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Algae eater?
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 6:16 am
by RoopeB
I have a minor algae broblem in my F8 tank and since it is brackishwater I havent been able to put any algae eaters in there. Do you know some species (non puffers?) that eats algae and could live in bracwater?
.rb.
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 6:46 am
by Rocker
None I'm afraid. -You have to do your own cleaning.
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:00 am
by puffermama
I'm no expert, but have reason to believe that algae thrive in bright conditions and cause much less of a problem in low level lighting which is probably what a brackish habitat would have naturally.
It's a trade off, I think, between enough light for the plants to thrive but not enough for the algae. Plants that hog the top of the tank so get all the light themselves, would be ideal, providing they are OK with the salt and the fish don't mind.
Susanna
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:05 am
by RTR
There are almost no BW plants available in the trade.
BW in the wild is no sunnier nor shadier than any other water, highly site specific. Underneath the magroves is pretty dim, tidal flats and marshes are pretty bright. Bays run the full range.
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 11:00 am
by puffermama
Ok, it isn't always dim where it is brackish, but algae grow less when it is dim (?)
Java Fern grows well, and a plant my LFS calls a Lettuce plant, also Bogwood tinges the water yellow. I have no problem with algae with those.
Susanna
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 1:43 pm
by RoopeB
I dont have any plants in my F8 tank, only a plastic one. Havent been able to grow anything in there. There are two bogwood pieces in tank and the dissolving tanine is colouring the water into brown/yellowish. Lighting in the tank is not too bright. Algae fills bottom gravel partly in green slabs unless I dont scrub it off while changing water.
I will try to reduce some feedings, since my F8s are quite messy folk. Possible there are too much nutrition in the water because of all this heavy eating?
.rb.
Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:47 pm
by RTR
Quite possible, equally possible to have excess nutrients in the substrate.
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:22 am
by Pufferpunk
It is not a good idea to have bog/driftwood in a BW tank. It will soften the water & make it acidic (opposite of hard, higher pH BW).
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:40 am
by puffermama
Oh yea! ... and the bogwood is icky to clean ... but I think I might be able to get away with it, because our source water is incredibly hard (in the hundreds), with a PH of about 8.2, and we have black coral sand as substrate.
You think it balances out?
Susanna
Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:05 am
by puffermama
PS: Checked, PH 8.5. But water change was needed, thanks PP!
Susanna