[Prev][Next][Index]

Bleach Dip and Compact Fluorescents



Subject: Bleach Dip and Snails

> And finally, on the subject of snails, a few questions.....altho
> hate to wage chemical warfare on the critters, I am determined n
> to let pond snails establish themselves in my tank again.  Woul
> copper sulfate solution, such as that available commercially (Ha
> Snail) be detrimental to my plants, were I to add it to the aqua
> according to the manufacturer's instructions (1 drop per gallon)

Most everyone here has heard about my problem with copper in my 
tap water.  This _is_ a problem in some respects... there are 
certain fish and plants (although not many) that I can't keep at 
all.  OTOH, I NEVER have read algae or snails in my tanks.  In 
fact, I can be quite cavalier about throwing in plants that I know 
are infested with either.  I have had very little filamentous 
algae of any kind.

For those plants that seem to be too sensitive for bleach baths, 
would a low level copper bath work?  You might have to soak the 
plants for longer, but most species tolerate my water quite well 
(copper ranges from a low of .25 ppm to a high of 3.0 ppm)  I know 
 adult snails die in less than 24 hours in my water, would this 
not also kill eggs?

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

Subject: Compact Fluorescents

> > You won't get any more light into the tank than you would with
> > same wattage of NO florescents.  The only advantage is that yo
> > can pack more in.
> 	
> 	I'm not sure what is meant by this statement: CFs give out 
mor
> lumens per watt than NO flourescents, according to the charts I'
> so I would think that you _will_ get more light into the tank.

Not all Fluorescents are created equal.  Even among NO's there is 
quite a bit of variation.  I could be mistaken, but it was my 
understanding that CF's were nothing more than a fluorescent tube 
bent into 2 or more sections, and that they did not put out any 
more lumens than the comparable straight bulb would.


Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Assoc.
Boston, MA