On Dec 20, 3:35 pm, "Reel McKoi" wrote:
"Tynk" wrote in message

...
Regular cotton thread works good and by the time the roots attach the
threads will be or be close to being rotted away........Attaching to
submerged substrate like dirift wood or rocks etc is the best way to
go with Java Fern..........run some peat in that hob filter and help
it get the ph down, and turn it into a south american cichlid tank
with neons etc.............I find those south american tanks to be
much nicer than a african tank as the fish are much more compatible
with each other that is available out there to buy.............and not
much other than old mbuna etc can be put with them or other typical
african cichlids.........I also like the look of tea colored water in
a south american tank......and drift wood can do this as well as
adding peat.........in addition to bringing down PH.
=============================================
The "mostly tetra tank" is already full. :-) The water is a bit tea
colored from the leaves that fall into these 30g rain tubs under the eves.
The fish are thriving now. What a difference! The bettas are even more
active and colorful. I don't have any cichlids at all. The one tank is
manly tetras with a some groumies and 3 clowns, a few otos, a rubbermouth
and a clown pleco. This second 55g only has a few platys, a few otos and
the rubbermouth pleco. I'm in no hurry to add to it. I may make it a live
bearer tank if I can find some decent mollies. I like swords but they're too
aggressive and they jump like crazy.

I'm having a real problem with that damn black algae again and have no idea
why. I'm using that Flourish-Excel that was recommended on the plant group
last year and it's useless. The poster there swore algae can't live in a
tank with FE. That is total crapola! Algae thrives with FE, both green and
the black type.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

I beat the black algae when I had it one time by changing my bulbs
out. Florescent tubes loose correct color temps and they shift the
color spectrum after they get so old. Have you tried changing out your
bulbs. I found if I change mine about every 18 to 24 months or so, I
do not get black algae and I do not add any FE to my tanks.......I add
very little of any kind of fertilizer and everything does just
great..........The only plants the black algae would grow on was my
amazon swords or any that resembled swords........I have my lights on
approx 9 1/2 hours at most.......works for me. Also the correct
bulbs make a big difference. I use 6700K or 7200K bulbs for all my
freshwater tanks.I toss out the bulbs normally supplied with tank
light fixtures etc as they leave a lot to be desired and are ok, if
you do not have plants, but suck when it comes to live plants, which
all of my tanks have..............I never had good results with the so
called plant bulbs or gro-lux bulbs either........hanging over the
wifes violets they are fine, but sucked when it came to aquarium
plants.

I do have one tank that I run a 10K bulb in and thats because I have a
madagascar dwarf lilly and a nice Helvola miniature lily in that tank
so that 10 k bulb is on at 9am and off at 6pm....but there is a 6500K
bulb that is on before (on at 9am during and after (off at approx 7pm)
the 10K bulb is on. The 10 k is just about a must have for the water
lillys if you want them to bloom indoors..........if your satisfied
with just leaves then the lower specturm bulbs (6500 and 7200) are
just fine.......Right now I have 5 blooms on my Helvola (which is a
miniature yellow/chrome plant) zand its nice to have it bloom most all
year round indoors in a fish tank.......