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Re: Obviously doing something wrong


     * Subject: Obviously doing something wrong 
     * From: "CORBEIL, SCOTT" <corbels at macmail_mcgawpark.baxter.com> 

>Prior to adding PMDD to the tank and converting from DIY CO2 to a CO2 cylinder,
> I decided to tear down my tank and remove all the algae I could both from the
>plants and the tank itself.  After seeing the recipe for a bleach solution to k
>ill algae off plants both here and in FAMA I decided to give it a try.  I used
>1 cup bleach (non-scented) in 19 cups of water and threw in 100 corkscrew val p
>lants which have been propigating over the last 8 months.  After three minutes
>the plants appeared devoid of chlorophyll,  virtually a mass of residual plant
>goo.  What did I do wrong here.

	I don't know why your plants gave up so quickly in the bleach, though
you might check which sort you have.  I think the recommended variety is the
hypochlorite type.  If you used the hydrogen peroxide type that could cause
a problem.

	However, based on my experience, if you are starting to use PMDD's
and CO2, you need not bother trying to clean up the algae.  The only thing
I did was to keep the glass clean - I let the plants cope with the algae
by growing.  Old algae-covered leaves got thrown out, and the newer ones were
progressively less affected.

-- 
Paul Sears        Ottawa, Canada

Finger ap626 at freenet_carleton.ca for PGP public key.