My aquariums are kept clean and well-maintained with weekly water changes and plant pruning. Nevertheless, fine particles, diatoms possibly, and algae slowly but surely accumulate on the front glass. Removing this film is a snap with the Mag Float Magnetic Glass Cleaners.
1. These sturdy cleaners have the strongest magnet I've seen in any aquarium glass cleaners.
2. The abrasive side is tough yet gentle enough not to damage the glass.
3. The abrasive side does not ware out easily. It seems to be made with a fabric that resembles Velcro rather than felt.
4. The abrasive side floats, therefore, no string is needed to prevent the cleaner from falling to the bottom of the aquarium.
As far as effectiveness, it is unsurpassed in all the magnet glass cleaners I've tried so far.
A few weeks ago, I purchased a Daphnia culture. It was just a pop bottle with green water and a bunch of tiny swimming critters called Daphnia.
Wikipedia starts by saying: "Daphnia are small, mostly planktonic, crustaceans, between 0.2 and 5 mm in length. Daphnia are members of the orderCladocera, and are one of the several small aquatic crustaceans commonly called water fleas because of their saltatory swimming style (although fleas are insects and thus only very distantly related). They live in various aquatic environments ranging from acidicswamps to freshwater lakes, ponds, streams and rivers."
(Photo on left is a female Daphnia. The photo is by John P. Clare. Visit his site's section on Daphnia for ample information on this creature.)
I poured out the Daphnia culture into two different receptacles: A small one gallon aquarium and a one gallon plastic jug. In the aquarium, I added RO water and fed the Daphnia using Zoe and a powdered milk solution. After a week, almost all Daphnia in this receptacle were dead. In the jug, I added green water from another aquarium. These stayed alive and continued to swim around for days.
When I came back from vacation Saturday, I noticed Daphnia were no longer swimming in the gallon jug either. It seems both cultures died out. There were a few, very small creatures still present in the small aquarium.
I poured out both cultures into my now empty 10 gallon aquarium and added 4 gallons of very green water collected from a water change. I have an abundance of green water coming from my new 20 gallon setup. Other than this, I am not too sure how to feed or grow these insects. The goal is to grow enough to feed fish.
The Daphnia culture is now sitting on the basement floor near the washer and dryer. I setup a light fixture on it and poured in extra water lettuce plants. I'll check up on it in a few days to see if Daphnia are still present.
I will be reading John P. Clare's Daphnia: An Aquarist's Guide more attentively in the coming days as it should provide the information I need to successfully increase my Daphnia culture.
The picture on left is the last photo I'll ever take of my 10 gallon setup. That's because I dismantled this aquarium and upgraded it to a 20 gallon tank. In other words, I took all the plants and fish and simply added them to a larger tank with a larger filter and new substrate.
In the next days, I'll probably write about this new setup a bit more extensively. First, the amount of plant material I removed from the 10 gallon setup was simply astonishing. I separated each plant group and laid them down on my washer and dryer. It took the entire surface of the washer AND the dryer to lay out all the plants that had grown in that cramped little 10 gallon aquarium.
There are three reasons why I upgraded. First, I added fish. The new residents, 10 Red Cheek Cichlids overwhelmed the small setup. This caused a surge of algae and green water despite the overwhelming amount of healthy plant growth. The effect of adding fish was quite immediate. Within the first week, I observed the surge in greenish water and accelerated algae growth.
Secondly, I moved to a bigger setup because the plants were just too cramped. I was no longer able to provide growth space to all the different types of plants that I had initially rooted in that tank.
Thirdly, space was so limited that I feared it would be too cramped in there when the fish reached adult size.
Since I don't have room for any other aquariums except for the three I have currently, I will donate the 10 gallon tank at the local aquarium gardener's club.
Below is a picture of all the plant material I recovered from the 10 gallon aquarium. Notice plants are grouped together by type.
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It's time to give my freshwater aquarium gardening blog a new name. So this morning, the title of the blog changed to Aquarium Gardening Notes. I also purchased the domain name aquarium-gardening-notes.com from 1and1.com.
In a couple of days, this blog will be accessible from that new domain name. Although the name is really quite long...A keyboard finger twister for sure...It's much better than my current http://diogenese.typepad.com/freshwater_aquarium_garde/
In August 2007, I wrote a long post (see part 1 of this series) detailing all the different ideas I'd try out to reduce unsightly algae growth in my aquariums.
The conclusion to this series is long overdue. The reason it took me so long to finish writing about this is partly because the algae in my aquariums has been under control and has remained easily manageable.
I moved on from trying to control algae to actually enjoying my planted aquariums.
An Explanation
Out of all the things I tried, only a few seem to work well on a constant basis. One of the key elements is to find a method that is manageable on a day-to-day basis. That means polishing water, sticking Willow branches in the water or doing periodic blackouts is out of the question. Of course, these things may be of value given some circumstances, but resolving my algae problem involved finding something I could reproduce with same repeatable expected results. The following observations are not meant as sweeping statements, but rather a list of things that work in my aquariums. Here's What I Found
PPS-Pro: This liquid fertilization method works. It's a recipe of different fertilizers. They are in proportional amounts to each other and mixed in a pure water solution. Doses are added to the aquarium every morning just before lights turn on. The dosage amount is an approximation. It is an overdose of sorts, to make sure the proper amount is given. At the end of the week, a partial water change nullifies any overdose. More info on PPS-Pro can be found on this web page.
CO2: I always added Carbon Dioxide to my aquariums but I am not convinced it was being mixed thoroughly with the water. I source my CO2 from yeast bottles. These are just recycled cola bottles in which I mix sugar, yeast and water. The mix ferments and releases CO2 through a valve glued to the cap of the bottle. The key change here is that the tube no longer feeds a bubble counter, but feeds into a CO2 reactor. The reactor is just a small pump and a vortex chamber that swirls water with CO2. Water is mixed thoroughly well and released into the aquarium. Some worry that yeast bottles do not produce a constant amount of CO2. This can be adjusted. I use two bottles per aquarium and change the mix on a weekly rotation.
Light: It seems to me, and also from what I read, that most aquatic plants need bright light. Of course, some species like Crypts need less light, but in general, bright lights are good. I changed my store-bought light fixtures to custom made fixtures. Why? I didn't want to pay upward of 300$ for plant growth fixtures, so I made my own for a few dollars. I inserted very bright 30 Watt, 2000 lumens, 64000K full spectrum bulbs in these fixtures and the rest is history.
RO Water: I no longer add well water or city water to my aquariums. The only water I use is reverse osmosis purified water from a Kent Maxxima RO filter. The device is expensive it provides almost 100% pure water with no impurities to speak of. I don't have to worry about water chemistry so much anymore because I know what goes into my aquariums.
Filtration: I don't really worry about this aspect. These are planted aquariums therefore, I only need a bit of mechanical filtration. I never use chemical filtration because this could removed important plant nutrients from the water. Biological filtration has never been a worry because as the tank ages, nitrifying bacteria eventually find their way in the tank and handle this aspect on their own. Therefore, I use Whisper hang on filters of appropriate size and change the filter pads every week or as needed. No mulm accumulation in my aquariums.
Other Additives
Every weekend, after a 40 to 50% water change, I add Tetra's EasyBalance. I like this product because it sets the PH around 6.5. It also contains Nitraban which is supposed to help control Nitrate. In reality, my PH is always around 6. It never surpasses 6.5 and never goes below 5.5. Fish and plants are happy.
I also add Tetra's Blackwater Extract. For some reason, I suspect fish and plants like this stuff. For one thing, Red Platies appear to be brighter in color. I also believe Cabomba carolinia likes this additive. Some think Blackwater tinges the water too much and prevents light penetration. I'm sure that's true to some extent but my tanks are so brightly lit that a bit of tea colored water doesn't affect plant growth.
I also add what's known as Barley Straw extract. This liquid has apparently been tested to reduce some types of algae. I've also used a product called AlgaeFix but in combination with the other additives, it produces temporary turbidity. I am currently not using it to see if I get more algae without it.
Before and After Pictures
With all this said, here are before and after pictures. The timespan between pictures is about 1 month. Judge the results for yourself. I may not be a good aquascaping artist, but for now, I have the growth aspect mastered at least.
BEFORE: 10 Gallon Aquarium
AFTER: 10 Gallon Aquarium
BEFORE: 35 Gallon Aquarium
AFTER: 35 Gallon Aquarium
Chemistry, parameters, and maintenance of my Aquariums
Daily PPS-Pro liquid fertilization.
100% reverse osmosis (RO) water.
Do-it-yourself C02: Yeast bottles.
CO2 Reactor to mix CO2 with water efficiently.
Custom light fixtures: Bright to very bright light.
Rich substrate: Combination of EcoComplete, soil, clay, laterite, flint, gravel.
As many plants as can fit in the tank.
No more than 1 inch of fish per gallon.
50% water change every weekend.
Tetra EasyBalance with water change.
Tetra BlackwaterExtract with water change.
Barley Straw Extract with water change.
AlgaeFix with water change. (I no longer use this product)
My wife and I attended the MAS swap meet yesterday in Milwaukee. We were there at 10 AM sharp. The event was from 10 to 2 in the afternoon, but we were done rummaging by 10:30 AM.
I purchased a culture of Daphnia for 3$. These are water fleas served as fish live food. I'm going to try and raise these in a separate container and feed the surplus to my fish from time to time.
I also purchased a small aquarium for 6$. Looks like the kind used to house small reptiles. I'll be using this to house my water fleas.
The last thing I purchased turned out to be a real bargain: I got a Lifeguard Little Time and Temp aquarium thermometer. These digital devices go for almost 30$ at Petco. I got a new one at the swap meet for 10$. It works great.
All in all, the swap meet was not as exciting as last month's auction. There wasn't much there that I was interested in. Mind you, I wasn't planning on buying fish or plants. I just wanted to see what the MAS swap meet looks like. I also wanted to see if I could get a good deal on a 15 or 20 gallon tank as I plan to upgrade my 10 gallon this week. I didn't find the tank shape and size I was looking for although there were many tanks for sale at reasonable prices.
Some exhibitors had a lot of accumulated hobby items, such as filters, air pumps, tanks and aquarium decorations/accessories. I noticed several tables dedicated to plants and fish. One table specialized in fish foods exclusively.
Well this gave me a good idea as to what a swap meet looks like. Hobbyists tend to amass accessories that they grow out of or don't use. This event is the perfect place to get rid of those things. Next year, I might reserve a table and sell my surplus too.
The MAS is hosting a Swap Meet today on Burnham Bowl. My wife and I will make a day trip out of it. The auction they held last month was quite fun. I'm hoping the swap meet be just as interesting.
I'm not planning on buying much of anything, but if I can find a 15 or 20 gallon aquarium, I will upgrade my 10 gallon setup. The 10 gallon setup is nice, but now that I've added fish, I am having difficulty keeping plants and algae in balance despite the fast growth.
This post is the text of a presentation I prepared for the Madison Aquarium Gardener's Club. It was given on September 26th 2007. My knowledge and experiences growing Cabomba have already changed since I wrote the text. For example, I am currently growing Cabomba directly rooted in indoors potting soil. In the text that follows, I explain that I was previously unable to grow Cabomba rooted in rich substrate media because the plant would quickly rot from the bottom upward. This may very well still be the case under certain conditions. Understand that I am in no way trying to make dogmatic statements on how to grow this marvelous plant.
Cabomba
carolinia
Note: This text is meant to
share my own experience growing this plant in my aquariums. I’m definitely not
saying that this is the only way to grow plants. No sweeping statements
intended here. However, because of the difficulties I’ve had with growing
Cabomba, I am happy to share these thoughts with the group and hope it helps
others in their quest to grow lush aquarium plants.
As far as I know, the plant presented in this text is a Cabomba
carolinia. The plant is also known as a
Carolina
fanwort or simply “green” Cabomba.
Cabomba carolinia is usually sold in rootless bunches. It is totally
aquatic and has been reported to grow to depths of 3 meters. It has also been
reported to grow as long as five meters. There are several species of Cabomba,
namely C. aquatica, C. carolinia, C. furcata, C. haynesii and C.
palaeformis.
Carolinia differs in coloration from Cabomba pulcherrima in that the
carolinia is made up of dark green or brownish leaves hooked onto reddish or
brownish stems. Pulcherrima is almost entirely red or rust-collored.
The feathery fan leaves of the Cabomba are not directly hooked onto the
plant. Each leaf has a distinct stem. Each leaf hooks on opposite sides of the
plant’s stem.
This is a US-native plant that has now reportedly infested waterways in
parts of
Australia
through the aquarium hobby.
My
Captivation
I chose to grow Cabomba carolinia in my aquariums because of its
stunning appearance. My first impression of Cabomba bunches is that they would
make lovely thick underwater forests in my aquariums.
Unfortunately, the plant did not remain thick and beautiful in my care.
That’s why I am all the more interested in it. It presents a challenge! With
time and patience, I managed to figure out ways to successfully keep and grow it.
Cabomba Tips
First, some of the frustrating problems I experienced keeping Cabomba:
(These are not meant as sweeping statements but they are my own experience with
the plants.)
1. Pruning stems eventually stops the root stock from making new shoots. The
plant weakens from being trimmed and eventually dies.
2. Planting cuttings into rich substrate such as potting soil or
EcoComplete decomposes the plant from the bottom up. Usually, the stems in the
store look very healthy, but close observation usually reveals that the bottom
of the stems have already started to decompose.
3. Even plant plugs and seemingly anything organic touching the bottom
end of the stem rots the stem.
I've had some but limited success planting Cabomba Carolinia in large
epoxy-coated gravel. The plant manages to root itself in epoxy gravel before
the stem rots away. It then grows several feet long if left untrimmed but
weakens quickly if trimmed back more than twice.
Currently I'm having much success growing Cabomba in an aquarium with
EcoComplete, 100% RO Water, PPS-Pro fertilization, Blackwater Extract,
AlgaeFix, CO2 injection, Barley straw and bright light.
The trick is for the plant to
produce roots
before it completely rots away
from the bottom up.
What I did is that instead of planting the Cabomba shoots into the
substrate, I weighted the shoots down with plant weights being careful not to
squeeze or crush the stems. The stems grew a foot so far on top of their
initial height and are still growing.
I also attached Cabomba to the filter intake tube with a garbage bag tie-wrap. I
was very careful not to crush the stems at the base. The shoots do not touch
the substrate. They produce long 3 inch hair-like roots and new shoots pop up
from the original shoots at the leaf base.
It's really great to finally have healthy Cabomba carolinia. I have six
healthy shoots and 6 baby shoots starting to grow. Perhaps I will have enough
of it to share with the club in a month or so. I'd be really proud of that.
Additives,
Ferts and Parameters
Here’s a list of additives, fertilizers and parameters I use in my
aquariums. Some of this has made all the difference in growing Cabomba.
Substrate: Ecocomplete and red flint. I cover this
with a very thin layer of a more attractive aquarium gravel.
Bright light: Cabomba loves bright like. In lower light,
it will still grow but the stem will be longer and the leaves will be further
apart. I use 30 watt full spectrum 6400K, 2000 lumens compact fluorescent bulbs
from 1000bulbs.com. Catalog code FC30-FEIIS30W65.
Filter: Large Whisper hang-on. I find these filters
to be dependable, quiet, easy to clean and a best value for performance to
price.
RO Water: I use 100% RO water. I saved up and
purchased my own Kent Maxxima. This produces very soft water with a
conductivity near 0.00. My water’s alkalinity buffer is so low that my DIY CO2
makes the PH fluctuate quite a bit on days where I add fresh yeast. I try to
keep my PH above 6 and below 7.
PPS-Pro: The two main components that have greatly
improved the growth in my aquariums is RO water and PPS-Pro. Here’s the recipe
I use to make and dose liquid PPS-Pro fertilizers.
Macro Solution
In 1 liter bottle:
59 grams K2SO4 (Potassium
Sulfate)
65 grams KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate)
6 grams KH2PO4 (Mono Potassium
Phosphate)
41 grams MgSO4 (Magnesium
Sulfate)
Fill with distilled water and
shake well. Let sit overnight.
Micro Solution
In 1 liter bottle:
80 grams of CSM+B or equivalent
trace element mix
Fill with distilled water and
shake well. Let sit overnight.
Dose 1 ml of each solution per ten gallons of tank size. Dose prior to lights
turning on.
Interested hobbyists can find
more information on this here:
I also add the following
substances upon every weekly water change: Tetra’s BlackwaterExtract, Tetra’s
EasyBalance and AlgaeFix as directed.
Barley Straw: I am currently experimenting with Barley
Straw and Barley Straw extracts for reducing algae. My main aquarium has
significantly less algae since I started dosing the above additives,
fertilizers and parameters.
Pictures
A few pictures of my own aquariums at the time of presentation. Click on picture to enlarge.
Here, a few strands of Cabomba carolinia are tied to the Whisper filter intake. The shorts strands are shown here after a period of growth.
The second picture shows the same puny little strands when they were first tied to the filter intake, in their original size.
As of November 2007, I have many bunches of Cabomba growing in two aquariums. They all came from the same strands. I regularly prune them and replant whenever there's room. I have also donated some to club members and hope to be able to continue to do so.
I attended the Milwaukee Aquarium Society's last auction. I really enjoyed it and ended up getting fish and the following plants: Cryptocoryne Flaccidifolia, Echinodorus 'Kleiner Bar Sword', Java Moss.
I think the Cryptocoryne Flaccififolia is very promising. It has long lanky grass-like leaves resembling vals but being a Crypt, it will most likely grow much slower and do well in the background behind other shade-producing plants. We'll see.
Next auction, I will present myself early and rummage the material before the auction so I have a better idea of what I want to bid on. Someone auctioned off Windelov's Fern I think it was. Anyway, the plant went all the way up to 30$ for a bunch! All in all, I got good deals on my fish and plants. This was my first live auction and I found the event to be much fun.
My aquariums are kept clean and well-maintained with weekly water changes and plant pruning. Nevertheless, fine particles, diatoms possibly, and algae slowly but surely accumulate on the front glass. Removing this film is a snap with the Mag Float Magnetic Glass Cleaners. 
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