ElvisMinnow
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2008
- Messages
- 18
I have been watching with some interest the accumulation of very tiny bits of something on my plants. I have an unknown-to-me vigorous vine-like plant (Wisteria ?)in my 10 gal tank, and these little things have appeared all over it during the past week or so. I first thought that it was just some organic junk, then maybe small hydroids (?) or something, so finally as it continued to accumulate I thought, heck, and under a microscope it went.
Well, there are a zillion protists of every type in and around these clumps...Mostly Stentor, some Vorticella, a few fibrous alga, and some other misc. critterology that I don't know about.
My real worry is not about the Protists, which I think won't be harmful in themselves, but I worry about what this might indicate--things like too many bacteria, too many of the wrong type, too many bacteria because of too many nutrients, etc.
The nitrogen compounds are not a problem as they are all at minimal levels, owing I think to the dense plant life, good light, and also there is Purigen in the filter basket. The water conditioner I use generously, Prime, also knocks down N compounds.
That doesn't mean that there isn't an ample supply of nutrients for bacteria, and these Protist characters to eat, however, as this is a well stocked and planted tank that has lots of organic stuff around.
Any thoughts as to how much I should worry about this as an indicator of problems of some sort?
Well, there are a zillion protists of every type in and around these clumps...Mostly Stentor, some Vorticella, a few fibrous alga, and some other misc. critterology that I don't know about.
My real worry is not about the Protists, which I think won't be harmful in themselves, but I worry about what this might indicate--things like too many bacteria, too many of the wrong type, too many bacteria because of too many nutrients, etc.
The nitrogen compounds are not a problem as they are all at minimal levels, owing I think to the dense plant life, good light, and also there is Purigen in the filter basket. The water conditioner I use generously, Prime, also knocks down N compounds.
That doesn't mean that there isn't an ample supply of nutrients for bacteria, and these Protist characters to eat, however, as this is a well stocked and planted tank that has lots of organic stuff around.
Any thoughts as to how much I should worry about this as an indicator of problems of some sort?
