Environment and Nature

does the quality of the filter help prevent algae growth

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:00:25 +0000

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=interpet+filter&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=637&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=1xBwzVJY5GAQ5M:&imgrefurl=http://www.rockbottomaquatics.co.uk/interpet-internal-power-filter.html&docid=LciDxJk–jXMBM&imgurl=http://www.rockbottomaquatics.co.uk/images/img162.jpg&w=600&h=458&ei=o7_tTvfrG8OB8gPpmOyjCg&zoom=1

this is my filter which I use for my 160 litre tank. The problem is algae is growing on my plants and it’s hair algae so I can’t scrub it off without killing the plant. I keep seeing crystal clear tanks on youtube and they seem to be using canister filters, is this better for keeping water clear and preventing algae?

yes it does, I used to have this problem before as well. It depends on a number of factors however it does depend on the filter and canister filter do work better in controlling algae populations. here is my step by step guide in controlling algae:

1 make sure your tank is not overcrowded. if there are many fish in a small cramped tank then their will be more nitrate, ammonia, and fish poop fertilizer, these three things help algae growth so we should prevent these chemicals from being in the water by getting rid of a few fish.

2 A very powerful filter is the next step, preferably a canister type filter (a pet store can help you choose one) rated for a tank 2x times the size of your actual fish tank (fish really are messy). When you clean the filter, don’t disinfect it or use really hot water to clean it, because you don’t want to kill the beneficial bacteria it harbours (which are needed to degrade the fish’ waste products).

3 Make sure the lights on your fish tank are not on for too long. The lights should be on for 12 hours or so a day; if they are on longer they may contribute to algae growth (not to mention stressing your fish). Don’t be tempted to cut the lighting too much though — while the lights do contribute to algae growth, proper lighting (both basking and UVA/UVB) is critical to your fish’s health. However, if the tank receives any direct sunlight, moving it out of the sunlight can help a lot.

4 Introduce an Algae-eating Tank Mate:

If reducing the amount of light and feeding less does not work to get rid of algae in your tank, you might consider purchasing an algae-eating tank mate. There are many different species of fish and snails that are perfect for this job! Please remember to research your chosen species before you buy it. Many of the cheaper pleco species are completely unsuitable for smaller fish tanks – you should not justify torturing a fish just because the price is right.If you have a smaller fish tank, otocinclus are perfect additions to help you keep your algae in check. Just remember that they are a schooling fish, so you will want to get more than one – a proper school actually starts at six, not three. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work to get them established since they are still wild caught, but once you do they are a very hardy aquarium fish.

5 Keeping the tank clean is vital to water quality and will help with the algae in check. Keep in mind there may always be some algae in the tank — trying to totally remove algae is futile and unecessary; the goal is to keep the algae under control, but more importantly, make sure the water quality is good.

so the answer in short is yes filters do combat algae populations and canister filters are better at removing algae. but little bits of algae is actually beneficial to your fish and the algae on your plant looks like staghorn algae.

good luck and i hope i helped.

A canister filter wont do any good its a water problem you have check your tap water for Phosphate and Nitrate i have very high Nitrate and high Phosphate in my tap water and as a result have to use half RO water and Half Tap water no algae in my tanks and nitrates stay under 15 and phosphate is 0 in my tank.
Nitrates and phosphates are the two key nutrients that affect the growth of hair algae. These nutrients can come from a number of different sources. The water that you use, fish food and fish waste. To overcome hair algae, both nitrates and phosphates must be reduced drastically.

What kind of water are you using for your aquarium? Tap water has both of nitrates and phosphates, in an effort to lower these two you should start using RO/DI water. Next, cut down on the amount of fish food given to your Fish daily

Next, you have to rapidly remove as much phosphates and nitrates in your tank. A 30% water change will remove 30% nitrates so calculate the amount of nitrates present and go from there

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Bleaching fish tank?? Help.

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:00:24 +0000

Hey i bleached my fish tank last Friday (16TH) to get rid of any diseases. i have rinsed it out around 5 times and scrubbed down, including cleaned all the pebbles, plants and accessories. I have cycled it from midday Saturday to 4.30 Sunday and have cleaned filter 3 times to ensure it’s clean and free of bleach. I just put back in the pebbles and plants and water conditioner and have tested it. Everything is OK but i just need reassurance, do you think it OK for me to put my fish back in the tank? my fish are guppies and barb fish.

Reassurance please!

running a tank for a day isn’t “cycling”

and no your tank isn’t ok, you killed the biologic filtration so you need to go through the 6 week cycle period.
Whether you do it with your fish or fishless is up to you.

If your filter had carbon or other filter material in it when you bleached, throw it away, only sponges or inert biologic material can be reused.

By sterilising the tank you have also killed any beneficial bacteria that were in there, and totally uncycled the tank system. Of couse the water tests fine, it’s just day old tap water, but the tank is NOT cycled and therefore quite dangerous to your fish.

Sorry I can’t reassure you, but I suspect your problems are only just beginning.

Have a read of this page so you understand the cycle process properly.

http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Then you will understand the problems you are now facing.

I don’t know where the fish are now, if they are in another cycled aquarium, leave them there and get the tank running again. If they are in some temporary contain that’s not cycled and filtered, then you may as well put them back in the tank. But then you will be cycling the tank with fish, which can be tricky.

Ian

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Help! My Fluval 404 canister filter won’t pump on its own.

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:00:24 +0000

I got a Fluval 404 canister filter for my aquarium. I am having major problems getting it to start after I prime the pump. Water is flowing through the hoses when I prime the pump but when I plug in the filter, it won’t run on its own. The motor is running and I can’t find any air leaks. The water will flow out of the output while priming at a good pace. But when I stop priming, it trickles for a moment and then stops completely. Also, the input nozzle pushes air OUT when primed, instead of sucking it up into the canister. I have been attempting to prime the pump for a hour but it still won’t catch. The canister is full, so are the hoses but still won’t work! What can I do????

Whats your substrate?? Sometimes a bunch of sand can get stuck in the filters and clog ‘em up.

yea, they can be a pain to get started
after priming as best you can, plug it in and tilt the canister over until it begins to pump water, then shake gently while straightening it up, it should begin to siphon and fill and pump normally, then give it a little shake a couple times over the next few minutes to get out all the air from the canister and lines. May take a couple tries. .
don’t keep using the priming “button” it is only to start a siphon to fill the canister. you may have to keep the hoses near the surface of the tank to allow air to purge out while it’s filling.
but yes, they can be a pain sometimes.
try the tilting and shaking.

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Biology essay, help!?

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:00:20 +0000

Please help me, this is for Biology.

Clues to ecological principles are given in numerous passages of the Bible. A Bible study of ecology actually opens the doors to better understanding of God’s love and concern for the earth. Use a concordance to locate Bible passages associated with words concerning our stewardship of the earth. You may use a dictionary to find synonyms for these words: dominion replenish subdue judgment stewardship Find each of the passages using these words related to principles of ecology. List all passages by quote, book, chapter, and verse under each word. Use your own interpretation to rewrite what you think each verse is saying. After your discussion of each of these words, ask one other person to explain his understanding of the word and a related verse without any hints. Summarize what he tells you. A concluding paragraph for each of the words should be written noting similarities and differences between your interpretation and that of each person consulted.

I didn’t read these pages thoroughly, but they appear to have information related to your project. I hope they help:

http://www.questionreality.org/id8.html

http://creation.com/creation-preservation-and-dominion-part-1

http://creation.com/biblical-ecology

http://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j23_2/j23_2_82-89.pdf

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2312

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for the synonyms:

http://thesaurus.com/browse/dominion

http://thesaurus.com/browse/replenish

http://thesaurus.com/browse/subdue

http://thesaurus.com/browse/judgment

http://thesaurus.com/browse/stewardship

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How does our environment affect the way we behave?

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:00:11 +0000

Because we live in it

When it is cold, dark and gloomy, so are we.
When the sun shines, we feel better.
When we get polluted, so does the environment.
Clean air and water, helps us to remain healthier.
When the beaches are clean, we play naked volleyball.

laugh and the world laughs with you. cry and you cry alone.
all happy families have things in common. all unhappy families have drama.

It completely affects it. Other than our inborn behaviors (drives), we learn everything from our environment.