What is it about tank disturbance that can lead to algae? Have not been able to understand it myself, for all I can think of is that more nutrients are released into the water column, but aren't nutrients a good thing? Thanks.
Tank Disturbance and Algae
- Thread starter Frank Lawler
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Htomassini
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It could lead to algea, but you should always follow it up with strong filtration.
Its not the nutrients but the excess of and the disturbing of detritus and possible release of ammonia caused from decaying leaves and matter. Usually when I have made. Major disturbance I run my hot magnum picking up the floating crud and follow itnwith a water change to reset the nutrients. Also if you perform a major trim or uprooting established growing plants for new plants you will have excess nutrients in the water column. The new plants can take 2 weeks before the start adapting and absorbing nutrients therefore algea will grow.
Its not the nutrients but the excess of and the disturbing of detritus and possible release of ammonia caused from decaying leaves and matter. Usually when I have made. Major disturbance I run my hot magnum picking up the floating crud and follow itnwith a water change to reset the nutrients. Also if you perform a major trim or uprooting established growing plants for new plants you will have excess nutrients in the water column. The new plants can take 2 weeks before the start adapting and absorbing nutrients therefore algea will grow.
Perhaps it has more to do with tank neglect........
Sometimes it does seem like the algae know when things are bad for the plants, and they respond.
Even if things are fine nutrient wise, you can crank the light up, or stop CO2, and few other things and keep the nutrients the same.
This is okay for a few days, but not over time in most cases.
A well run tank will be much more resilient to disturbance than a so - so tank.
Sometimes it does seem like the algae know when things are bad for the plants, and they respond.
Even if things are fine nutrient wise, you can crank the light up, or stop CO2, and few other things and keep the nutrients the same.
This is okay for a few days, but not over time in most cases.
A well run tank will be much more resilient to disturbance than a so - so tank.
If the tank has been neglected for a while but plant growth is otherwise good, I believe large amounts of algal spores can build up in the tank. These algal spores just 'float about' but aren't visible to the naked eye.
I believe the current accepted theory is that indeed even a miniscule spike in ammonia, as Htomassini mentioned, can be the chemical trigger that these algal spores need to germinate into their vegetative, i.e. visible, state.
Does that sound about right Tom?
Scott.
I'm not so sure about NH4..........alone we can and quite a few have tested it.
Up to 1ppm per day loaded had no adverse effect.
ADA AS has a lot and few get algae for the 1st month even though the residual NH4 is quite high.
Detritus seems to build up and this causes a drain in O2.
It might be that it requires both a lowering of O2 and NH4 and light etc.
I cannot say.
ut the new ADA does not have much organic material that would drain and use up the O2. A big tank replant would reduce the O2, I've seen it in fish and measured it.
I have not measured the spike in NH4 and also the O2 in conjunction.
But they would be inversely proportional.
I have tried adding more O2 to see if that retards algae, it does not.
So we have tried a few things.........and most single variables are not suggestive.
Bacteria, O2+NH4, etc............
Up to 1ppm per day loaded had no adverse effect.
ADA AS has a lot and few get algae for the 1st month even though the residual NH4 is quite high.
Detritus seems to build up and this causes a drain in O2.
It might be that it requires both a lowering of O2 and NH4 and light etc.
I cannot say.
ut the new ADA does not have much organic material that would drain and use up the O2. A big tank replant would reduce the O2, I've seen it in fish and measured it.
I have not measured the spike in NH4 and also the O2 in conjunction.
But they would be inversely proportional.
I have tried adding more O2 to see if that retards algae, it does not.
So we have tried a few things.........and most single variables are not suggestive.
Bacteria, O2+NH4, etc............
Appreciate the responses .About two weeks ago I finally got my wisteria to grow by tripling N03 dosage, so that should help. Also added two small pumps to increase circulation because of a blue green algae problem.