"linda mar" wrote in message
...
Hi Kush,

what about the stuff accumulating under the plates? is it ok to leave
those
there? my tank is sitting on a wooden stand, so I can't see under the
tank,
but I was cleaning the UGF uptake tube using the bottle brush since I was
clearing the intake of the powerheads anyway (brown slimey stuff that
accumulated on the intake was clogging it a bit, and while I was at it, I
decided that the otos won't get to the algae growing inside the tube,
so...), and the suction the brush made drew up a lot of the brown fluffly
stuff from under the plate... I assume there is more where those stuff
came
from...
snip

The stuff under the plates is only likely to be a problem if you shut off
the UGF without cleaning it out and develop a anaerobic environment (no
oxygen) that leads to H2S and trouble.

DIY CO2 is really simple. I just installed one, granted I don't have a good
control on the injection rate, that goes in tomorrow, but It is working
water is fine. I just have to use a air bubbler to keep the CO2 level from
going overboard. I've had plants grow over and inch in two days.

Bob