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Re: Frikken Frakken black algae



Picture Yosemite Sam being beaten yet again by ole Bugs, stomping away 
muttering, "Frikken frakken, gargen fratted murgle..." and you will get a 
picture of how I am feeling about my algae battle. It is the black kind that 
grows all along the edges of the leaves (beard?fur? hair? some of each?)

>From reading this list I have tried.......... #1 upping the CO2 :  despite 
having two bottles going full bore (sounds like microwave popcorn popping as 
it goes into my intake), I cannot seem to get the parameters to move from pH 
7, kH 5.  This is only 15 ppm of CO2.  This is only for a 38 gallon tank!  
Surely I do not need a THIRD bottle?  Would an upside down jar work better 
than sending it into my Fluval?

#2 I quit feeding any live or frozen foods.  Just two pinches of flakes, 
twice a day.  The fish are decidedly less rotund, but also not doing their 
interesting little mating swim-dances.  The barbs are picking some of the 
algae now.

#3 I added Rosy Barbs and a Pink Kisser.  I get the impression that the 
kissing gouramis are not so nice to plants, but this guy is the most 
dedicated of my algae eaters right now.  He is small.  If he starts 
significant damage I will return him to the store later.

#4 I have hand picked algae off the leaves with my fingernails, and tried the 
hydrogen peroxide thing (I didn't see any change).  I am ready to pull the 
plants out and try bleaching them. Do I have it right, is it 19 parts water 
to one part bleach, and then three minutes or so?

Still doing weekly water changes, adding Kent Pro Plant.  Obviously something 
is still amiss.  Two of my swords have put out leaves that turn 90 degrees 
crooked.  Time to put more Flourish tabs in the substrate?  How often?  The 
dog ate the package they came in, so I am not sure how often to replace them. 
 Same dog has consumed a couple of canisters of fish food, what can I say?

Help me with my Frikken Frakken black algae problem afore I git out my six 
shooters and *really* lose it.  Oooooohhh!!!

Yosemite Catherine