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Re: Where to find plants in Toronto

The question
_

Hello everyone!  I just joined this list and look forward to learned lots
from everyone.

I keep a 90 gal tank with large chinese goldfish.

Lately the nitrate levels (80 to 140ppm) have me interested in placing a
few
plants in the tank.

I know I'm asking for trouble, since gf love to eat plants, however there
are a few that some have had reasonable success with, Java Fern , Anubias,
Hornwort, Salvinia.  Since I except to replace these plants often due to
the
gf nibbling on them, I need a reasonably cheap source for aquatic plants
in
the Toronto Ontario area.

Can anyone recommend a place and/or a Canadian mail order supply??
-
The response.

Hi all,	

	Although I can't suggest a name of a supply company, I can suggest
a plant to use.  I have a 10 gallon goldfish tank that was frequently
covered with a layer of green algae.  The sole occupant is a lionhead
about 4 inches.  I've been using a bunch (6 stems) of Elodea in a ceramic
pot with standard river gravel for the past 3 months and I have minimal
algae growth on the rear wall of the aquarium.  But there is algae still
attached to the aquarium sealant which was difficult to remove.  Even with
lighting of two 25 watt incandescent bulbs for 4-6 hours a day, I don't
have a problem with algae, though the water temperature gets to the lower 
70s.
	Elodea is special for several reasons.  
		It is cheap.
		Goldfish like to nibble on the new leaves.
		It absorbs nutrients through its leaves as well as roots.
		It produces some sort of allochemical algae inhibitor
			(learned about this from this list, I think).
		Can grow rooted or floating.
		Grows pretty quickly so it can be trimmed to "remove"
			nutrients from the tank.

	I believe that if you use a large number of this plant, you could
reduce your nitrate levels substantially.  I haven't tried this because my
nitrate levels are not quite that high.  OTOH, nothing beats the frequent
water changes of 40% biweekly.

	As a sidenote, I was wondering if anyone has tried to grow Elodea
in their planted tanks to inhibit algae growth.  It would be a lot simpler
solution than to battle the algae by controlling phosphates or iron levels
in the water column.  Sufficient numbers of Elodea planted in the rear of
the aquarium would negate the concern for the growth of a runaway algae
tank.  What do you all think?


Lawrence