Comments on: Thread algae woes. Thread algae understood? http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/http:/wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/2009/03/21/thread-algae-woes-thread-algea-understood/ the straight scoop on freshwater planted aquariums Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:45:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: scolley http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/http:/wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/2009/03/21/thread-algae-woes-thread-algea-understood/comment-page-1/#comment-29402 scolley Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:28:25 +0000 http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/?p=208#comment-29402 Rob - Glad it appears this helped. I was not aware of iron removing silicates. I know it removes phosphates though. And unfortunately - yes - in the long term you will kill your plants if you starve them of phosphates. So you're going to have to go carefully with that filter. Zero phosphates = dead plants. So what should you do? IMO it's reduce flow, keep your phosphates low but way above zero. And find that source of silica and eliminate it. Possibly easier said than done. But IMO it's the long term key. Good luck. - Steve PS - In a nod to Tom Barr... he's dead on when he says, "Light it the throttle." So be real careful not to over do that too. Rob - Glad it appears this helped. I was not aware of iron removing silicates. I know it removes phosphates though. And unfortunately - yes - in the long term you will kill your plants if you starve them of phosphates. So you’re going to have to go carefully with that filter. Zero phosphates = dead plants.

So what should you do? IMO it’s reduce flow, keep your phosphates low but way above zero. And find that source of silica and eliminate it. Possibly easier said than done. But IMO it’s the long term key.

Good luck. - Steve

PS - In a nod to Tom Barr… he’s dead on when he says, “Light it the throttle.” So be real careful not to over do that too.

]]> By: rob http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/http:/wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/2009/03/21/thread-algae-woes-thread-algea-understood/comment-page-1/#comment-29302 rob Wed, 24 Nov 2010 01:38:31 +0000 http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/?p=208#comment-29302 Hi Steve, I found your post by searching for "phosphate remover and plant growth" as I'm having a nightmare time getting rid of diatoms(!) / brown algae. Strangely, this is a long term thing - 6 months and counting. I read plantedtank (everything I could find on it) and also T. Barr's site and saw all the conventional wisdom of dose everything, high flow, lots of co2, good lighting, no stones that could be a source of silicates in the tank - all as good as I can get them, although admittedly I am only dosing with Flourish (no trace / iron / potassium) I have temporarily(?) beaten it by removing silicates using an iron based remover in my filter, and the plants are still doing OK - I came to the same conclusion as you that removing one thing they need would kill them off. Admittedly I know very little about aquariums but am learning. Plants are now showing new growth now its not choked with diatoms. So far, has been 4 days and all seems good. I can see leaves under there, somewhere... I know I have a lot to learn about feeding the plants, and should purchase a silicate test kit - but for now: In your opinion - will my plants suffer long term with no detectable phosphates in the water, or do I seriously need to read more about beating it another way? I like your blog, lots to read. Thanks for the info! Rob Hi Steve,
I found your post by searching for “phosphate remover and plant growth” as I’m having a nightmare time getting rid of diatoms(!) / brown algae. Strangely, this is a long term thing - 6 months and counting.

I read plantedtank (everything I could find on it) and also T. Barr’s site and saw all the conventional wisdom of dose everything, high flow, lots of co2, good lighting, no stones that could be a source of silicates in the tank - all as good as I can get them, although admittedly I am only dosing with Flourish (no trace / iron / potassium)

I have temporarily(?) beaten it by removing silicates using an iron based remover in my filter, and the plants are still doing OK - I came to the same conclusion as you that removing one thing they need would kill them off. Admittedly I know very little about aquariums but am learning.

Plants are now showing new growth now its not choked with diatoms. So far, has been 4 days and all seems good. I can see leaves under there, somewhere…

I know I have a lot to learn about feeding the plants, and should purchase a silicate test kit - but for now:

In your opinion - will my plants suffer long term with no detectable phosphates in the water, or do I seriously need to read more about beating it another way?

I like your blog, lots to read. Thanks for the info!

Rob

]]> By: admin http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/http:/wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/2009/03/21/thread-algae-woes-thread-algea-understood/comment-page-1/#comment-22420 admin Fri, 01 Oct 2010 03:42:54 +0000 http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/?p=208#comment-22420 Hey folks. Steve here... I've been distracted for quite a while as I explored a different form of this hobby. But I started looking a comments today. Long overdue I know. Sorry. But I'm posting now to say... There were a number of excellent, legitimate, comments to this thread that I accidentally deleted. If one was yours, please accept my apologies. I need to get more familiar with this blog software. :-( Anyway, am trying to swing back a bit of attention to this site, and will answer all comments soon. (Right! Like a year late matters! LOL) Hey folks. Steve here…

I’ve been distracted for quite a while as I explored a different form of this hobby. But I started looking a comments today. Long overdue I know. Sorry.

But I’m posting now to say…

There were a number of excellent, legitimate, comments to this thread that I accidentally deleted. If one was yours, please accept my apologies. I need to get more familiar with this blog software. :-(

Anyway, am trying to swing back a bit of attention to this site, and will answer all comments soon. (Right! Like a year late matters! LOL)

]]> By: gauny http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/http:/wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/2009/03/21/thread-algae-woes-thread-algea-understood/comment-page-1/#comment-6434 gauny Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:15:03 +0000 http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/?p=208#comment-6434 l couldn't help but read this since i have the same problem with my 40g planted tank. My moss clumps have been in the flow of my canister filter the entire time i've had it set up and they are the only plant with algae growing on it. i'll have to fix that and hopefully that should help. Thank alot. l couldn’t help but read this since i have the same problem with my 40g planted tank. My moss clumps have been in the flow of my canister filter the entire time i’ve had it set up and they are the only plant with algae growing on it. i’ll have to fix that and hopefully that should help. Thank alot.

]]> By: admin http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/http:/wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/2009/03/21/thread-algae-woes-thread-algea-understood/comment-page-1/#comment-31 admin Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:46:20 +0000 http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/?p=208#comment-31 Good question. I wish I knew of one. I haven't done an exhaustive search lately, but I did look the when I first suspected this linkage a couple of years ago, and did not find a way to remove silicates alone. And it's not just the phosphates I'm worried about removing. It's all the other great stuff too. There are SO many good things in tap water for aquatic plants. While I don't know what they all are, their presence is the reason that lot's of planted tank people with serious RO/DI rigs still mix in a good bit of tap water. Otherwise they have to "reconstruct" their water. And I'd rather not have to get into that if I can avoid it. For that reason, if I can't beat this by phosphate limitation, I'm inclined to try serious reduction of water change frequency - so the plants can absorb the silicates faster than they are coming in - and removal of the sand on the bottom of the tank. That could take care of this algae, and allow me to get out of the very tight maintenance of phosphate levels. Good question. I wish I knew of one. I haven’t done an exhaustive search lately, but I did look the when I first suspected this linkage a couple of years ago, and did not find a way to remove silicates alone.
And it’s not just the phosphates I’m worried about removing. It’s all the other great stuff too. There are SO many good things in tap water for aquatic plants. While I don’t know what they all are, their presence is the reason that lot’s of planted tank people with serious RO/DI rigs still mix in a good bit of tap water. Otherwise they have to “reconstruct” their water. And I’d rather not have to get into that if I can avoid it.
For that reason, if I can’t beat this by phosphate limitation, I’m inclined to try serious reduction of water change frequency - so the plants can absorb the silicates faster than they are coming in - and removal of the sand on the bottom of the tank. That could take care of this algae, and allow me to get out of the very tight maintenance of phosphate levels.

]]> By: Walter Donila http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/http:/wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/2009/03/21/thread-algae-woes-thread-algea-understood/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Walter Donila Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:01:31 +0000 http://wetplantlogic.com/wordpress/?p=208#comment-28 Steve, any way of removing silicates without R/O process, and retaining phosphates? Steve, any way of removing silicates without R/O process, and retaining phosphates?

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