Re: algae & new filter

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: algae & new filter
From: Kevin Conlin <kcconlin at cae_ca>
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 1995 17:54:13 -0500
In-Reply-To: <199512032039.PAA02328 at looney_actwin.com>

On Sunday, 3 December 1995, Thomas Narten wrote:

> I've had BG algae-from-hell for over a year. Antibiotics take care of
> it short term, but it always seems to come back with a vengence. My
> current theory is that:

[theories snipped]

One thing I've noticed is that it doesn't pay to keep my gravel too
clean.  In the brighter regions of my tank, the top layer of gravel is
interwoven with green thread or bunch algae.  It looks like the gravel
is simply tinted green, but I can actually peel back the top layer,
exposing squeaky clean gravel underneath.  Unfortunately, if I do this
(to appease my spouse, who likes the natural color of the gravel) the
clean areas are rapidly colonized by cyanobacteria.  After a couple of
weeks the cyanobacteria are replaced with green bunch/thread algae,
which is then grazed by the catfish until I'm left with the same
greenish mat I started with.  Now I just suck up the mulm and wait
patiently for the E. tenellus and C. Willisii to fill in the gaps.
--
Kevin Conlin   kcconlin at cae_ca   "We're Canadians.  We HAVE to be polite"