Anubias cleared up my water

[tcyiu]

I had a really tough bacteria bloom that I could not get rid of. Every other day water changes could sort of control the whitish water, but the bloom would be back within a day.

I tried a number of things, but at best, I could delay the bloom by a day.

My dad had some anubias that were sitting around doing nothing. By this time, I had sort of accepted the fact that I was going to have cloudy water. I added the anubias to my discus tank just as an experiment to see if my brown thumb also applied to aquatic plants.

Lo and behold, the water cleared up. Bam! Just like that.

It has now been about a month. If I don't change water for four or more days, the water gets a little dark from the driftwood (on which the anubias were attached). But, I have not had a single recurrence of bacteria bloom.

Just wanted to share how effective plants are for removing the nutrients for bacteria. I'm a believer.

For the longest time, the owner of the LFS had been trying to convince me to keeping aquatic plants saying that the discus really like having plants. I had always resisted because I seem to have a knack for killing terrestrial plants. As a new convert, I just had to share :D

The only thing is, this throws a wrench in my plans for my next tank. I thought I was done building the canopy. Since I didn't think I would ever have live plants, I had built in a few cheapie fixtures thinking that I wouldn't need high wattage lamps. OOps.

[pinkertd]

You don't need high wattage lamps to grow a nice planted tank. You can go low tech and have gorgeous growth with anubias, every variety of crypt, water sprite, wisteria, all hygros, java fern. I have a beautiful planted 55, 29H, and 72 with standard light fixtures, just changed out the bulbs to GE 9325K, no CO2. My willow leaf hygro and broad leaf hygros reach the top of the tank and I am constantly pinching them back. My anubia bloomed in my 55G, I have red crypts, green crypts, dwarf crypts, bronze crypts and they are all healthy and bushy. I planted the 55G new mid-January and it has totally filled in beautifully. I've trimmed the hygrophilia back 3 times because it reaches the tank top. With higher lighting and CO2 you'll be able to grow any variety of plants and they'll grow at an accelerated rate, but I enjoy low tech, low maintenance plants with high maintenance discus. It seems like the best of both worlds. And I also do not have algae problems.

[Apistomaster]

I think it is pure coincidence that your water cleared after placing the Anubias in the tank and that it was just going through an ecological succession stage. Anubias are best grown under low intensity lighting because they require little light and are slow growing by nature. If too much light is used in an Anubias tank there is a tendency for the more aged leaves to become covered with hard algae growth that mars their appearance. This is not a problem if you use low light intensity with them. In short, I think your tank is finally getting "broke in" and that you will see much new growth over time in your Anubias plants.

[tcyiu]

I think it is pure coincidence that your water cleared after placing the Anubias in the tank and that it was just going through an ecological succession stage.

Perhaps. But the tank was already matured and was crystal clear for a long time as the discus were growing. However, when they reached a certain size, the water problems started. I removed all driftwood and plastic plants, changed to different filter media (making sure I left mature seeded media behind), experimented with daily water changes versus weekly changes ... all to no effect. (I didn't change the biomass because I have no other place to put the fish).

I had been wrestling with this cloudy water problem for about 1/2 year. Water changes would dilute the cloudiness. The only thing that would completely clear the water was a Magnum + Micron Filter with DE. But the cloudy water comes back in a day or so.

Adding the anubias literally changed my life. I can go a week without water changes and the water is still crystal clear. I have not used the Magnum once since the plants have gone in.


Anubias are best grown under low intensity lighting because they require little light and are slow growing by nature. If too much light is used in an Anubias tank there is a tendency for the more aged leaves to become covered with hard algae growth that mars their appearance. This is not a problem if you use low light intensity with them. In short, I think your tank is finally getting "broke in" and that you will see much new growth over time in your Anubias plants.

You're right. When I took over these plants from my dad, all the leaves were black with thick algae growth. I dunked them in a weak bleach solution, and was able to rub off sheets of algae. I dechlorinated them and put them in the hospital tank to acclimate them to higher temps. After a week, I moved them to my main tank and that is when the "miracle" happened.

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it :D

Tim

[MSD]

One thing I learned in life and discus keeping, what works for one situation may not work for another, but if it works, use it.