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CO2 & Light Demands

For diatoms it may not hurt, but try doing that when you have a BGA bloom and you'll cause yourself more grief than you care for...

Cheers,
 
Guess I'll be leaving it alone now then lol.

How long a blackout is good? I started monday - perhaps leave until sunday?
 
Well blackouts are usually 3-4 days and there is always the option of repeating it. CO2 needs to be shut off of course but nutrients can be dosed - at night, so that no light gets in. You have to remember that light causes algae, so when you open the shades and let light in it helps algae recover from a punch in the gut.

Cheers,
 
You better believe it pal. That's why algae are so successful, while your lumbering plants melt into oblivion if conditions are not perfect, remember?

Cheers,
 
CO2 & Light Demands

Why can't we grow pretty forms of algae instead then! It would be ao much easier!!!
 
CO2 & Light Demands

Black out done - and wow!

Amazing how much difference it makes. I thought id need to scrub all my rocks but they are all like new! Sand is clean too.

I'll post some pics once the waters cleared as i did a 70% water change :)

Now... Hopefully with my spraybar set up etc the diatoms wont come back :)
 
Will do!

Maintaining a lime-greeny-yellow colour for now. Flow seems pretty strong all over the tank too so hopefully it will be ok.

I'm dosing a little Flourish Excel daily for a while just to be sure
 
Hi all,
Why can't we grow pretty forms of algae instead then! It would be so much easier!!!
Click to expand...
I think there are plenty of types of really attractive algae, unfortunately I'm not sure they would be easy to grow.

The "Stoneworts", Chara and Nitella spp. are UK examples.

Chara vulgaris
B3120118-Common_stonewort_Chara_vulgaris_-SPL.jpg
.

Nitella as an Aquarium plant
plantnitellaclose.jpg


I also quite like red algae (like BBA) in the right circumstances. This is a Polish Apistogramma breeder ("Ruki").
A. "Breitbinden" tank, with just Pistia and Red algae.

inin.jpg

and this is one of the inhabitants:
img2999eh.jpg


cheers Darrel
 
CO2 & Light Demands

Mmm i think i'm getting Some green spot algae.

Also maybe diatoms.

I'm not sure why though :/
 
Nitella is very easy to grow, Chara tends to be tougher in aquariums.

I've done well with Chara for about 8 months, dies off after, mostly due to me and my own neglect.

Stinky too.

If you like macro algae, we only have a few options with Fresh, but marine has a few hundred that are suited for warmer water.
 
CO2 & Light Demands

Am going to up my ferts as i hear low PO4 can cause the green spot algae!
 
Maybe I'm missing something here? I'm trying to achieve optimal dispersion in a 20 gallon long tank. I have a MaxiJet powerhead with a modified impeller (so as to create a mist) connected to a spraybar, which is mounted along the back wall. When I point the spraybar horizontally, like you suggest, the mist seems to travel horizontally until it reaches the front glass, at which point it seems to move chiefly up (rather than down as you suggest). Perhaps I need to just tinker a bit more with placement?

This is a great thread, by the way. Lots of folks maintain that good flow is very important for optimal plant health; how to achieve this flow was a bit of a mystery until I read ceg's posts here.

ceg4048 said:
Space the powerheads and spraybar evenly across the back wall along the top and point all flow horizontal towards the front glass. Do not point the holes or the pumps downwards as this defeats the scheme. We are using the glass to route the water underneath the bottom leaves because that is where the plants are mostly starved.
Click to expand...
 
Hello,
Sorry but I don't really understand the configuration you describe. How can a powerhead be connected to a spraybar? Isn't the output of the filter ported to the spraybar? Powerheads are typically used to supplement the spraybar output by placing them just above or below the sprasybar's center, or, if the spraybar is not long enough, the powerhead is placed in the gap between the end of the spraybar and the far side wall. I'd need a sketch or photo to understand the setup you're describing. Also, the spraybar and pumps should be placed very near the surface. If they are placed too low then water will be deflected both up and down, which steals energy from the downward flow.

Cheers,
 
Thanks for the reply, Clive. The powerhead is a Maxijet 600. I am using it on a 20 gallon long.

IMG_2908.jpg
.

I attached a piece of CPVC to the outlet, which as you can see is round. I then drilled some holes in it, and capped the end to make a spraybar.
Next, I clipped the blades on the Maxijet's impeller as suggested on Barrreport. Kind of a DIY needle wheel modification.

No fish in this tank, and I was blasting the CO2, but I was getting terrible results. Some green algae on the front glass... also rotting stems (is this classic for poor flow?). Bubble count ridiculously high. I did try to tinker with my flow... very hard to find the time, with two kids under the age of 3.

I ended up taking the spraybar/ powerhead out. Instead I hooked up a Hagen Mini Elite to disperse CO2. It will be pointed at the intake of an XP-3 canister filter. I'll use the spraybar right below the surface, and play with it's directional flow, as per your suggestions above.

I have been using CO2 in planted tanks for about 10 years now. Just learning about the importance of flow.
 
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