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Cloudiness: algae problem?
After reading this mailing for a few months now I have a question for all
of you. Here goes:
I have a 55 gallon planted tank, Aquaclear 300, 201 powerhead with DIY CO2
going into it (about 1 bubble per 2 sec), heater, 160 watts of light (2
sylvania 5500k daylight, 1 GE grolux, 1 GE F40res) on a timer 12 hours per
day. I recently (about 2 weeks ago) redid the substrate in the tank and
used to have just plain 2-3mm gravel and had very clear water, even after
removing the carbon which I read might compete with the plants for
nutrients. For the new substrate I used 1/3 laterite mixed with sand, and
2/3 sand on top of that. I did make a mistake and did not rinse the sand (I
know, BAD AQUATIC GARDENER!) but after the first couple of days the tank
cleared up mostly and this "new" cloudiness is not the same type, it's
appears as a white haze with the lights on and almost looks like a green
hue with the tank lights off and other room lights on, IE greenwater.
Plants in the tank are: anacharis, hygro spp., cabomba, hairgrass,
hornwort, ludwigia repens, amazon sword, bacopa caroliniana.
Is this a result of not using carbon in a new tank, or just the typical
algal bloom that I have read about that will go away in the next few weeks
if I just leave it alone? I am currently waiting for ingredients for PMDD
and am aware of the Sears and Collins paper and that proper nutrients in
the right amounts is the amswer. Will fertilization via PMDD let the plants
out compete the algae (if that's what it is).
The plants are doing well but looking into the tank is quite frustrating as
abviously the cloudiness takes away from the enjoyment of watching the
plants do their thing.
I know some of you out there must have experienced this at some point, TIA
for any help.
Chris
Binghamton University
bg18230 at binghamton_edu