Guck growing in paludarium - solutions?

[m_ms09]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

I used one pill of cypro (antibiotic) and in a week there was no goo left. If you have it, try it.
In my experience aquatic plants grow too slowly to compete with algae for nutrients or light. For me, the algae always ends up growing on top of the plants, leaves, etc... sometimes even when not fully submersed. The algae would even keep my aquatic crypts from growing.

Do you mean "CIPROFLOXACIN PENICILLIN" ? No, I don't have any of that lying around, hahaha.

Maybe I should just invest in a water filtration contraption of some kind. My friend has one in the bottom of his tank and his tank is goo-free!

[m_ms09]

...I do have ampicillin, though. I work in a lab so maybe I can take a bit home.

[Epiphile]

Just as an example, here's a really outdated shot of my paludarium. Forgive the quality of the photos...

Since planting the aquatic area I haven't seen algae, and the Rotala/Hydrocotyle species, mosses and liverworts grow like weeds (I just cut about a pound of stems out of there for a trade the other day). Lighting is 65W power compact, and the tank is a 20 gallon. To be fair, I do get a bit of algae on the exposed wood well above the waterline, but it's not unpleasant to look at, really.

[m_ms09]

Originally Posted by Epiphile

Just as an example, here's a really outdated shot of my paludarium. Forgive the quality of the photos...

Since planting the aquatic area I haven't seen algae, and the Rotala/Hydrocotyle species, mosses and liverworts grow like weeds (I just cut about a pound of stems out of there for a trade the other day). Lighting is 65W power compact, and the tank is a 20 gallon. To be fair, I do get a bit of algae on the exposed wood well above the waterline, but it's not unpleasant to look at, really.

Hmm, the photos are not loading properly.

[Epiphile]

Bah- sorry. How about now?

[m_ms09]

Originally Posted by Epiphile

Bah- sorry. How about now?

Wow!
That is a gorgeous set up!!! Looks beautiful! How did you get water onto the back? I'm about to purchase a pump to pump water up to the top so that it can cascade down. I only constructed my tank a few months ago and I already want a larger one!! I think I'll try to get this one established first though!

[Epiphile]

That's what I did- ran a length of pipe with holes drilled into it along the top of the back that sends water down a few times a day. Works like a charm.

Another neat aspect is that I don't have anything filtering the water- I do weekly water changes (if I remember), but that's about it.

[Tindomul]

Thats a great looking setup! Whats the distance from the light source for the Hydrocotyle and Rotala? Do you need a CO2 source?
PS nice shrimp! I bet they eat their fair share of algae. How hard is it to keep those?

[orchidlvr2]

I have a terrarium filled with orchids. On the bottom I put at least an inch of large charcoal and then aquarium gravel on top of that. That has really kept the gunk problems at bay. The bottom is always wet (up to the top level of the gravel) so the plants get lots of humidity but don't sit in water. I also have a 6 inch fan running 24/7 to keep air moving. I am growing mostly pleurothallids in this tank.

[Epiphile]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

Thats a great looking setup! Whats the distance from the light source for the Hydrocotyle and Rotala? Do you need a CO2 source?
PS nice shrimp! I bet they eat their fair share of algae. How hard is it to keep those?

Thanks- it's a 20 high, so I guess about a foot to the highest leaves. I don't add any cO2, but most of the plants have at least a couple leaves above water, which I guess gets them through.

The shrimp are great- for the most part they just do their thing, the cute little buggers. Every few days I'll throw in a piece of a kelp wafer or a bit of vegetable and they're happy.

I really have to get some updated photos one of these days...