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Re: Algae and shrimps


> I don't think my problem with green hair algae has
> been one of inexperience.  Many water changes, dosing
> with PMDD, limiting feeding of fish, nitrogen levels
> always below 5.  I didn't dose nitrogen because that
> is how I previously had problems with BGA.  I guess it
> was Tom Barr that recommended extra nitrogen (with
> subsequent increased plant AND algae growth and
> eventual algae reduction).  Admittedly I did not try
> that, and wonder if that solution takes a matter of
> months (if it works at all) rather than the 1.5 wk it
> took me to solve the problem with 14 cardina japonica.

Do both - not just one. But it does work, it just works better with algae
eating critters. It's like putting one SAE in a 300 gallon tank. It will
take awhile to eat what's present even if it's not growing but if you 5 or
ten it will take less time. Thing is if you drag it out long enough you will
likely mess something up, neglect the tank etc and you'll get cycles of
algae issues again and again.
Folks are cheap and don't want to buy a bunch of plants or algae eating
critter in mass to get rid of their problems though. When you do, they wipe
it out fast.

> Sure there was a nutrient imbalance after I cleared
> out a large bucket of plants, but efforts to stop the
> algae before using the shrimp were futile.  So I would
> recommend trying shrimp, along with the usual methods.

Use every method you got:) Ain't it nice not to have algae? Doing a vac-ing
right after a big hack often will help greatly. Another thing is to do only
about 1/3 of you tank at a time and doing the vac and then wait about 3-5
days then do another 1/3 etc -repeat.
Regards, 
Tom Barr