RE: Plants

["Barry, Don" <DBarry@demattia.com>]

Eric,
You are correct about the light period.  I have better luck with 10
hours/day.  Also, you might consider getting more fast growing plants that
you can remove later as needed.  Duckweed works for me to control algae.
You have to thin it periodically or it will block the light to your plants.

If you have more questions you might try the aquatic plants digest at:

http://www.actwin.com/fish/aquatic-plants

Good luck,

Don Barry

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Martina [mailto:emartina@uiuc.edu]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 12:20 AM
To: Apisto Group
Subject: Plants


I was looking at the krib on info on plants, and I think I am more confused
now than ever. I have a newly set up and planted tank, here is what I have:

tank stuff:
a 37 gallon tank
a 55 watt compact fluorescent bulb
CO2 injection
some special plant substrate that my LFS recommended

plants:
java ferns
pearl grass
chain swords
corkscrew vals
giant red rotala
dwarf ambulis (or something very similar)
a cutting of an interesting long narrow leaf Hygrophila
and two other plants that I forget the name of (if it is important I can go
back to the pet store and get the names)

I have been leaving the lights on for about 15 hours a day. After reading
the stuff at the krib I realize that that is too much and I plan on reducing
that to 12 hours a day (should I go less?). The tank has been set up and
planted for about three weeks and I have already had to scrape the sides off
of algea once, and it is coming back (I even have 5 otos in there for the
last week or so!). Could this be because the plants I have, although a lot,
are still small and not using up all the nutrients? If this is the case,
once the plants get bigger will the algae die off, or will I have to take
out all my rocks and stuff and scrape off the algae? Any suggestions on what
I am doing right/wrong?

Thanks,
Eric

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eric Martina
University of Illinois
Electrical Engineering



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