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ElenNaur

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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:45 am

So our big tank has been having some issues and we've started to take care of them.

Issue #1: Black Algae
Issue #2: Hard Water
Issue #3: Filter Not Keeping Up

Solution for #1: Daily syringe of Hydrogen Peroxide
Solution for #2: A lovely piece of driftwood and peat added to the filter
Solution for #3: Bought a new Fluval 305 filter

It's only been 2 days since these solutions were put into place, and so far everything is looking really great. Once there's some daylight I'll be taking pictures to help document the changes, especially the algae problem.

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:11 am

Black Algae

The stuff is nasty and has taken over most of our Amazon Broadswords.
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After a lot of online research and talking to some very knowledgeable pet store folk, I bought a bottle of H2O2(Hydrogen Peroxide) and a 5mL syringe.

Once a day I apply it to some of the algae. Some people turn their filters off during the application, but due to some mixed accounts about whether or not it's harmful to invertebrates, I choose to keep it on. Some people dose as high as 1mL per gallon, but to be on the safe side I stick to just 5mL per day. So far, the results are amazing. The H2O2 makes the algae bubble and it eventually softens enough that the otos and other fish can easily eat it, which wasn't possible when the algae was healthy and stubborn. The leaves that I've treated the last couple of days are now nearly void of algae!

The worst part about this algae being only on the amazon swords(which are one of the more sensitive plants) is that I can already tell that the damage has been done. Most of the leaves are heavily discoloured where the algae was the worst, along with structural deterioration. I've a feeling that there will be a lot of pruning back to be done.

ElenNaur

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ElenNaur

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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:59 am

Hard Water

Like most city water, ours is on the harder side of things with a pH that averages around 8.1. If we had the cichlid tank we've been wanted, this would be fine. But we have south american fish who have a preference for softer, slightly acidic water.

First thing we did to was add a lovely piece of driftwood. The jury is still out on whether or not driftwood is effective as far as being a hardness/pH buffer, but it doesn't hurt to try.
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For the pH we added peat to our filter, which is a natural water softener and acidifier.
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The day after we did these things I tested the pH, which had come down to 7.4. I don't have a test for water hardness, but with a lowering of the pH it's generally safe to assume that the hardness is reducing as well, especially since that's one of the functions of the peat and wood.

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 9:22 am

I hear the easiest way to get rid of BBA is to cut off the affected leaves/parts of the plants. I just did this to an onion plant that was covered in it, and so far, I haven't seen any sign of it since. But you seem to be dealing with a lot more of it than I was, so that would make your plants look like crap if you did want to do it.

The driftwood alone should do a pretty good job. I have driftwood in my 10 gallon (houses a Ram, and some Killies), and its made the Ram very happy. Every time I've tried snails in the tank, they all die, so the waters good for the Ram, but not those poor snails.

Akari_32
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ElenNaur

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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:22 pm

The algae is gone!! I wound up only treating with the H2O2 every couple of days until I forgot to keep up with it after about a week and a half. Regardless, that combined with hungry otos has done the trick! Only 1 of the amazon swords was badly effected by the algae which will make pruning a minor chore opposed to the major chore we thought it'd be.

So my verdict on H2O2 to treat algae. Small doses of less than 0.5mL per gallon every other day seems to take care of the problem, providing you have some hungry herbivores who'll nom the resulting softened algae.

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:42 pm

Good to hear! I'll keep this in mind for future reference, if I ever need it smile

Akari_32
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red lavender nightfall
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Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:07 pm

do u have colourd skirt tetras? i've only found them in one place and when i went back for companions for the four i got, they weren't there T-T

Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 5:37 am

red lavender nightfall

do u have colourd skirt tetras? i've only found them in one place and when i went back for companions for the four i got, they weren't there T-T

Yep, two blue and one pink. Though since I've learned how they get their colour I'll never buy them ever again. Unfortunately they are widely available at the pet stores up here.

ElenNaur

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