Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #99

• To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
• Subject: Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V1 #99
• From: Kevin Conlin <kcconlin at zola_cae.ca>
• Date: Thu, 01 Jun 1995 16:42:50 -0400
• In-Reply-To: <199506011939.PAA13576 at looney_actwin.com>

On Thursday, 1 June 1995, David Whittaker wrote:

> Why do you bother with UV sterilization and carbon anyway? Those
> cyclops have to have something to feed on.

The carbon is an experiment to control the cyanobacteria that grows on
the gravel this time of year.  It had no effect as far as I can tell
and was removed last night (during the summer months the tank gets a
fair bit of sunlight and this may be responsible for the periodic
outbreaks.  Moving the tank is not an option).  I have UV because I
just like to kill things (no, not really).  The cyclops have plenty to
eat but aren't numerous thanks to a school of marginated and
three-lined pencil fish (more people should have these little jewels).

George Booth added:

> A long time ago, we used a UV sterilizer (thanks to the well meaning
> but money hungry fish store) and determined that is was removing, or
> making unavailable, the iron in the water.  Turn it off. 

If, with the carbon removed, I can't get the iron levels up I'll shut
off the UV and see what happens.  Perhaps fresh laterite balls pressed
into the gravel would supply the plants with iron even with the UV running.
I'd prefer to deliver the nutrients directly to the roots anyway, the
assumption being that fewer nutrients floating around in the water equates
to reduced algae growth.
--
Kevin Conlin   kcconlin at cae_ca   "We're Canadians.  We HAVE to be polite"

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