[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Green Water - Vacation



What do APDers do when they go on vacation - every time I go I come back to
a tank thats a mess and too late to recover for the AGA competition.  I have
a nieghbour who very kindly feeds my fish every few days but I cannot
realistically ask him to maintain the fert regime in the planted tank.  This
year its green water, last year it was BGA, I can't rememebr the year
before.

The tank is 36x18(h) x15, 3x30 w fluorescent, regulated CO2 via intake of a
spare eheim 2211, Dennerle substrate with heater coils.
Water GH 7, KH 5, pH 6.8 (just before lights on) temp 78-82 deg F(temp has
been rising during day because of recent heatwave but thermostat is set for
78), NO3 maintained at 5-10ppm, PO4 maintained at 0.5ppm - 0.8ppm pretty
much by Tom Barrs suggested weekly routine as per APD. Similarly Fe and
microtraces (both Kent Botanic) - I dont test for Fe but follow the guide.
The tank pretty heavily planted with a mix of Ech species, Valisneria
spiralis, H. Zosterifolia, Ludgwigia repens, hydrocotyle, and java fern
'windleov'. It is fully stocked with fish ie it is not just a 'planted' tank
around 40" of fish in aggregate.  I change 50% of the water once a week
adding a tsp K2SO4 to maintain 20ppm K over the week.  No visible nutrient
deficiency symptoms in the plants this time.

The green water builds up over night and when the lights go on at midday the
tank turbidity is high - you can't see from from to back.  However at light
out (10hours-timer set) the tank has nearly cleared and is just faintly
misty.

APD archives recommend a total darkness regime for 5 days to cure this but
will this work on my tank with darkness actually making the green bloom
worse.  Any thoughts anyone?

Also what can anyone suggest to prevent vacation problems - reducing the
light to one tube? Lights out?  I dose the tank normally beforere I go but
in 2 1/2 weeks something has usually deleted enough to cause a problem
usually N and P.

Thanks in advance


Matthew
Hampshire, UK