Controlling Algae in Ultricularia tank

[David]

Anybody have sollutions to prevent algae growth in the water tank for aquantic altricularias?

I've added sphagnum peat and dried leaves in the water of my ultri tank. According to experts, the decomposed leaves in the water produces tamin that inhibits algae growth.

However, I still see algae growth on my altri. Is it suppose to be sphagnum peat or peat? Does it make a difference?

Also if I pump carbon dioxide in the water, does it also make a difference in algae growth and ultri growth?

Peter D' Amato in his book says to change the water often if you see algae growth. However, Berry Rice says in his book that the tamin in the water is enough to inhibit algae growth.

Perhaps I should use peat instead of sphagnum peat? I am definately doing something wrong here. Need some advise here.

[bifurcatum]

Keep flying fox in your tank. They eat algae.

[piscesilim]

Big flying fox may eat the Utricularia too. But what types of algae?

[David]

the algae seems to be the slimy type. I think there are also the hairy type

[harris]

Hi David,

A friend of mine who has aquatic aquarium plant suggest that you use a UV light after the water filter. That usually kill all the algae spores. It works and does not harm the normal aquatic plant. So, I guess it wont harm your Ultricularia either. I'm just guessing.

BTW usually you can get the UV light for water filter at aquarium/fish shop but you might wanna do some research before trying.

[David]

Perhaps I will check out fish shops and see. However, I do not use a filter for my ultri tank or an air pump. Wanted to stimulate the growing conditions in the wild. However, I will be making a CO2 generator using yeasts and sugar water to pump CO2 into the tank.

I'll asked the fish shop and see if they have an ultraviolet light that works outside of the filter. Hmm, but then again, I think algae will still grow as the ultraviolet light need to be very close to the water for it to be effective. The bottom of the tank will still be exposed to algae.

By the way, my ultri tank is very small. Only 1 feet long. I place U. aurea there.

Maybe I buy a baby flying fox fish like what bifurcatum says. When it gets big I remove it. But I'll never know when it starts to eat my ultri. Kind of risky.

[cactustts]

Baby flying fox won't eat slimy algae. I suggest you change half of your tank water every week. That will help.
Since your tank alraedy have algae, you may have to change the water more frequently maybe twice a week, repeat this for a few weeks until the algae is uder control, then do the water changing weekly.
As for DIY CO2 maker, you have to change the yeast and sugar almost every 7 to 10 days, and the CO2 will slow down when the sugar water turned alcohol meaning the CO2 supplied into your tank is inconsistant. Bare in mind, we can't control the amount of CO2 diluted in the tank, too much of CO2 will make your water too acidic which will harm your plant too.
You'll still find OK to change the mixture intially whenever you need to, but for long term, I guarantee, you'll find this method soooooo.... troublesome. Trust me, I've tried this before. I still find the water changing is still the best way to eliminate algae.
Off topic: Hey David, it should spelt 'utric' not 'ultric' :-)

[piscesilim]

You need a pump to run it if you want to use UV light. Pumping CO2 can decrease some algae grow. But I think it is difficult to prevent algae grow if your tank don't have filter. The algae eating fish also don't thrive well without filter.
Hmm... May be you can put some plants which have strong roots to absorb the nutrients. May be Echinodorus sp. And make a water change every week.

[atmccmn]

Try algae eating shrimp! (just an idea). Algae growth are usually associated with high nitrogen content. Seek the roots to this factor and trouble shoot from there. I used to have a planted tank and like what cactustts said is very true. DIY CO2 system is very incosistent. Forget about it.

[piscesilim]

Yes. DIY CO2 is not consistent. Get a tank of CO2. ;D

The shrimp won't do well if your tank got no filter and if your water temperature is too hot. May be you can try cherry shrimp. It is the most easiest shrimp to keep.

[David]

Thanks for all the coments and suggestions. Alot of good ideas thrown in here. Thanks guys!

Hmm, most probably I'll do water change liek what TS said. I wanted to avoid this. Lazy laa. Looks like I've no choice now.

I'll also get some other water plants to absorb the nutrients in the water. Hmm, Echinodorus sp might be too big for my one feet tank. The leaves are so long. I'll look for smaller plants and see. Lim, you think water hycinth is ok or those other smaller leaf floating plants.

Actually I have a small filter for this 1-feet tank. Just did not use it. Maybe I'll fixed it on and I can get some cherry shrimps. I dumped 3 shrimps in there last week. Those normal see through shrimps that people buy to feed other fish. I found them chewing on my utric (tks TS for the "utric" spell check) leaves. So out they went. Will the cherry shrimps eat my utric?

[piscesilim]

No. Cherry shrimp won't eat Utricularia. Yes. Can try water hycinth.

[David]

Thanks Lim. I got some water plants already. Don't know the name but these are attached to a drift wood. I'll try one cherry shrimp. Will get it next week.

Anyone know where to get those floating plants. Those that looks like "duit-duit" (in bahasa Malaysia). I think now water hycinth might also be too big.

[piscesilim]

Your plants could be Anubias sp., Microsorium pteropus or Aglaonema simplex. Most of the aquatic plants which attached to the wood are slow grower. And they may not absorb much nutrients.

The duit-duit a like plant could be Salvinia sp.

[ifurita]

Here's what I did...which may sound like a bit of an overkill. I laid a layer of peat at the bottom of the tank and a layer of small stones to hold it down. Threw in Utrics, 3 small water hycinth and some small transparent shrimp.

In the end, I still get algae growth, but at a level which, thought unsightly, is controlled enough to keep the Utrics growing. Both the U. gibba and U. aurea I threw into the tank have reached flowering size and have flowered before. The shrimp don't seem to munch on the Utrics, though they do munch on the algae, so maybe they're a different species of transparent shrimp or something. The water hycinth grew a little, then became stunted and have remained tiny ever since, I think they don't like acid water.

The tank is placed outdoors, but at a location where it won't get too much rain. It gets direct morning sun for a few hours each day. No filter, pump or otherwise electricity requiring device.

[David]

Thanks for sharing your growing conditions infurita.

I've bought one cherry shrimp and placed it in my utric tank. So far after all the things I did from the suggestions given above the tank seems ok without algae. Perhaps still too early to say since it has only been 5 days.

TS has his utric in a clay pot in his garden. There seems to be no algae at all. However, he has alot of plants growing in the pot and there are guppy fishes in the pot. I think it's the amount of plants in the pot. He has water lily and some herbs that takes up about 2/3 of the pot. The bottom media is soil.

My U. gibba is put in a small glass cup. Initially algae grow in it but I just ignored it. After a couple of months the algae died out. I think it's due to the amount of utric in the cup. The utric takes up 2/3 of the cup and is really pack together.

[David]

Here are some pictures of my utric tank. Let me know if I can improve on anything.



Front view...


close up of the top...


The water filter. As you can see algae is starting to grow here. Sigh!!!


the cherry shrimp... sorry for the blur picture...


and one little fish... this fella seem to be munching on the algae for me...


I use a 9watts PLL plant light. As of today there is a layer thin layer of algae on top of the water. What else can I do to get rid of this algae?

[piscesilim]

That plant on the wood is Java fern. It is a slow growing plant. Won't absorb much nutrient. May be get some Hygrophilla difformis.

Algae on top of the layer? Did you mean oil like thing cover the water surface? If yes, get a molly will get rid of it. The fish is platy. Won't do much help on algae cleaning.

Happy aquascaping!

[David]

Ok, taking into consideration Lim's coment, I've decided to change the water plants to something that grows faster and is known to absorb nutrients from the water better. I've gotten some water hycinth. Not sure of the name of the other plant but these can grow very fast in my past experience.

Here's the pictures. The water has not settled yet, so it lokks kinda dirty now. Should settle in a few days.

[bactrus]

Think the plant on the left is not water hycinth but water lettuce. Watch out because those plant produce short fine hair like stuff all over as the leaf rots. The roots goes pretty quickly too. That's my 2 cents worth.

The other one on right, tough fellows. Forgotten the name too. Think have to wait for aqua-world sifu pisceslim.