrate problems) and found that it contained at least 10ppm nit
>  Trying to lower nitrates below 10ppm is therefore illogical, ri
> just broken down my 55 gallon, to put in a substrate and plant m
> I am wondering about having algae problems. 

This will depend to a large extent on how you manage the 
situation.  Although plants prefer ammonium as a nitrogen source, 
they _will_ use nitrate if ammonium is not available.  Also while 
10ppm nitrate might be a problem in a very brightly lit tank, in a 
moderately lit tank it might be no problem at all.  Finally, 
remember the law of minimums.  excess nitrate can only be used if 
there are enough of all other nutrients to allow it to be used.  
So some people find they can control algae, even in the presence 
of moderate nitrate levels, by keeping phosphate to an absolute 
minimum.

> I have planted rather heavily
> think so, always a personal thing) so that only about 25% of the
>  have something green within 1/2-inch of it (I assume this is he
> Green Hygro,  Anachris, Rotala, Anachris, Sag(?), Corkscrew Val,
> Sword (in order of abundence). 

Not a bad selection, although I would also add Water Sprite and/or 
Duckweed and/or Savinia which are all particularly good at nitrate 
reduction.

> I'm am using 3 Black Mollies for
> control, but have access to Flying Fox barbs (sorry, no SAEs) if

Flying Foxes are nice fish, but eat very little algae.  If you 
can't find SAE's, Otocinclus are another excellent algae eater.  
Some people also think highly of Farlowellas, although I haven't 
kept them personally.

>  Should I use a nitrate absorbing resin (Nitra-Zorb, which also 
> supposedly only toxic ammonia and not ammonium?) or assume that 
> will use the nitrate as nutrients.  I am doing daily tests on Am
> Nitrites, Nitrates, pH, KH and GH, to track results, but I was h
> one could help me out with a preview of what to expect.

If your tank is heavily enough planted, you should see little or 
no nitrogen cycle.  If there is a sufficient amount of CO2 in the 
tank, KH will remain stable.  


Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Assoc.
Boston, MA

------------------------------

End of Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #288
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