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Old 19-06-2006, 08:39 AM posted to rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants,rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc
Jolly Fisherman
 
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Default Black Brush and green algae problems - wire algae

On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 21:48:04 -0500, dc wrote:

Jolly Fisherman wrote in
:

I've only seen the extract in 1 or 2 aquarium specialty shops locally
(different state of course) and it's out of sight. True the shipping


We sell Barley & Peat Extract and it is right up front near the cash on
display--it is pond season after all.


Where is your shop?

It might take some more time to fall off, then again conditions might
still be such that it is still surviving well and choking the plants
(more likely).


The alga doesn't actually "react to CO2," it just gives your plants the
edge in competing for the available nutrients.


What you're saying makes sense as that's how it generally works.
Actually I was almost directly quoting the Baensch Aquarium Atlas vol
2 under "Black Brush Algae." They stressed the importance of CO2 for
control of Black Brush Algae but not other types. So it seemed to me
like there was more to CO2 than just helping the plants to grow & out
compete the algae. But I may be putting too much weight on poor
wording in the book.

I use Flourish Excel.


I'm not 100% sure Flourish is truly equivalent to CO2 fertilization.
At least I've been reading conflicting things.


Seachem's Flourish Excel is not carbon dioxide; it is an organic carbon
compound (primarily polycycloglutaracetal) which serves the same
function for plants. It skips an intermediate step filled by CO2 in the
process of photosynthesis to provide plants what they need to produce
long chain carbon compounds. When you use Excel, plants don't need to
use CO2 to photosynthesize.


Yes they are supposed to achieve the same thing but AFAIk they are not
really exact functional equivalents. AFAIK Polycycloglutaracetal is a
proprietary compound that is claimed to be similar but not identical
to natural Photosynthetic intermediates. I don't think it's well
known what exactly Polycycloglutaracetal is or even if it actually is,
in fact, directly taken up by the plants or if there is a more
indirect fertilization process at work. Even by Seachem's admission
"CO2 by itself will give you quantitatively more growth than Excel by
itself."

I just ordered "Algae: A problem Solver Guide" - Sprung. Maybe
others have reading recommendations that have helped them they can
endorse?


This is a good book--I sold a copy to a customer today, but if it is the
one I am thinking of it mainly tackles problems with marine algae.
While the conditions for avoiding algae in both situations are very
similar, there are some options available to you in fresh that are not
in salt and vice versa.


Just got it in yesterday. I'm disappointed that it indeed mostly
deals with marine issues. An OK read anyway.