MyCatsDrool
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2006
- Messages
- 901
Ok here is the situation.
Once I get the algae under control and the tank stocked appropriately, the TS/MCD Tanganyikan tank will have a story line, like New Lake City and BrownTown/New Egyptia did, and pics to boot.
HOWEVER:
This tank is lightly/moderately planted (some crinums, green gecko, anubias and 2wpg with high sunlight in the AM) and is suffering from some unbeatable algae.
Currently, it is in blackout. It is also getting high Excel dosage. And H2O changes 2x/week. NH3--4 = 0, NO2 = 0, NO3 = 35, PO4 = 1.
So back to the subject line....
I recall from my FL tank before I moved to live with Trav that in my Cichlid tank there that was not planted, algae was a bear. Almost impossible to beat. I am not a big fan of counting on fish to do my dirty work, and people here who know me know i am pro high filtration, and do water changes religiously at least once a week....often more.
But this algae is kicking my arse. I got a good team on my side for chemistry (Travis is pretty good at the number crunching and dosing, and although he lives down the hall, he still gives me help. you've prolly seen his tank, he has almost no algae with close to 8 wpg). We are both stumped, short of trying to move the tank outta the sun, but honestly, I don't think that is the big problem. Gotta be something chemistry related to cichlid waste factor + lighting + nutrients.
So I am looking at BNs as help as janitors, for help, not a solution.
Here are my questions:
What are their needs?
Can they deal with Rift Lake level pH?
How big do BNs get?
What do they eat?
How do they breed?
What kind of algae do they go after? Just the real stuff or diatoms and cyano too?
How can I keep them happy?
Will they be ok with passive Tanganyikans?
Is sand OK for them?
Do they need rasping Driftwood or will algae and roughage suffice?
Anything else I should know?
Any suggestions to get this algae under control other than blackout + chemistry + H2O change + janitorial staff?
Thanks in advance. Neither Travis nor I have kept BNs before.
Mod FYI: This is a cichlid/planted/general question, so I posted it here. Let me get a bit of coverage before you move it if it should go somewhere else. Thanx a bunches.
Once I get the algae under control and the tank stocked appropriately, the TS/MCD Tanganyikan tank will have a story line, like New Lake City and BrownTown/New Egyptia did, and pics to boot.
HOWEVER:
This tank is lightly/moderately planted (some crinums, green gecko, anubias and 2wpg with high sunlight in the AM) and is suffering from some unbeatable algae.
Currently, it is in blackout. It is also getting high Excel dosage. And H2O changes 2x/week. NH3--4 = 0, NO2 = 0, NO3 = 35, PO4 = 1.
So back to the subject line....
I recall from my FL tank before I moved to live with Trav that in my Cichlid tank there that was not planted, algae was a bear. Almost impossible to beat. I am not a big fan of counting on fish to do my dirty work, and people here who know me know i am pro high filtration, and do water changes religiously at least once a week....often more.
But this algae is kicking my arse. I got a good team on my side for chemistry (Travis is pretty good at the number crunching and dosing, and although he lives down the hall, he still gives me help. you've prolly seen his tank, he has almost no algae with close to 8 wpg). We are both stumped, short of trying to move the tank outta the sun, but honestly, I don't think that is the big problem. Gotta be something chemistry related to cichlid waste factor + lighting + nutrients.
So I am looking at BNs as help as janitors, for help, not a solution.
Here are my questions:
What are their needs?
Can they deal with Rift Lake level pH?
How big do BNs get?
What do they eat?
How do they breed?
What kind of algae do they go after? Just the real stuff or diatoms and cyano too?
How can I keep them happy?
Will they be ok with passive Tanganyikans?
Is sand OK for them?
Do they need rasping Driftwood or will algae and roughage suffice?
Anything else I should know?
Any suggestions to get this algae under control other than blackout + chemistry + H2O change + janitorial staff?
Thanks in advance. Neither Travis nor I have kept BNs before.
Mod FYI: This is a cichlid/planted/general question, so I posted it here. Let me get a bit of coverage before you move it if it should go somewhere else. Thanx a bunches.
