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Strange new inhabitants since lowering Hardness
Hi all,
I'm a starving grad student that is attempting to convert my 29
gallon into a planted tank. I've been reading this digest as well as
other internet stuff in preparation. I'm currently experimenting with a
DIY CO2 and I will be planting soon. I have a small Aquarium
Pharmaceuticals test kit and I have found that my water was as high as
380ppm with the 'hardness' test which was provided. I work in a lab and
R.O. water is easy to come by and so I have since done a few water changes
and my hardness is down to 150ppm. I did this change over a six week
period and my fish only look better. However I have noticed some new
things growing which were not before. I was wondering if anyone could tell
me what they are and if I should get rid of these problems before I tear
my tank down to put in the new substrate and plants.
1. My gravel now has a large population of little tiny worms.
They are white and very small. My tiger barbs love to eat them when the
gravel is disturbed.
2. I have a large piece of driftwood. There is a thin white
hair-like material growing out of the wood. It looks more like fungi than
alage and is growing but very slowly.
3. The algae I had was brown and dingy. Since the change in
hardness, I now have patches of green algae that are about the size and
shape of duckweed(but not duckweed, this stuff grows on the glass).
I'm going to take the tank down, remove the undergravel filter and put
about an inch and a half of 'Aquatic Plant Soil' at the bottom. I found
this stuff at Home Depot and it looks just like the expensive stuff I've
seen at the LFS. Any ideas on if my new inhabitants should be dealt with
will be appreciated. Thanks in advance. KSB
Kenneth S. Bruno
Purdue University
Department of Biological Sciences
West Lafayette, Indiana
kbruno at purdue_edu
(765) 743-9905