Sharing what I submitted for this year.. did not score well but oh well, 2011!

ottos are great with diatoms, try rearing snail right now east aqua got new stock, get the spiky ones, yesterday they got about 300+ new snails, 50% transferred to mid valley oredi, be quick, they don't last long.

btw, i want fissidens, do you have spare?, I am also looking for mini pelia, you have?, my tank is half dead because of some major transfer from 3 ft to 2 ft and also lightning problem.

becareful with slimes, traditionaly BGA is blue green, I have seen brownish ones too, BGA likes to appear as slimy stuff, and they are very good at photosynthesis hence produces air bubbles.

the best way to fight BGA is prevention, the main source of BGA is too much dead stuff with poor water flow (which is why you get them when the tank is old and the hardware are getting weaker e.g. filter flow rate reduced and plants getting too bushy). Also skimmer is also helpful because skimmer reduces the surface film (which is not water, but by product of free floating BGA, if surface film is a consistent problem you could get BGA, skimmer actually sucks them into the filter and drowns them)

Hence, the tank vacuum till date is the most effective way to clear the dead stuff (cost abt 15 - 30 depending on size), and the best way to clear waste is to add bottom feeders like snails (that is why I mention earlier, those ugly white small snails is good to have them around), and also bacter ball, till date bacter ball is the most effective ones (if u dun mind, we can buy 1 bottle discounted from east aqua and share among us)

Proper macro nutrients dousing can also fight algae, so far I learn from other sifus, adding N prevents BGA, adding K fights spot and dust algae, (that is because certain algae thrives on shortage or surplus of certain nutrients) that is why seachem or ADA is worthwhile.

At this rate, I think I wanna start blogging about this,.... will you guys read it? LOL

hey bro, cun punya scaping.. alot to learn from u too...

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Added on August 14, 2010, 2:45 pm

i'll definately read ur blog if u start one..

i think the stuff that i siphoned out yesterday is re-appearing today la..  cud this be BGA? 
i've also been adding seachem N for about 2 weeks now... i have florish, trace, K,N,Iron... still looking for P and excel.. out of stock in ikano..

u think snail can eat BGA? if at all i have BGA, what's my next coarse of action?

Sharing what I submitted for this year.. did not score well but oh well, 2011!

I suspect only lah, if it is BGA, N is good for prevention, not fighting it.

Somesay BGA can die if you put tank in complete darkness for 3 days, but I find this not helpful, my worst out break, I end up using chemicals and re-cycle the tank.

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Added on August 14, 2010, 3:16 pm

whoa! brilliant layout!

Sharing what I submitted for this year.. did not score well but oh well, 2011!

First of all, thanks all for your comments. Was hoping for more constructive critism in order to improve myself...

A little bit abt my tank, using Ehem Ehem 2213.. but I could use a bigger flowrate, maybe 2215.
2 x 55W of PLL light. One is very white and the other has a yellowish tint.
CO2 dosing about 10 hours, since using manual regulator, try to adjust 1 bps.

For CO2 I am using this diffuser.



On trimming, no skills, just use a paper scissors, trim trim leaving about 1/3 in height, and replant them back. I realised that it grew taller very very fast when it is reaching the top, of coz la since they are nearer the light too.

On the Japonica, I think there is about 6-7 bunch there which I just cucuk into the soil, no skills here too.

On fauna, hehe, some school fish, few SAEs, 2 Ottos, and 4 Yamatos shrimp. Dun dare yet to try CRS or RCS, but I guess my temp which is around 27-28C with a small fan should be OK for them but not to breed la.

a. brown color thingy - how is it like?
a.1. slimy, if u pick them up, it looks like a cluster of hair?
a.2. looks like a layer of coating?
a.3. short tuff of hair, feels like fur

for a.1. 50% chance BGA/50% is BBA - ref to a.3
for a.2. 90% chance BGA
to confirm BGA, check your pH if it is like 10 or 11, you definitely got BGA

b. green spot.
b.1. green dot on leaves?
b.2. powdery green stuff that looks like coating

for b.1. add K
for b.2 BGA

For fighting BGA, in steps
1. clean up composting material e.g roting leaves, fish poo, and food left over
2. re-cycle the water, good bacteria will eat up BGA (and BGA is actually poisonous to OTTO and SAE)
3. trim your plants, to improve water circulation BGA thrives on slow flowing water with lots of waste, good water flow will actually move the waste material around and hence easier to clean up.
4. clean your filter, BGA thrives also on the waste material inside the filter.

recmd tools
1. use the tank vacuum cleaner, LFS will know (a big tube that connects to a small tube device)
2. increase water acidity, all plants can tolerate ph4 for a short time (a few days) BGA can't stand acidity and BGA actually can change the water to alkali (I normally add 1 cap of white vinegar)

If you follow the SOP, and the BGA still hold strong, then you can resort to use medication (google for antibiotic for BGA, and there is a human antibiotic that you can use and if the clinic do sell to you, it only costs 50 sen per tablet)

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Added on August 14, 2010, 12:41 am

how old?, i like the way you manage the japonica, mine always end up being too dense, did you trim them off time by time or re plant them?

Your tank looks way better then mine , so no critism here.
I'm using 2213 also, I didn't use the rain bar cause found out from others that it actually decrease the flow rate of the filter, and I also like some current in my tank. Cause I just love to see my stem plants swaying in the current, makes me feel like I'm watching them from the bottom of a stream.

How often do you need to clean the diffuser??? Got any problems like seeing micro bubbles in the tank, so much so that its making the tank hazy??? I heard this from others using Boyu inline ones, so like to hear you opinion. Plus interested to get one also...

When you replant, do you replant them behind the bush, or in front??? Cause I can't get the bushy look .

27-28C very good for RCS already, I'm keeping mine at 27-29C and I can already see a few females carrying their egg saddle already lo. Hopefully will proceed to having fertilized eggs and hatch into shrimplets la...