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Algae and DO



> Tom, I have some questions....You wrote:
> <<I think perhaps high DO levels combined(or not) with the CO2 levels is the
> cause. At high DO levels even in high nutrient places/environments the algae
> typically would be at a disadvantage if it started growing since some other
> algae (or plant) is doing well(and producing all this DO).>>
> 
> 1. DO? Dissolved organics? Why would this affect algae nutrient uptake, and
> not the other greenery?

Dissolved oxygen, sorry about that.

> 
> 2. Assuming that I was right to assume dissolved organics, why wouldn't we
> just filter through peat to start and establish the aquarium, therefore
> eliminating algae's chance to even get a foothold?

I like peat personally. A little can help.

> 
> 3. If it is dissolved oxygen, it all makes sense. Faster growing plants (any
> healthy, active plant for that matter) use up the nurtrients in their
> photosynthesis and other activities, if you can call them that, and make all
> esential nutrients unavailable to the algae.

No! This is NOT what I'm saying! Those nutrients ARE quite available to the
algae!!! That's my point. They are not limiting the algae in any way. For
some reason the algae still not growing though. Steve Dixon and I have had
this talk before a few times. Bugs him too.

> Weakend by the deficiency, algae
> are unable to maintain.

But that's my point it has nothing to do with "deficiency" or an "excess"
nutrient. If it did I'd have a ton of algae in my tanks.
 There's no deficiency in my tanks for the algae. There's also plenty to be
had by any organism in the tank, everything is in excess relative to the
algae's needs for growth.

>Your dissolved oxygen would just be the byproduct of
> plant kicking algae's butt.....or something like that. Our job is to be sure
> that we give "plant" what it needs to get the job done. We'll *never* exactly
> agree on what that is.

I know what and how to as James says, "a cake mix", but I want to know
"why". There are several interelated issues BUT I think there may be a good
single reason that algae does not grow in a nutrient rich tanks with
moderate to high lighting with rich CO2 levels.
> 
> Plant whooping on algae seems to be the key to lots of other stuff: fish
> longevity, water clarity, maintenance time, snail population, substrate life,
> etc, etc.....

Jamming growth and lots of plants.
> 
> I've had algae pearl in my tanks before (bittersweet;). I think, at one time
> or another, we've all seen the tides reversed in favor of algae as the
> dominant consumer, and therefore the main producer of DO...... This is all
> common sense, "no duh!" stuff, but isn't that where we always get back to?

Awww, well at one point in everyone's hobby it has too. Algae as the main
producer is not really a goal:)  You can get 500% saturation values with
algae in natural waters.(40-50ppm of O2) or 200-300% in ponds even during a
eutrophic bloom. Then the die off after causes a reverse from decomposition
and stratification. Then fish die and cause even more O2 depletion.

 
Regards, 
Tom Barr
> 
>