[APD] Rift Lake Algae

["Jerry Smith" <jerrytheplater at hotmail_com>]

Thanks Tom and Paul for your responses.

Tom, I remember reading a post a while ago when you mentioned the mulm 
addition technique. Thank you for the reminder. I would have forgotton. All 
of my operating tanks contain Black Brush Algae, Audinella(pardon my 
spelling). My SAE keep it under control where they can reach it, but it is 
still growing on the power heads, intake tube interiors, etc. If I remove 
mulm from these tanks won't I also transfer the BBA? I don't want to do that 
unless the Africans will eat it. The 75 gallon tank is at my work and not 
home so it won't get contaminated via any of my home equipment.

When I mentioned the tank had a 20 gallon sump bio filter I didn't mention 
that I needed to build it. I have the 20 Long, 700 GPH pump, and overflow 
system in the tank. I'm not settled on the design yet. The filter will need 
to contain my heater as well. I have access to our machine shop at work, 
milling machine, lathe, saws, etc.

I just bought about 80 lbs. of what is called "Lace Rock" in my LFS. It was 
$2.50/lb at one store and $2.70/lb at another. I also bought 50 lbs of 
gravel labeled for an African tank. It is made in Florida and contains some 
visable small shells. It isn't crushed coral. It is dark brown in color.I 
stopped at a local garden center and bought some landscaping mudstone or 
siltstone slabs to use on the bottom. One slab is about 15" Dia. and 1/2" to 
2"thick. $2.00! Probably weighs 7 lbs. at least. What a price differance!

I'm going to place a 3/8" thick pad of spunbonded polypropylene(used under 
waterlily pond liners) on the bottom of the tank with a 1/8" thick sheet of 
gray PVC on top of it to protect the tank bottom from the rocks. I want to 
try coating the surface with sand by using PVC cement and sprinkleing the 
sand on it before it hardens. This way if the PVC is exposed it will only 
look like sand.

I may try planting some plants in pots along the back of the tank and hide 
the pots with rocks. Would you recomend using orchid clay pots with slots in 
the sides? This would allow water access to the pot. I would cover the slots 
with very thin filter cloth material to keep the gravel inside.

Thanks,
Jerry Smith in very cold Northern New Jersey. It was -2F this morning. It is 
+10F now.

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