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Re: algae issues - UPDATE
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Matthew Silvester
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Jan 21, 2004 09:35 PST
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Well Folks, just to let you know how I am getting on - and to supplement my
most recent post.
The tank has shown no improvement, despite my recent efforts. I know things
don't happen over night, but I would have expected a slight improvement.
I did a few 20% water changes, close together - scrubed my LR with a
toothbrush, to expose all the coraline, and get rid of the algae. I lightly
raked the surface of the sand, removed as much detritus etc that I could
find everywhere, blasted my LR with a powerhead to "clean" it out, I have
started dosing Kalk, cut down on food, and added rowaphos. So far, no
change.
I cleaned the rock again a couple of days ago, and now it is as though I
never bothered.
I am not panicing yet, it is not bad enough to overgrow the corals etc, but
it still isn't looking great.
Has anyone heard of the "50% water change method". STM have it on their
website. Basically, you do a 50% water change (carefully!!!), removing as
much detritus as possible, and as much algae as possible. Then wait a week,
and do the same thing again - and within a month, your tank is cured.....
supposedly. sounds like a load of hocus pocus to me. Obviously, if you do 2
50% water changes, closely together, you can reduce everything by anything
up to 75% - but that is only tempory.
Cheers,
Matt
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tobie Schalkwyk" <tobie_sc-@yebo.co.za>
To: <Internation-@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 4:33 AM
Subject: Re: [IMA] algae issues
| | Matt,
| | RE: DSB's<snip> I am not comfortable
with the thought of all the tank waste ultimately settling in the bottom
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of
| | my tank, and with no way to remove it.
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Not true, if it's a 'live' bed - your bristleworms & other micro-critters
will see to that. You may also introduce a cleaner shrimp or two to eat
foods your fish had missed. The advantage is that the bed would get rid of
nitrates, causing your algae to die out.
| | I am reading you loud and clear about the water changes - so how much
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and
| | how often would you be inclined to change?
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Just increase your 6-weekly 20% to bi-weekly 20% for starters. In general,
it appears that about 20% p.m. is quite affective and that less frequent /
volume changes easily develop into a non-ideal situations.
Regards & good luck!
Tobie
*International Marine Aquarists (IMA) accepts no responsibility as to the
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accuracy, completeness or appropriateness of any commentary, advice or
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