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Re: Starting over
I'm going to try to answer all of these at once:
> From: Augustine J Rodriguez <rodrigaj at uwec_edu> (Augustine Rodriguez)
> However, my phosphates were never as high as 5ppm, which sounds incredibly
> high to me.
Oops, missing decimal point. PO4 is 0.5 ppm.
> From: Jonathan_Kirschner at Energetics_com (Jonathan Kirschner)
> 225 gallons! That'll be a real beauty when it's done.
It used to be :-0, Once the algae wins, it get real ugly, fast.
> How did the NO3 and PO4 levels get so high and what kind of water
> do you plan to use? If you will be using tap water, be sure to ask
> your local water department for an analysis sheet.
The water is fine from the tap, but I filter it through an undersink filter
to remove the chlorine. I'll probably go back to mixing it with RO once the
tank is planted again. The pH out of the tap is 7.8, but it is so soft it has
little effect when mixed with the tank. (tap parameters are: total hardness
50 ppm, buffering capacity: <50)
You can't believe how messy a few 6-8" goldfish can be. Nitrates can double
in a week after a missed water change.
> Sorry, but you may not have any choice. You could try draining the
> tank and using a dilute bleach solution on a clean rag to wipe down
> the glass, then scrape the algae off with a brand new single edge
> razor blade (never use an old blade or the same blade twice, as the
> iron oxide will scratch the glass). Painstaking work for a tank that
> size, but it will be very clean afterward. When you've finished, you
> will undoubtedly have to rinse the tank thoroughly and add
> thiosulfate drops to neutralize any excess chlorine.
Other than the spot algae, most of it wipes off easily, but I don't think
this would help much, considering the amount of algae spread throughout the
entire system. (wet/drys, lines, bio media, gravel, etc) I can't get it all.
> Sounds like this may take a while, and I'm sure that something will
> survive anyway. You'll probably still have those ugly green deposits
> on the glass, too. What do you plan to do about the substrate? It's
> probably disgusting, huh? Make sure you use laterite in the bottom
> third of the new substrate. Are you considering undergravel
> heating?
Substrate has been thoroughly clean a couple times a month. It still looks
great. Actually, other than the back glass, the tank still looks fine, for a
basically empty tank. The water is very clear, even when viewed through 6
feet of it.
Jon Wilson