[Prev][Next][Index]

Hello again, brush algae, a flower



Hello again folks.  I have to admit that this digest got away from me for a
few months.  I've been trying to catch up lately and it's good to be back.

I'm about to set up a brand new 75 gal tank.  I have brush algae in all but
3 of my tanks and I would really rather not have it in the new one.  I once
broke a tank down, bleached everything and cleared it of the stuff.
Unfortunately, two weeks later I used a (long unused) algae scrubber that
had been used in one of the afflicted tanks and the stuff came back.  Ugh.

Anyway, should I just save myself the trouble and assume I'm gonna have the
stuff?  Despite the fact that my SAEs do quite a nice job of controlling
it, this has two downsides as I see it:  1)  the SAEs seem to leave
something that looks like five-o'clock shadow on slow-growing plants like
the anubias and Java ferns and 2) this means that everytime I want to give
away or sell a plant I have to get out the bleach (the good news is that I
give away far, far more plants now than I buy).

If I attempt to keep the algae from the new tank it's going to be a lot of
work and I assume I'm going to have to keep two sets of aquarium tools
(pythons, algae scrubbers, scissors, etc.) until I have the space to break
down the afflicted tanks.  More questions yet:  might the fish carry the
spores?  Is there any way to save laterite-type stuff (K Schoeler's
Substrate Gold) when breaking a tank down to kill algae (in other words,
can I bleach the substrate in place?)

One last thing:  One of my anubias barteri var. nanas has something that
looks to this Midwesterner very much like a tiny half-shucked ear of corn
growing on it.  I assume this is a good thing.  Anything I should know?

Thanks very much in advance,

Dirk