Frank wrote:
Elaine T wrote,

The only place long, fluffy
hair algae grows in my whiskey barrel pond is in part of one barrel
where the water is relatively still for the water lily.


Hair algae is primarily a problem when there is excess iron in the
water. Your water come from a well (?), or you might try reducing the
dosage of fertilizers containing iron.


I have clumps of java fern sitting in the filter outlet, and
they grow faster than the java fern on the other side of the tank.


In low nitrAte situations, along with algaes, some plants can get its
nitrogen from the air. Under a water return location, I can see where
it can get its nitrogen from the air.


I generally put crypts in moving water too, since all the pictures I've
seen of them in nature is bent over from the current in fast-flowing
streams. They seem to do fine that way.


I didn't say _all_ plants do better in slow flowing or still water - I
said _most_ plants......
I didn't say _all_ algaes do better in a turbulent enviroment, but most
do. Both blue-green slime algae and hair algae does great where there
is little to nill water movement. ................. Frank

Fair enough. ;-) BGA loves a quiet spot, like between the glass and
the gravel! The tank with the java fern is fairly low nitrate, so the
filter return makes sense. There would also be the most freshly
dissolved CO2 there, come to think of it. It's a Flourish Excel tank so
atmospheric CO2 is going to be an important carbon source.

I'm aware of problems with algae and iron. I'm going pretty low on the
iron ferts outdoors right now because nothing is growing very fast. My
tapwater tests zero for iron - I'll give the pondwater a test and see if
anything has accumulated anyway. Thanks for the idea!

--
Elaine T __
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