Re: [Killietalk] black brush algae

[ROBERT ELLERMANN <ruevenm at sbcglobal_net>]

Hi Allan,
 
    Cut the light down, especially VHO. You only need 2 watts per gallon for great plant growth unless you are doing an Amano tank -- ceaseless fussing -- or have hard to grow (lushly) stem plants. I bet 10 hours a day would more than do the job. 14 is too much. If you want light later into the evening use a timer and turn the light off for 4 hours during the work day.
 
Bobby

ed_dantes at linkline_com wrote:
Thanks so much for the great responses; 

Just a few additional notes based on the numerous responses that I received. 

This tank is heavily supplied with CO2 and has VHO lighting for 14 hours a 
day. It also has a R/O unit that is constantly changing the water 24/7. 
The r/o unit is rated at 50 gallons a day, but due to the resistance due to 
distance the water has to travel, I believe that the acutal rate of water 
change is 10-15 gallons a day. (180 gallon tank) I would think that this is 
still enough of a water turnover to reduce the nitrates??? There are very 
few fish in the tank as I am still trying to get it balanced. 

I will try and get some of those nifty little snails. Hopefully they will 
leave my plants alone. Does anyone know if a Florida Flag Fish will eat the 
stuff? 

BTW it is interesting to note that the bushy stuff is only growing next to 
the co2 infeed to the tank. 

Thanks again for the input 

Allan 



> Subject: Re: [Killietalk] black brush algae
> To: "'killifish discussion list'" 
> 
> Dera FishFolk, 
> 
> I had a lot of black brush algae in my slate apistogramma tank. It doesn't
> get enough water changes, since it is in my office at the college. 
> 
> Olive nerite snails will eat BBA. They cleaned the tank up. They are <$1
> from Arizona Aquatic Gardens http://www.azgardens.com/index.php
> They ship things overnight so that is expensive. 
> 
> Nerite snails are sensitive to flubendazole and I haven't been able to
> re-introduce them to the tank after I treated a sick fish. 
> 
> Currently I have Ilydon furcidens, the goldenfronted livebearer, in the tank
> and they have eaten all the algae that reappeared when the snails were
> removed. You can get these very inexpensively from ALA members. They are a
> large, active livebearer and may not be something you want permanently in
> the tank. 
> 
> In my planted tank at home, which is a retirement home for old or
> partnerless killies, I have rosy barbs. They eat thread algae and except for
> salvinia, leave the plants alone. 
> 
> Good luck, 
> 
> Earl 
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> Earl Blewett Ph.D.
> Associate Professor of Microbiology
> Dept. of Biochemistry and Microbiology
> Oklahoma State University
> Center for Health Sciences
> College of Osteopathic Medicine
> 1111 W 17 St. Tulsa, OK 74107
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