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Re: I got them old, old beard algae blues.
>Date: Sun, 6 Jul 1997 16:41:25 -0400
>From: "Tom Brennan" <brennans at ix_netcom.com>
>I am about fit to be tied with red/black beard algae after months of trying
>to control it !! Nuking the tank seems to be my only option.
Get some Siamese Algae Eaters.
>Substrate - 1.5" Profile pond planting soil then 1.5" vermiculite then 2+"
>clean sand/gravel from Home Depot. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of
>Osmocote through the verm before covering with sand. Home made RedArt Clay
>laterate balls mixed with LillyPond plant tabs pushed under swords, anubas,
>baby-tears, crypts and other large plants after about 4 months of operation
>way into the substrate.
Yikes, what a swamp. From a Dupla perspective, of course.
>Purchase the phosphate kit and some Phos-Sorb.
>Phosphate test came out around 30....Yikes !.
Yikes! This sounds way too high. Is the test kit any good?
>Unless some has some way of dealing with this tank another way I see no
>other alternative except to do a TOTAL TANK/FILER BREAKDOWN AND BLEACH
>TREATMENT.
Mail order some SAE from Uncle Ned's.
>I think I am going to stick with basically the same substrate.
> ...
>George/Karla, should I start praying to the Dupla gods. I promise to drink
>tank water for a week if I can just do it all over again and get it right !
None of the Dupla gods I know would recommend using such a rich substrate.
Try to locate someone who has good luck with this (Jim Kelly?) and see what
else they do.
You really should have some algae eating fish. IMHO, a happy plant tank
will also be a nice home for algae and you need some herbivoires to keep it
"invisible". More than one type, also. Otos, bristle-nose cats, SAE,
farlowellas and snails are a good mix.
George Booth, Ft. Collins, Colorado (booth at frii_com)
Need info? http://www.frii.com/~booth/AquaticConcepts.htm