I have found a solution to my algae,... I purchased something called a
Japanese Marimo Moss ball... it looks like a green fuzzy tribble.

The thing eats up the nutrients that algae likes and algae will not grow.
I also added to Farlowella cats into the aquarium and they ate up the
algaie I had like vaccum cleaners.

Allen
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I have found a solution to my algae,... I purchased something called a Japanese Marimo Moss ball... it looks like a green fuzzy tribble.

Interesting! I added to my tank too since last posting. 3 Angel fish, and a Dragon Goby (albino).

Nice little community tank going on now. Still underloaded as it's a 70G. Mollie babies getting eaten by the gourami and perhaps the rasabora so the population is stable. Perfectly cycled so almost no maintenance needed.
xxcarol

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On 9/20/2008 10:46 PM, Carol Shenkenberger wrote to Allen Prunty:

Nice little community tank going on now. Still underloaded as it's a 70G. Mollie babies getting eaten by the gourami and perhaps the rasabora so the population is stable. Perfectly cycled so almost no maintenance needed.

The Marimo ball has done some amazing things... Algae has stopped forming
on my tank. Took a water sample in and had the pet shop do the
computerized analysis... no nitrites to feed the algae... and the ball
looks like a little green tribble that occasionally will float when O2
builds up in it. I find it in a different place in the tanke once a week
or so.

Allen
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The Marimo ball has done some amazing things... Algae has stopped forming
on my tank. Took a water sample in and had the pet shop do the
computerized analysis... no nitrites to feed the algae... and the ball looks like a little green tribble that occasionally will float when O2 builds up in it. I find it in a different place in the tanke once a week
or so.

Oddly once my tank hits perfect cycle, I've never had algae problems.

I think the next thing to add is a cloud of neon tetras. Not sure they will make it as the others are semi-aggressives. Also looking at some other
sorts.
xxcarol
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On Sep 21, 2008 06:09pm, Carol Shenkenberger wrote to Allen Prunty:

Oddly once my tank hits perfect cycle, I've never had algae problems.

True, but that cycle is hard to keep with some of the larger fish that I have.

I have seven very large silver dollars, mature buenos aries tetras and some very large barbs in there.

I think the next thing to add is a cloud of neon tetras. Not sure they will make it as the others are semi-aggressives. Also looking at some other sorts.

Mine would call that "Fish Food"

Allen
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Oddly once my tank hits perfect cycle, I've never had algae problems.

True, but that cycle is hard to keep with some of the larger fish that I hav

It can be done. It's a matter of tank load. I did it with 12inch goldfish
for example and a 14 inch pleco. (2 goldies, 1 pleco, a dwarf catfish, and some mollies).

There's an old rule of thumb of about 5 gallons per inch of fish (some types need more).

I have seven very large silver dollars, mature buenos aries tetras and some very large barbs in there.

7x5=35 gallons for 1 inch silver dollars (I bet yours are 6 inches?) If 6 inches, you need 210 gallons to support them per the thumb rule. Thats only really for larger fish though. My 3 Angel fish will eventually make a full load for my 90G tank, but there's another rule for the smaller ones of 1 inch fish per 2 gallons (fish up to no more than 3 inches). Using that rule, I
have a 40 gallon load of smaller fish but they arent particularily long lived breeds (mollies and such) so by the time my angel fish reach full size, they will be long gone due to old age.

The current load at actual size of my tankmates, is 50G, in my 70G tank. I generally aim for a 70G load. Being it is a 'GT' (Taller than average,
longer than average, thinner than average), it well tolerates a bit of
overload of smaller fish but care has to be used with anything that gets too big. I aim at 6 inch or less fish sizes but need a few of that size to look 'right'.

I think the next thing to add is a cloud of neon tetras. Not sure they will make it as the others are semi-aggressives. Also looking at some other sorts.

Mine would call that "Fish Food"

Later, mine might too as they grow, but neon's arent long lived either so a cloud of 9 or so would live to old age. It's also fairly well planted so there's lots of hidey holes (even 3 'caves').

When the 3 angel fish grow to full size, 2 of them will relocate to the 40G tank (currently not setup) and a small one will get added to the big tank for species friend. That will be a few years though!
xxcarol

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On Sep 22, 2008 09:25am, Carol Shenkenberger wrote to Allen Prunty:

7x5=35 gallons for 1 inch silver dollars (I bet yours are 6 inches?)
If 6 inches, you need 210 gallons to support them per the thumb rule. Thats only really for larger fish though. My 3 Angel fish will
eventually make a full load for my 90G tank, but there's another rule
for the smaller ones of 1 inch fish per 2 gallons (fish up to no more
than 3 inches). Using that rule, I have a 40 gallon load of smaller
fish but they arent particularily long lived breeds (mollies and such)
so by the time my angel fish reach full size, they will be long gone
due to old age.

My aquarium is only a 40 gallon, but you can extend its load with GOOD filtration... my Silvers are only about 3 1/2 inches right now... and they are very healty. My cycle balance is good... but it's due to strategic live plants, over filtration, and a lot of water changes.

Allen
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so by the time my angel fish reach full size, they will be long gone due to old age.

My aquarium is only a 40 gallon, but you can extend its load with GOOD filtration... my Silvers are only about 3 1/2 inches right now... and they a very healty. My cycle balance is good... but it's due to strategic live plants, over filtration, and a lot of water changes.

Ah, well that works til a power outage. Still, I'm just like you and tend to overload a little. No water changes though here, just add more as it evaporates. I'm not overloaded now.

I goofed and said 90G earlier. It's a 70G. It's tall as a 90G but thinner from front to back so have to be careful to size the fish so they can turn around with comfort. 6 inches is optimal for this tank shape with some
smaller fish. The only one gonna get bigger than that is the eel-like fellow and he's shaped to not have a problem when he hits his full 10 inches or so.
xxcarol
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