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Re: Algicides



Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2001 14:25:24 -0400
From: Dinyar Lalkaka
>
> I have a Rift Lake tank with no plants, but a chronic
> tendency towards algae. I'm thinking of buying an
> algicide to keep the algae at bay. Do algicides affect
> fish? Can someone recommend a good general
> purpose algicide, please?

Such is Life in the "Big Lakes".

Algae growth is a lot more common that vascular growth in the Rift Lakes. To
remove the algae would tend toward a more "artificial" setting than would an
overgrown tank. It's removal may also deprive you of the chance to observe
some of the more interesting interactions between species if your tanks are
of the "community" flavor.

My Tanganyika tank contains J. ornatus, N. leleupi, N. brichardi and N.
brevis. It's a complete rock and sand setup in a 38-gal, and algae grows
over everything but the front glass. Although these species are more along
micropredator lines than grazers, without the algae they spend far less time
"investigating" the tank - or dealing with "encroachments" to their hunting
grounds. In fact, tank life gets pretty "harried" without it as the
perceived _size_ of the necessary bottom space needed to "acquire" food
grows for each species and "in-fighting" becomes the norm...

-Y-

David A. Youngker
nestor10 at mindspring_com