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Hmmm... my refs say that activated charcoal is made from destructive distillation (heating in the absence of oxygen) of plant matter.
If you "burned" it all the way, you would end up with a very alkaline material, ash.
I'll guess that some/all of the soluble minerals (sodium and calcium...
ram death watch ended
Unfortunately, I just fished the latest casualty out, after succumbing. :( He ended life with dropsy - just a symptom of underlying problems? Meanwhile, another pair of rams is preparing to spawn, & I've got one aggie that's just lead her pack of young out. Go figure...
I haven't bought any new rams in over two 1/2 years... I just take the "next generation" from the spawns, which makes it all the more confusing... I can breed them like anything, but my adults all seem to die young.
Hello everyone,
I've got a problem with my rams. I can't seem to keep adults alive past about 8 months to a year.
The symptoms - they go off their food, hang about near the top, look morose & dark for a few days, then die. This happens to individuals rather than to all of them - I've got...
I'd let the next batch hatch & see what happens before using any chemicals post-hatch. All of us have a batch die, tho it's disturbing to watch it happen.
I just watched 3 SAE's die out of 15 I've put in my new planted tank. Heck if I know what killed them (every water chemistry...
Hello everyone,
I'm going to be purchasing a 125 g tank, probably later this week. I want a planted tank, CO2, etc., which I'm now doing on my 55.
My question is this - I'm looking at using two 2 x 96W power compact fixtures for a total of abt 400 W. Each is 36" long, the tank is 72"...
If I recall, Algae Destroyer is for the "plastic plant" people... it contains a herbicide (simazine?) & will/may wipe out anything green (algae or otherwise).
Have you checked out the algae section at the krib (www.thekrib.com)?
mk
I've seen the same. I'm overun with double-red aggies right now 'cuz I separated the eggs from the growout tank. Silly me.
In a similar vein I've just had six spawns from 4-month old rams in the same 55g tank, which has abt 50 rams and 40 aggies! (the LFS will only let me trade in 25 rams...
Glen,
A while ago I tried a product called "Freshwater Tank Clarifier" from Coralife. It killed off all the algae in the tank including the beard algae and left the plants alone :) . The only problem is that it also killed off 12 zebrafish, a couple of red minor tetras, and severely...
I replaced the bottom glass on a 55... I cut off the entire plastic base with a razor blade, then removed the bottom & had a custom glass shop make a replacement. (Had them drill holes too; might as well... :) ) Then glued the whole thing back down again. It's now my grow-out tank.
mk
Okey-dokey...
The web site claims that the device increases the reactivity of water. This is not a well-defined term... you can change the "reactivity" of something by changing its activity (thermodynamics) or decreasing its barrier to reaction (activation energy). Neither is likely given...
Ecosystem "Eco Aqualizer" - B.S. (for "bad science")
Hello folks,
Just took a look at Ecosystem's web site listed above.
My "day job" is a chemistry professor researching and teaching about the physical chemistry of biological systems.
The "Eco Aqualizer" and the "science" behind it...
ORP...
First , ORP:
ORP stands for Oxidation - Reduction Potential.
(Warning warning warning I'm a chemistry professor so I tend to get a little overexcited about the chemistry in my fish tanks... :wink: )
It's easier to define what the ORP measurement is than what it measures...
Hello everyone,
I'm wondering if ORP is important in a freshwater tank, especially when it comes to algae.
I've got a 55g which has tons of hair algae (CO2, lights, RO water, etc.) I can knock the algae down a little bit with an application of about 50 mL of 3% hydrogen peroxide. It...
Cheap CO2 diffuser
I've got a "no-cost" diffuser...
I've got a Tetra Tec filter hanging on the back of my 55. I drilled a small hole (big enough for CO2 tubing) in the bottom of the water lift tube. I bubble the CO2 directly into the water lift. From there they go straight into the pump...
My own experience, and one I've seen echoed online, is that if Rams are going to succumb they'll do it quickly. Make sure you're getting good-quality stock. Ask your LFS if they're getting their Rams from local hobbyists (good) or from Asian fish farms (bad).
Your water conditions seem...
Hey everyone,
I've got a 55 with two pair of rams & some ottos. One pair of rams had a spawn free swimming 2 weeks ago; the others have a batch that have just hatched.
I cleared out a bunch of aggies to make up this ram paradise. The problem is that I've got at least two aggie fry...
Ram fry!
Instead of setting up my rams in a 20g, I've set up a 55 g tank with just 2 pair of rams and some ottos.
And look what I've got! :D
They're being great parents, herding the fry around & working together.
The other pair of rams make for great dither (they're hiding...
Acid "buffer"? A buffer is a mixture of a weak acid and base, designed to hold the pH within a certain narrow range.
I teach chemistry & use buffers all the time. If the pH was 3.1, SeaChem Acid "Buffer" isn't.
mak
"California" blackworms - Lumbriculus
I found an interesting site describing the biology of these "blackworms", or Lumbriculus, at http://www.zool.iastate.edu/~c_drewes/Lvgen4.htm . The author, Charlie Drewes, has collected a number of refs associated with its use in biology education. He...