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Re: [GSAS-Member] Algae control; Vitamin D
Hi John:
I would try to capitalize on the green water situation by adding a daphnia
culture to the tank. Free live food!!!!!!!!!
Susan
-------------- Original message --------------
> This discussion has been helpful.
>
> Since my Nitrate measures "0," I'll try to raise that. If necessary,
> I'll then add potassium salts.
> Magnesium is next, in the form of epsom salts.
> I recently added calcium carbonate (crushed seashells) to increase the
> pH, so calcium should
> be plentiful.
> My substrate is fluorite.
> I'm not quite ready to invest time and money in CO2 equipment. If
> anyone has some used equipment
> for sale, though, I'd consider it.
>
> My canister filter is 2/3 carbon and 1/3 zeollite. I emptied that out
> this morning. I think the carbon filtration
> adsorbed a lot of minerals and trace minerals, and the zeolite and
> carbon absorbed the available nitrogen.
>
> My three other tanks have had none of the green water problem. I'm
> scratching my head trying to remember
> what I did differently. The zeolite is the only difference that I can
> think of - I used it because I ran out of carbon,
> so I topped off the holder with zeolite.
>
> If I was looking at deficiencies in people, I'd know better how to
> correct the imbalances. Considering the genetic
> similarities between people and fish (and even plants, if I remember
> correctly), it should be fairly easy to learn
> what specific nutritional deficiencies look like in fish and plants.
> Hole-in-the-head disease in Oscars, for instance,
> is caused by Vitamin D deficiency according to two books (including the
> Handbook of Fish Diseases) that I read.
> Does anyone know if fish create Vitamin D in their "skin" when exposed
> to the sun, as we do? If so, do any of the
> available fluorescent lights provide the wavelengths necessary to
> produce it?
>
> John
>
>
> On Mar 17, 2005, at 11:25 AM, Paul M. Wallace wrote:
>
> > John:
> >
> > I agree with everything that has been posted. You need to feed your
> > plants!
> > Another version of PMDD is the Estimative Index of Dosing by Tom Barr
> > http://www.barrreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1 which might be of
> > interest. In some circles a distinction is made if CO2 injected. For
> > tanks
> > without CO2 a "rich" substrate (soil under gravel) can be used so that
> > the
> > nutrients are in the substrate and not the water column. If CO2 is
> > used the
> > rich substrate can be relaxed to something like Fluorite or Eco
> > Complete and
> > dosing nutrients into the water column like PMDD or EI.
> >
> > -Paul
> >
> > Thank you Mark. That paper was most useful. I am pasting in below some
> > of the points from the paper that I will try, including removing the
> > carbon filtration and discontinuing use of Aquasafe. Maybe Paul's
> > response which I am awaiting will further elucidate important
> > considerations.
> > John
> >
> > (c) Enriched substrates are probably the best means of supplying
> > phosphates to plants provided steps are taken to minimize the leakage
> > of phosphate into the water column. Substrate fertilizers such as Pond
> > Tabs should be buried deep in the substrate where their nutrients are
> > preferentially available to plant roots. Substrate circulation should
> > be minimized to prevent phosphate from leaching too rapidly into the
> > water column. Avoid gravel cleaning and other substrate disturbances if
> > at all possible. Eliminating substrate circulation completely would not
> > be desirable (even if it were possible) because supplementary
> > fertilizers are usually added to the water and must be transported to
> > the roots somehow.
> >
> > Tap water is not recommended as a source of trace elements because it
> > may be deficient in one or more elements, and rapid plant growth is
> > likely to deplete the elements far more quickly than they can be
> > replaced.
> >
> > Certain water treatment products (Aquasafe, NovAqua) should be
> > avoided
> > as they bind metals (including iron), making them unavailable to
> > plants. They may also contain phosphate buffers. Simple dechlorinators
> > or products such as Amquel are a better choice for treating tap water
> > during water changes.
> >
> > Carbon filtration may remove necessary trace elements from the water.
> > With regular water changes and good plant growth, carbon filtration is
> > not necessary and should be omitted.
> >
> > (i) As a general principle, avoid adding fertilizers, water
> > treatments, or any other products to one's aquarium unless the products
> > completely disclose the concentration of each ingredient present.
> > Otherwise, there is no way to knowing what effect (if any!) these
> > products will have on the aquarium's inhabitants.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mar 17, 2005, at 7:52 AM, Mark Pearlscott wrote:
> >
> >> John,
> >>
> >> Since this seems to be a hot topic, and my guess is that lots of
> >> people don't know lots about it just yet, here is the original paper
> >> on PMDD (http://www.cam.org/~tomlins/algae.html). This should give
> >> you all the information you need to know to get your tank in balance
> >> and all plants growing like weeds. If you need a supplier of
> >> nutrients, try Eco-Elements (I'm pretty sure that is the name), a
> >> hydroponic supply store up here in Shoreline (off 175th and I-5).
> >>
> >> My experience with green water is that the tank is "usually" deficient
> >> in Nitrogen. So, going through the method of checking what is
> >> missing, you might want to confirm this for your tank before adding
> >> Nitrogen (which seems counter-intuitive).
> >>
> >> With that being said, you might just want something fast and easy, and
> >> there is such a ting. Keep the micron filter or paper filter in you
> >> canister, and add a "particulate clumper" to the tank (available at
> >> most pet stores). With the clumper added, all the little pieces of
> >> algae stick together, and then are able to be filtered out by the
> >> filter. Just make sure to clean your filter after the algae has come
> >> out of the water column. I had a friend use this, and it was gone in
> >> one afternoon.
> >>
> >> Good luck,
> >>
> >> Mark Pearlscott
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> John Ruhland wrote:
> >>
> >>> In the past few weeks, I've had an algae problem as well. Rather than
> >>> coating any surfaces, it simply turns my water green. While it is a
> >>> pretty color, I am unable to see anything more than about 4-5 inches
> >>> from the glass. I've added two filters to the original filter. The
> >>> pleated paper filter that came with the Magnum canister filter, and
> >>> that I was told would turn water crystal clear, has not filtered out
> >>> anything, so it must be only a few microns in size. Besides the
> >>> magnum filter, I have a Magnum HOT, and a Marineland Emperor with
> >>> Bio-wheel. At first I changed the water every day or two and added a
> >>> bit of salt, thinking that would slow the growth of algae, but since
> >>> that did not show much improvement, I decided to wait it out. Any
> >>> recommendations would be helpful. Anita recommended getting tiny
> >>> organisms that would eat the algae.
> >>>
> >>> Fortunately, the fish seem to be doing alright.
> >>> Thank you,
> >>> John
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> It is the tank where I put most of the plants I got at the plant sale
> >>> as well.
> >>> On Mar 16, 2005, at 2:56 PM, auntie.fran@netzero.net wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks, Barbie...I'll see if I can find one. There's a synodontis
> >>>> in the tank -- got him as a bottom feeder -- but I'm not certain
> >>>> which type, but he sure doesn't eat algae!
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional.
> >>>>
> >>>> -- "Barbie" wrote:
> >>>> Synodontis petricola eat hair algae also, and would be much more
> >>>> suited to life with african cichlids, IMO.
> >>>>
> >>>> Barbie
> >>>>
> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>> From: auntie.fran@netzero.com
> >>>> To: gsas-member@thekrib.com
> >>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 11:11 AM
> >>>> Subject: Re: [GSAS-Member] Algae control
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Will apple snails eat beard algae? And, will they survive in a
> >>>> tank with blue daffodils and yellow labs?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional.
> >>>>
> >>>> -- "A JACOBSON" wrote:
> >>>> Shortly after the plant auction I was setting up a 55 gallon tank
> >>>> and cannibalizing plants from my other tanks to fill it. Sure
> >>>> enough, the tank I took the most plants out of suddenly was being
> >>>> overwhelmed by several types of algae. I immediately crammed in a
> >>>> bunch more plants and tossed in a baby SAE. The increased plant
> >>>> load stopped the algae spread in its tracks, and now the baby SAE,
> >>>> the 5 otos, the large SAE, and the snails I no longer bother, are
> >>>> slowly cleaning the algae from the plants -- I'm also snipping off
> >>>> leaves that are completely algae-covered, so they can concentrate
> >>>> on only partially covered leaves. And it seems to be working.
> >>>>
> >>>> I bought a 30 gallon long tank a couple of months ago from someone
> >>>> who had let it go downhill. It had two beautiful pieces of bogwood
> >>>> covered with a dwarf java fern, but every leaf was black from
> >>>> algae. Same with the anubias and the sag, and the glass of the
> >>>> aquarium itself. Did the same thing. Cut off the worst leaves
> >>>> (and every time I go in there I trim a little more, giving the new
> >>>> leaves a chance to grow), tossed in 2 SAE, and added a field of
> >>>> crypts that I bought for that purpose at the plant auction. It's
> >>>> not quite there yet (crypts are still looking pretty forlorn), but
> >>>> it is SOOO much better. A few apple snails are surviving, despite
> >>>> the loaches (maybe there are too big for the loaches?) and they are
> >>>> going a yoeman's job of clearing off the remaining black on the
> >>>> leaves.
> >>>>
> >>>> Anita
> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>> From: welenofsky@comcast.net
> >>>> To: GSAS Member
> >>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 6:56 AM
> >>>> Subject: [GSAS-Member] Algae control
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Since the plant auction, I've had all different types of algae
> >>>> plaguing my tank. What kinds of fish besides SAE will help control
> >>>> it? Where can I get these fish locally? Does anyone have any SAE or
> >>>> other algae-eating fish they don't want anymore? I have discus in
> >>>> the tank. I may just take it down and bleach the plants and/or
> >>>> strip the leaves off.
> >>>>
> >>>> Susan
> >>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>> lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/gsas-member>
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> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> Dr. John F. Ruhland
> >>> The Natural Health Medical Clinic
> >>> 4002 - 25th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98108
> >>> 206-723-4891
> >>> www.drruhland.com
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>
> >>>
> >>
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> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > Dr. John F. Ruhland
> > The Natural Health Medical Clinic
> > 4002 - 25th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98108
> > 206-723-4891
> > www.drruhland.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
>
> Dr. John F. Ruhland
> The Natural Health Medical Clinic
> 4002 - 25th Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98108
> 206-723-4891
> www.drruhland.com
>
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