Silicates and Brown Algae

[David J. Braunegg]

I think I finally figured out why I can't get rid of my brown algae after a
year and a half with this tank. My water department adds sodium silicate at
one of the town wells for "iron and manganese treatment and corrosion
control". They expect the SiO2 level at my house to be about 10 mg/l.

So, what should I do? (Now that I've got live plants and the leaves are
getting covered, I'm a bit more concerned about getting rid of the brown
algae than I was in the past.)
- Get an Otocinclus? (1 for a 10-gallon tank?)
- Get a silicate remover and try to figure out some way for my
Penguin mini-filter to flow water through it?
- Something else?

Thanks,
Dave

[Jim Anderson]

In article >, djb@reverse-the-
er.miter.org says...
> I think I finally figured out why I can't get rid of my brown algae after a
> year and a half with this tank. My water department adds sodium silicate at
> one of the town wells for "iron and manganese treatment and corrosion
> control". They expect the SiO2 level at my house to be about 10 mg/l.
>
> So, what should I do? (Now that I've got live plants and the leaves are
> getting covered, I'm a bit more concerned about getting rid of the brown
> algae than I was in the past.)
> - Get an Otocinclus? (1 for a 10-gallon tank?)
> - Get a silicate remover and try to figure out some way for my
> Penguin mini-filter to flow water through it?
> - Something else?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>
>
>

The most expensive solution would be an RO unit.

I don't know if one of those single 'whole house' carbon-block sediment
filters remove silicates. ~$30USD

I used to buy RO water at the grocery. $0.18USD per USgallon.

--
Jim Anderson
( 8(|) To email me just pull my_finger

[Elaine T]

Jim Anderson wrote:
> In article >, djb@reverse-the-
> er.miter.org says...
>
>>I think I finally figured out why I can't get rid of my brown algae after a
>>year and a half with this tank. My water department adds sodium silicate at
>>one of the town wells for "iron and manganese treatment and corrosion
>>control". They expect the SiO2 level at my house to be about 10 mg/l.
>>
>>So, what should I do? (Now that I've got live plants and the leaves are
>>getting covered, I'm a bit more concerned about getting rid of the brown
>>algae than I was in the past.)
>> - Get an Otocinclus? (1 for a 10-gallon tank?)
>> - Get a silicate remover and try to figure out some way for my
>> Penguin mini-filter to flow water through it?
>> - Something else?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Dave
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> The most expensive solution would be an RO unit.
>
> I don't know if one of those single 'whole house' carbon-block sediment
> filters remove silicates. ~$30USD
>
> I used to buy RO water at the grocery. $0.18USD per USgallon.
>
Good suggestions.

I'd get 2 or 3 otocinclus myself. They're a shoaling species. If they
ever run out of algae, you can feed cucumber or algae wafers. Also put
a small piece of wood in the tank for them to rasp on. I think otos are
adorable so I'd much rather carry them home than jugs of water. ;-)

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Ook]

Elaine T wrote:
> Jim Anderson wrote:
>
>> In article >, djb@reverse-the-
>> er.miter.org says...
>>
>>> I think I finally figured out why I can't get rid of my brown algae
>>> after a year and a half with this tank. My water department adds
>>> sodium silicate at one of the town wells for "iron and manganese
>>> treatment and corrosion control". They expect the SiO2 level at my
>>> house to be about 10 mg/l.
>>>
>>> So, what should I do? (Now that I've got live plants and the leaves
>>> are getting covered, I'm a bit more concerned about getting rid of
>>> the brown algae than I was in the past.)
>>> - Get an Otocinclus? (1 for a 10-gallon tank?)
>>> - Get a silicate remover and try to figure out some way for my
>>> Penguin mini-filter to flow water through it?
>>> - Something else?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Dave
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> The most expensive solution would be an RO unit.
>>
>> I don't know if one of those single 'whole house' carbon-block
>> sediment filters remove silicates. ~$30USD
>>
>> I used to buy RO water at the grocery. $0.18USD per USgallon.
>>
> Good suggestions.
>
> I'd get 2 or 3 otocinclus myself. They're a shoaling species. If they
> ever run out of algae, you can feed cucumber or algae wafers. Also put
> a small piece of wood in the tank for them to rasp on. I think otos are
> adorable so I'd much rather carry them home than jugs of water. ;-)
>
How does one prepare wood so it's Oto-safe?

[Elaine T]

Ook wrote:
> Elaine T wrote:
>
>> Jim Anderson wrote:
>>
>>> In article >, djb@reverse-the-
>>> er.miter.org says...
>>>
>>>> I think I finally figured out why I can't get rid of my brown algae
>>>> after a year and a half with this tank. My water department adds
>>>> sodium silicate at one of the town wells for "iron and manganese
>>>> treatment and corrosion control". They expect the SiO2 level at my
>>>> house to be about 10 mg/l.
>>>>
>>>> So, what should I do? (Now that I've got live plants and the leaves
>>>> are getting covered, I'm a bit more concerned about getting rid of
>>>> the brown algae than I was in the past.)
>>>> - Get an Otocinclus? (1 for a 10-gallon tank?)
>>>> - Get a silicate remover and try to figure out some way for my
>>>> Penguin mini-filter to flow water through it?
>>>> - Something else?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Dave
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The most expensive solution would be an RO unit.
>>>
>>> I don't know if one of those single 'whole house' carbon-block
>>> sediment filters remove silicates. ~$30USD
>>>
>>> I used to buy RO water at the grocery. $0.18USD per USgallon.
>>>
>> Good suggestions.
>>
>> I'd get 2 or 3 otocinclus myself. They're a shoaling species. If
>> they ever run out of algae, you can feed cucumber or algae wafers.
>> Also put a small piece of wood in the tank for them to rasp on. I
>> think otos are adorable so I'd much rather carry them home than jugs
>> of water. ;-)
>>
> How does one prepare wood so it's Oto-safe?

I just buy a small piece of bogwood or mopani wood at the fish store.
It's often sold by the pound so scraps are cheap. That wood only needs
rinsing and sinks immediately. For regular driftwood, I think you have
to boil it. I've only ever used regular driftwood pre-attached to slate.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[David J. Braunegg]

I decided to go with the Otos. They looked so small I got three of them. I
bought them on Sunday and they are really doing a number on the brown algae!
The plants have been cleaned off (they were *covered* in brown algae) as
well as most of the rocks and 2/3 of the gravel. These little guys are
amazing. My son enjoys watching them poop. (With all that eating and such
little bodies, I now have a littering of Oto poop on the Anubias leaves.)

I'm going to keep an eye on the algae and when it looks like it is all gone,
I'll add some pieces of algae wafer for the Otos. I haven't added any wood
for them to rasp on, as some have suggested. At least not yet--we'll see.

Now to see if I experience the short Oto lifespans that some have written
about...

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Dave


"David J. Braunegg" > wrote in message
...
>I think I finally figured out why I can't get rid of my brown algae after a
>year and a half with this tank. My water department adds sodium silicate
>at one of the town wells for "iron and manganese treatment and corrosion
>control". They expect the SiO2 level at my house to be about 10 mg/l.
>
> So, what should I do? (Now that I've got live plants and the leaves are
> getting covered, I'm a bit more concerned about getting rid of the brown
> algae than I was in the past.)
> - Get an Otocinclus? (1 for a 10-gallon tank?)
> - Get a silicate remover and try to figure out some way for my
> Penguin mini-filter to flow water through it?
> - Something else?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave