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re: No Bubbles
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 16:06:03 -0500
From: "K & A, P.A." <kapa at netrunner_net>
Reply-To: kapa at netrunner_net
To: Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com
Subject: Re: No Bubbles
Hi Jonathan in rainy Maryland:
Thanks for replying with your thoughts. You're quite right, I failed to
give you some further info.
I have three ottos along with the neons. I like the effect of this many
fish in a 10 gallon. Also, as my wife is not a plant enthusiast, it
justifies the tank (wouldn't be a real fish tank is there are no fish).
I am careful not to overfeed. I use Hikari granulated food and a
feeding ring. This allows me to monitor food consumption.
I use distilled water with Duplagan only. I use the Dupla fertilizing
system and monitor the Fe closely. In fact, I don't fertilize at all
during the first month of the tank's operation. Consequently,
overfertilizing should not be the cause.
UPDATE:
Since my post, I added Aqualine Buschke's Antiphos to the filter.
Within 24 hours the BUBBLES were back! I tested PO4 and found it to be
in the high range of my PO4 (low range) test kit. As I suspected, it
was giving me a false reading originally.
What I suspect happened is just what Amano says is the most dangerous
time for a planted tank. When plants grown emersed are placed in a
submersed environment, they lose their ariel leaves. The decaying
leaves cause eutrophication of the water.
In such a small tank that is heavily planted [that's plants over 95% of
substrate for the person who asked about "heavily planted"] it is very
difficult to pull out all decaying leaves. When I added my usual
fertilizer, the PO4 must have shot up. Interestingly, I still register
nil on the nitrate.
Thanks again,
Art in unseasonably cool (75F) Miami