Zoom's 38l Nano

Hi Zoom,
By that description it sounds like Green Slime Algae or Blue Green Algae,BGA or the real name,Cyano Bacteria.
Some people suggests it is caused by low nitrates.I have killed it before by increasing my Kno3 dosing.It also seem to appear where the water flow is the weakest,so increasing circulation could help.
It is also often suggested that an excess of dissolved organics can cause BGA,by removing dead or rotten plant material you can reduce organics or by filtering through activated carbon or Purigen.
A black out will work but it might return if the underlying cause is not addressed.
Keep us posted with results.

 

Thanks Rudi

As I type this I have another thread open up in another tab typing a few questions to the professor. I did a 90% W/C this evening, and managed to vacuum up a lot of the algae. The nitrates will be low because there is no fish in there. And the movement was also low, but I've upped the filter output a quite a bit. I did have Purigen in the filter to try keep the tannins from the PFP down... but I've decided to take that out and let the tank run it's course.

Rudi, what would you use to introduce Kno3... bearing in mind I don't want to push the K off the chart wither, because I am dosing with the Professor's K+ too.

Rudi... what would be your opinion on introducing DIY CO2 to this size tank? In my big tank it proved disasterous... but I'd be interested in hearing your comments?

 

Potassium nitrate = saltpetre = cheap from Di$hem - you can push the K's you have no fish in the tank and alread do huge water changes as it is. I'd even go so far and stop dosing the Prof's ferts till you add fish ... and just use some chemicult diluted ... think it has micro's in it.

 

I thought of just adding the chemicult to the water column.

Would you know what concentration to add saltpetre at?

 

Saltpetre/potassium nitrate is correct and is what I use for Kno3 dosing in my tank.You'll have to calculate the amount do dose by using a ferts. calculator.I saw you are a member on APSA, so you can use that calculator.But I think you should let the tank run for a week without any water changes, to let the nitrate build up.Remember the tank/substrate is still producing ammonia even if there are no fish present,so normal cycling "rules" still apply,i.e. ammonia,nitrites and nitrates.
On DIY Co2,will it be yeast based or something else? You can also try liquid based carbon,i.e Seachem Excell or the Prof's product.It's your choice.

 

Rudi, I havent' really found my way around APSA, but I'll have a look for that link. The tank has been running for 4 weeks now with water full. Would the substrate and filter not be "cycled" by now?

It would be the yeast CO2. I actually thought the Professor stopped his liquid carbon. Will chat to him.

 

Zoom,I quickly did a calculation and it is ridiculously small amounts.Half a gram(0.5g)per week gives 25ppm.To make it easier I multiply this by 4 to get 2g.Add the 2g to 600ml distilled water.This is your stock solution.To dose,add 50ml every other day or 25ml every day.The stock will last for approx. 1month.
Dude,this could be your first step to Estimated Index.LOL
Ask the Prof regarding his product,otherwise Excell is always an option.

 

Oh my word!

When I decided to start up the Nano as a planted "artwork" I knew I was going to have to relook at my fertilization set up. I was starting to get a bit bored with the main tank as the maintenance was getting easy, so wanted a challange. I did not however realize the challange I was going to be faced with! HeHe

Rudi, would you mind PM'ing me the link to that calculator page... I'd be interested to fiddle around a bit.

The next question is would I continue this when I add fish eventually? Or is that changing everything again? This EI method sounds VERY intricate. I followed it on Laure's posts to the Prof... and understand it... Just never realized how important it would become. Is the EI Tom's Barr's, or is Tom Barr the "fertilizer bath" (for lack of better description) method?

 

Zoom, if you decide to go this way,I think you should just read up on it again,but not on TASA.Try APSA or another,because E.I. is frowned upon on TASA due to some prejudiced misconceptions by certain forum members.
Tom Barr made this technique popular but calling it a "fertilizer bath",I find it very insulting.I use this method and my fish are not swimming in a "fertilizer bath".The calculator:
http://www.apsa.co.za/calculate/fertiliser.php

 

Sometimes the substrate takes up to 6 months to stabilize and also,the substrate contains allot of "terrestrial" bacteria that die as soon as you fill the tank.Consequently the dead bacteria releases allot of ammonia.As the substrate stabilizes,it undergoes it's own cycle,separate from your filter.That's why you can add a mature filter to a new setup,but still get ammonia spikes or new tank syndrome when you disturb the substrate.

 

Update 08 June 2010

Just compared the current pictures to pictures first posted, and there has definately been growth of the grass. I actually noticed some new runner growth this weekend as well.

Since friday I toned the lights down to only 4 hours a day... but the algae still persists. The beauty of algae is that each algae will show you a different shortfall/excess in the tank... and the current algae I have is showing the shortfall in Nitrates.. which is as I expected, because there is no fish.

I am going to be making myself a 1litre mixture of KNo3 this evening, and dosing this into the tank. As Rudi has Mentioned, this is my first step into the EI method of fertilizing. Rather exciting to be honest.

I have included 2 pictures, one close up, and one full tank. You will notice the "pearling" I spoke about earlier. But Rudi has also mentioned that this might be nitrogen gas. Not too sure yet. (Don't laugh at my way of keeping the canopy above the tank--- it's the only way I could think of. The first cold night we had the mosture in the hood blew both my brand new CFL globes!! so I had to open it up to let the moisture out at night. And yes, the canopy is drilled with holes for breathing)

 

LOL Zoom, that's actually very smart! What a neat(cool), cheap way to keep the hood above a nano!
Growth is looking good ^^,

 

Good idea indeed

Grass is looking good. How are you going to get the tree in there without messing up the grass and gravel?

 

That, (as they say), is still a mystery to me!

I'm actually still looking fo the stupid tree!

 

I used the same way to try and cool my tank down in summer! worked like a charm zoom!!

 

Zoom, I like your "pegg" ventilators!
Suggestion: for the cfl fittings - try and get clear vasaline and use it abundantly between the cfl and fitting. For other outside lights, you can use grease! - this will prevent moisture!
It also look like pearling to me - the bubbles hang from the leaves, and are not near the substrate.

 

it's not on the actual fitting where it blew.. that stayed dry. It's on the top of the globe. Where the glass tube actually goes into the ballast housing of the globe. Theres some "ventilation" holes in there, which I am assuming is for the ballast. The moisture go in there.

Yes.. the bubbles are on the leaves. not on the substrate.

 

Hey Zoom ,I've seen this before in one of my previous tanks.That's the BGA pearling.Terrible stuff.

 

Would the BGA die off now with the introduction of the KNO3?

 

That's how I killed it in 2 of my tanks.Even now in my current show tank,if I see BGA,I dose extra Kno3.It hasn't failed yet.