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Alternative fertiliser addition

Konsa

Member
Joined
20 Nov 2010
Messages
1,015
Location
Lostock Hall
Hi all
There was sth that I wanted to share.
In my little 25l tank.I used to have Californian black worms in the substrate and was growing plants very well even without CO2.
When restarting tried to eliminate the colony. But one or two worms made it trough.All the rooted plants I reused suffered and wilted away apart from few Cryptocorines that survived but didn't do much.With the same setup and fertiliser routine.
Now few months later the colony of Black worms is back to its formal glory and its only Cherry Shrimp in tank so no predators.I have stopped any fertiliser dosing for the last 2 months and while my floaters are clearly distressed all rooted plants and mosses grow like weeds again.

Regards Konsa
 
Hi
Yes I belive so.When I was restarting the tank anything but the top 1cm of the sand( Light coloured ADA Nile sand)was black with light silty smell to it.It washed off quite easy too.
The worms are quite effective at eating any food leftovers also.
Regards Konsa
 
Hi
I am yet to discover a way to harvest them without disrupting the whole tank.I have back sump (Aqua one Betta duo tank) and the filter sponges are wick with them too but no joy getting them out of there too. I have them in multiple cultures indoors and out so they are here to stay.
I have a LFS that stocks them as live food for £1.79 a bag ( size as much as U get in a Bloodworm 100ml bag) and I still buy them for my puffer tank as treat as can't be bothered picking them out one by one out of mine cultures
Regards Konsa
 
Hi all,
I am yet to discover a way to harvest them without disrupting the whole tank.
Can you suction them out with traditional style gravel cleaner?

The other option I use is just some Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) pushed down towards the substrate. After lights out slide a fine mesh net under it, and then give the Hornwort a wash under a tap, holding it over the net. It can be a gentle stream of water.

There should be plenty of Black-worms in the net. It need to be a fine mesh net or all the Black-worms end up wound through the mesh, and they are difficult to retrieve again.

I don't know why they congregate in the Hornwort, but they do.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi Darrel
You are bang on the money with the gravel vac.Just remembered last time I did gravel vac my brichardi cichlid tank and it takes them no problem.Its just the tank footprint is very small and hardscape and plants.... its still difficult as no open spaces atm.Will clear a corner and do it like that.If put a bit of food on the spot they gather well enough..
I have the right size mesh net too.
Regards Konsa
 
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