Silicates and Brown Algae

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.

--
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