Love your holistic approach to tank health, I think more people should look at it this way
Instead of "why has algae attacked me", they could see it rather as valuable feedback from the overall system
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The Original
- Thread starter Geoffrey Rea
- Start date
Instead of "why has algae attacked me", they could see it rather as valuable feedback from the overall system
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
Love your holistic approach to tank health, I think more people should look at it this way
Instead of "why has algae attacked me", they could see it rather as valuable feedback from the overall system
That is it, no <"silver bullets">.
cheers Darrel
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seedoubleyou
Member
This is where the reef keeping experience comes in.
Curing hardscape before use so it has chance to leach out.
KirstyF
Member
Hope your awful is turning around buddy!🤞
As for the tank…..goes without saying, you’ll get that nailed. 😊
I don't disagree. I'd just be too lazy to take the more effortful approach in the pre-livestock stage. Kudos to you for getting your hands wet, doing your blackouts etc.
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Jayefc1
Member
Nice thread as usual buddy Hope your well and the family are all good will keep popping on to see how it's going I'm pretty sure you will turn it around maybe the biscuit treatment would have done some good lol
Shhh 🤫
You’ll embolden the werewolves Darrel!
Absolutely @Libba in the early stages there’s less to lose. Timing is the missing component in the conversation.
Also reread the comments, didn’t mean to imply there’s difference in our approaches, apologies. It comes across like I’m saying these options are ‘wrong’ which they are not. Whether it be algaecides, acids or even ADA potions, they’re just tools. They all have their time and place.
Here’s the wood leaching prior to blackout, this is the algal growth back on it one photoperiod after clearing the wood:
Getting my @$$ whooped and may yet be deploying more options. But still understand that ultimately, until the wood has done it’s thing this will be a temporary feature of this setup. Enough to make you miss Iwagumi 😂
Thank you @KirstyF ❤️
The clock has run short for some very special people in the last six months. Some problems just can’t be fixed unfortunately. Just got to keep on trucking.
Don’t Jay, just don’t…. Those Jammy Dodger biscuits will haunt my nightmares until my dying days 😂 Makes this current issue look like childsplay.
Trust you and yours are all well too buddy! Been a while since we’ve seen you, don’t be a stranger.
Hi all,
I've got tanks with a <"bit of green filamentous algae at the moment">, which is unusual for me. I'm putting it down to swapping over to <"Solufeed 2 : 1 : 4"> from <"Miracle- Gro">, partially because my Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) (below) is <"greener than normal"> and I haven't changed anything else.
I think the mechanism would be that the change has removed the <"constraint to plant growth"> resulting from <"whatever Liebig's limiting nutrient"> was.
cheers Darrel
I'm not worried, now we live in a <"post-truth world"> we don't need <"scientific evidence">, I'm sure that bleach, hope and prayers, which saw off COVID 19, (not those vaccines), will also do for werewolves and anyway I don't need silver bullets, I have a <"proven"> <"solution for"> werewolves, and if that type of proof is good enough for <"ADA">, <"Seachem">, <"Biohome etc">? It is good enough for me.
It is difficult one, looks like it might be <"Spirogyra">. Green Algae are always likely to be an issue where conditions are <"suitable for plant growth">, due to their <"similar photosystems and basic physiology">.
I've got tanks with a <"bit of green filamentous algae at the moment">, which is unusual for me. I'm putting it down to swapping over to <"Solufeed 2 : 1 : 4"> from <"Miracle- Gro">, partially because my Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) (below) is <"greener than normal"> and I haven't changed anything else.
I think the mechanism would be that the change has removed the <"constraint to plant growth"> resulting from <"whatever Liebig's limiting nutrient"> was.
cheers Darrel
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John q
Member
I wouldn't send the nuclear bombs in just yet, patience is as they say a virtue.
It’s all a bit hopeless isn’t it… 😔
Microscope time to ID, suspect a couple of species at work, but will check. Can verify with folks who can make the distinctions if it isn’t obvious at first glance.
But the trend in the tank is the split pieces of wood used are capable of the most hassle. Problems are localised and persistent.
Have found that similar aged tanks within the same geographical area suffer the same issues at once. Beyond mere conjecture this includes this house, friends houses in the area and customers tanks that get maintenance locally. We’re into double figures tank wise… It’s a curiosity more than something to lean on, but interesting nonetheless.
The thing that marine keeping brought forward was something as simple as shutting windows for a colder season can change everything. How many factors you can think of is a limit of imagination really, but not representative of everything at play. Dealing with customers, just like speaking with folks on the forum, have become acutely aware that we’re limited by how much truth we’re ‘allowed’ to access when diagnosing.
Not denying the importance of nutrients. However, highly skeptical that folks are doing as they say or say as they do dosing wise the majority of the time. Includes myself. Dare say it’s fun to think about though 😎
It’s a game of best guesses a lot of the time without capturing constant, valid and reliable data. This involves accepting more abductive reasoning to get to another change, rather than a solution. A kinder way of saying this is me trying my best, faults and all. Think the hobby is made up of a whole lot of this. But… we’re doing alright as a community.
Very fond of how everyone is doing their best to help each other.
Amano shrimp. They’re the nuclear option @John q . Don’t seem it but they’re devilishly good at making sure nothing stays where it originally was going about their activities 😂
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
Spirogyra spp. are easy ones to <"ID with a microscope">.
I'm definitely following @Oldguy 's <"Guestimated Index">.
Best guess yes, but I think you are under-selling yourself, your tanks have been absolutely amazing.
I'm sorry to hear that, I lost both my parents in 2020 and I still haven't really come fully to terms with it.
cheers Darrel
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Well folks…
After three decades of playing with, maintaining and thinking about planted tanks, finally met the setup that has broken any will power to keep going.
Every 72 hours we’re getting this consistently:
Plants grow fine. However, the three pieces of wood that are fuelling the algae growth will not desist. All glued together with the rest of the scape no less and supporting the bank of substrate. No walking away from this one.
It is growing from the wood like some sort of green hairy phantom, eclipsing the rest of the tank, with a regularity only rivalled by an atomic clock. This has led to a setup that requires maintenance every three days at one and a half hours a pop per session on average. And just like clockwork, you’re having to bring it back from failure every three days over and over just to watch it fall again. Totally unacceptable and breaches the one hour per week per tank rule so it’s time to call it.
Had a chat with various folks to get a few opinions, just to see if calling it is premature. The length of time required to burn out the issue is as long as a piece of string from feedback. Not comfortable quitting, especially to a relatively simple opponent that is managed regularly in tanks that are personally maintained. But when the food source for the problem may potentially last years, gotta tap out.
For whatever reason tanks are associated with songs in this house. This tank really has become a mirror for current circumstances and a bloody good lesson in defending against hubris.
For this one, at the end, Pink Floyd comes to mind:
The end is inconceivable for ourselves, let alone for those we love. My heart to yours Darrel, sorry for the delay replying to your sincere comment. Truth be told, simply didn’t know what to say these last few weeks, pain blinds us.
Now, getting all touchy feely, it’s our job to fill that void we feel. After all, despite our shared musings of our futility, struggling through existence over morning coffee, we’re it mate. Next generation give all of us purpose. Be well mate, we all need a Darrel.
After three decades of playing with, maintaining and thinking about planted tanks, finally met the setup that has broken any will power to keep going.
Every 72 hours we’re getting this consistently:
Plants grow fine. However, the three pieces of wood that are fuelling the algae growth will not desist. All glued together with the rest of the scape no less and supporting the bank of substrate. No walking away from this one.
It is growing from the wood like some sort of green hairy phantom, eclipsing the rest of the tank, with a regularity only rivalled by an atomic clock. This has led to a setup that requires maintenance every three days at one and a half hours a pop per session on average. And just like clockwork, you’re having to bring it back from failure every three days over and over just to watch it fall again. Totally unacceptable and breaches the one hour per week per tank rule so it’s time to call it.
Had a chat with various folks to get a few opinions, just to see if calling it is premature. The length of time required to burn out the issue is as long as a piece of string from feedback. Not comfortable quitting, especially to a relatively simple opponent that is managed regularly in tanks that are personally maintained. But when the food source for the problem may potentially last years, gotta tap out.
For whatever reason tanks are associated with songs in this house. This tank really has become a mirror for current circumstances and a bloody good lesson in defending against hubris.
For this one, at the end, Pink Floyd comes to mind:
The end is inconceivable for ourselves, let alone for those we love. My heart to yours Darrel, sorry for the delay replying to your sincere comment. Truth be told, simply didn’t know what to say these last few weeks, pain blinds us.
Now, getting all touchy feely, it’s our job to fill that void we feel. After all, despite our shared musings of our futility, struggling through existence over morning coffee, we’re it mate. Next generation give all of us purpose. Be well mate, we all need a Darrel.
I like algae, seriously. Of course when it's not too much of them and they are not overtaking the whole picture.
I know from other threads you're plant keeper with quite rigoristic approach so wouldn't believe it's something about the water, there is definitely an abundance of algae spores in the wood (plus very likely wood mass is being perfect condition for their growth regardless of what's in the water - maybe it was previously laying in the water containing all the necessary ferts and other rubbish algae needs and had soaked what algae need ).
It could be quite extreme solution and personally I wouldn't do that (I like algae etc. etc. ) but what about soaking the wood in the solution of citric acid or even better in light solution of glutaraldehyde? Then soak it again in the water (both citric acid and glut break down relatively quickly) and the put it back in the tank.
This.
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MichaelJ
Member
I tried to cultivate some of that a while ago! Perfect for shrimplets!
Likely the one of the best albums ever made!
🙏 🙏 🙏 Well said Geoffrey! 🙏 🙏 🙏
Cheers,
Michael
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Garuf
Member
800 amanos? Some wood grazing cats? As many floaters and rotala stems as you can tolerate looking at for a month or 3?
Seems a shame to give up on what is a 10/10 bit o wood work.
The thing with it is, as you say, it’s as long as a piece of string, my last twigs scape took 4 months before the staghorn from the sugars in the wood passed. Other scapes it’s gone in a week for no rhyme or reason.
Seems a shame to give up on what is a 10/10 bit o wood work.
The thing with it is, as you say, it’s as long as a piece of string, my last twigs scape took 4 months before the staghorn from the sugars in the wood passed. Other scapes it’s gone in a week for no rhyme or reason.
Courtneybst
Member
I'm curious, where did you get the wood from @Geoffrey Rea ?
Hi all,
It is just stupid things that trigger it now, football with my dad and politics with my mum. Having said that if mum wasn't already dead I think the last couple of years <"probably would have finished her off">.
cheers Darrel
Thank-you. Having a wife, <"kids"> and a sibling (and <"coffee">) has been a great solace, I think if I'd be alone it would have been a lot more difficult without them.
It is just stupid things that trigger it now, football with my dad and politics with my mum. Having said that if mum wasn't already dead I think the last couple of years <"probably would have finished her off">.
I'd guess it will eventually subside and that @Witcher is right, what I don't know is the time scale.
Might be an option.
cheers Darrel
Thank you for the suggestions folks, but it really is curtains for this setup:
ADA Solar RGB’s, light arms and 1200 tank/cabinet are going up for sale.
Think Dragonwood is supplied by WIO @Courtneybst
ADA Solar RGB’s, light arms and 1200 tank/cabinet are going up for sale.
Think Dragonwood is supplied by WIO @Courtneybst
John q
Member
Wow, this set up really has broken you...
Although I suspect the Mr Rea we all know and love would have kicked its ar#e. Good thoughts mate, the wood will appear again once those pesky trees move on.
