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Re: Algae Growth



Roger S. Miller wrote:
> dosage to get the right color.  The iron level at that dosage may test
> very high -- like 0.5 mg/l.

I wouldn't say it adds that much. I was adding 1.5 times the dosage, and
until I just dumped 25 mL of it into my tank, it wasn't testing more than
0.1 mL. Of course, I was adding it daily and doing 25% weekly water changes.

> I seem to recall that you are maintaining good K and NO3 concentration, so
> my next guess would be the one major nutrient that you aren't dosing
> regularly.  That would be phosphorus.

That would be my guess too. But from my recent observations, I think my
plants have regained their growth.

> The only phosphate test kit I ever used wasn't worth the glossy cardboard
> box it came in.  I suspect that most of the other kits are in the same
> league.  The best way to test for phosphorus limitation is to add some and
> see what happens.

It wasn't by any chance a Red Sea kit, was it? I have had nothing but bad
experience with those kits. There are cheaper kits that are better quality
on the market. I will eventually get a PO4 kit when it'll be time to reorder
aquarium supplies.

> Do you have a growing population of snails?  I think they might be able to
> pull quite a bit of calcium out of the water.

Yes, I do! That's an excellent idea. I haven't thought of that.

> Nutrient "balance" is a moving target.  If you're going to go for a 100%
> nutrient-balanced tank then you're going to spend all your time in the
> hobby testing and adjusting dosages, retesting and readjusting, and on and
> on.  Probably all the while struggling with the on-again, off-again algae
> problems.

Ok, I'm not disagreeing with you. But I'd like to know just how many
highly-lit tanks out there have no algae and no herbivores, or if there are
any. Of course, this excludes tanks that have been bleached. So if anyone on
the list has a tank with at least, say, 2.5 W/g, no herbivores and no
visible algae, please reply to the list or to me personally. Thanks. This wi
ll be sort of a poll to find out if herbivores are really required.
__
Alex R.
pcalex at yahoo_com