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Controlling floaters

drooke

Member
Joined
8 Apr 2009
Messages
75
Location
Huddersfield
Hi all,

I have a lot of floating plants in my tank and find it quickly grows and will take over the tank surface completely. I think it's a type of Salvinia. While it is good for preventing algae growth it throws a green colour cast on to everything beneath and also causes issues with feeding.

Does anyone else suffer from the same problems? Does anyone have any solutions?
I wondered if I could get something to form a barrier to stop the plants covering the whole surface. Perhaps a translucent semi rigid plastic strip I could form into an arc.

Cheers,

Dan
 
how about two suction cups ether side of the tank and some fishing lie attached to them might work
 
Why not just remove it entirely and just reduce the amount of light you use. That is the only mechanism by which floating plants reduce the occurrence of algae. They simply block the light.

Cheers,
 
Thanks for the replies. The airline idea sounds good, I might try two smaller "pens" to put the plants in so that they can float around easier. The current free form arrangement and quantity means that the plants don't really move. This idea would also let me keep Frogbit too, I had some before but it just got swamped by the Salvinia.

These plants grow like crazy, they must use up nutrients from the water and so reducing nutrients for algae to use?
 
I just remove a handfull every few days to keep the mass down. Shrimps seem to like floating about in the roots.
 
These plants grow like crazy, they must use up nutrients from the water
correct, they are also have access to unlimed co2 and the most intense light.

and so reducing nutrients for algae to use?
correct statement but incorrect assumption mate, algae requires far less light and nutrients to thrive/survive than higher forms of life like aquatic plants, with this thinking all your plants will die long before your algae. Nutrients are your friend :)
 
Thanks for the feedback. I've finally got round to ordering some air line to try the loop idea.
 
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