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Re: MBCREATVE's: Green water problem



MBCreative wrote:

>Me and my 29 gallon nursery tank 3 years old filled with plants now is for 
>the first time having a green water algae problem. Nothing is different 
>except for one thing. I used to keep about 1/2 of my plants in small 
>pots—just because I moved them around a lot and also to control their
growth. 
>About a month ago I freed them all and planted them in my very loose gravely 
>substrate (I was not a plant enthusiast when I set up the tank--they came 
>later and too late for laterite). My theory is that when they were in pots 
>they were using whatever was in the water column. Now they are using what's 
>in the gravel. The water column is therefore richer and now we are algae 
>prone. 

Without knowing your fauna diversity ( % of biomass in swords, % biomass in
stems) its difficult to hazzard a guess.  Swords tend to rely on substrate
nutrition from roots a lot more than stem plants that prefer to extract
nutrients from the water column.  Personally, I suspect the damage caused
to the root mass during removal from the pot and replanting is the source
of your problem. Give the mass time to recover its pre-replanting nutrient
extraction efficiency.

Get some peat moss in a mesh bag, place it your filter. The slow prodction
of peroxides does a number on green water w/o harming higher plants.  I use
a peat moss-vermiculite, sand-Osmocote blend for my substrate at the start.
This prevents the formation of greenwater altogether from the start.

For long term control add 2-3 live freshwater clams to your substrate.
They are great filter feeders of green water.
D.Chang;

"Those who know HOW will always have a job...
Working for those who know WHY."

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