2008年12月28日 星期日
2008年11月26日 星期三
2008年11月20日 星期四
一碗清湯蕎麥麵
作家 : 栗良平
《一碗清湯蕎麥麵》
這故事要從距今約十五年前的十二月三十一日，也就是除夕，發生在札幌「北海亭」蕎麥麵店的一件事說起……
對麵店來說，客人最多的日子莫過於除夕了。
北海亭這一天也從一大早就忙得不可開交。平常過了午夜十二點多都還是車水馬龍的門前大路，隨著天色漸暗，路人歸心似箭的腳步也快了起來。十點一過，北海亭的客潮便嘎然而止。
看看時間差不多了，常客稱之為老闆娘的老闆太太便代替心地很好卻不苟言笑的老闆吩咐大家下班，並將紅包和蕎麥麵拿給打工的店員，慰勞大家忙碌一天的辛勞。
就在送最後的客人走出店門，夫妻倆商量著差不多該把門前的布簾招牌拿下來打烊的時候，大門卻嘎拉嘎拉無力的打開，走進一位帶著兩個孩子的婦人。約莫六歲和十歲大的男孩子，穿了全新且款式一致的運動衫，但婦人卻身著與季節不合的格子短外套。
「歡迎光臨！」
面對老闆娘的招呼，婦人吞吞吐吐的說：
「那個…清湯蕎麥麵…只叫一碗…可以嗎？」
在她身後，兩個孩子憂慮的仰望。
「啊？…喔當然當然！請！這邊請。」
將他們帶到最靠近暖氣的二號桌，老闆娘向著料理台裡喊：
「湯麵一碗！」
聽到外頭叫麵的聲音，老闆一邊瞄了一眼店裡的三個客人，一邊附和「湯麵一碗！」的下了一團麵，再加上半團。
麵團一個是一碗麵的份量。老闆在客人和妻子都不知情的情況下，特別優待的煮了一碗大碗湯麵。
圍著從料理台送出的一碗湯麵，他們三人湊著臉一起共享，談話聲依稀傳到料理台裡。
「好好吃喔！」哥哥說。
「媽媽您也吃嘛！」說著弟弟便抓了一條麵送到媽媽嘴邊。
吃完麵，付了一百五十塊麵錢，母子三人鞠躬說了聲謝謝的走出店門。老闆與老闆娘齊聲送客：
「謝謝光臨！新年快樂！」
迎接新年後的北海亭，在不變的繁忙中度過一年，很快的又到了十二月三十一日。
結束忙得比去年還人仰馬翻的一天，差不多過了十點，正打算打烊的時候，店門又徐徐的打開，帶著兩個男孩的婦人走了進來。
老闆娘看到婦人身上穿的格子短外套，便想起他們是去年除夕店裡最後的客人。
「那個…清湯蕎麥麵…只叫一碗…可以嗎？」
「當然當然，這邊請。」
老闆娘將三人帶到跟去年同樣的二號桌，並大喊：「湯麵一碗！」
「湯麵一碗！」
老闆附和，同時重新點燃剛熄掉的爐火。
「我說老公啊！我們乾脆就當特別招待，煮三碗麵給他們吧！」老闆娘悄悄的附在老闆耳邊說。
「不行！這樣反而害人家尷尬。」
老闆說著便下了一個半的麵團，老闆娘看在眼裡不禁微笑說：
「沒想到你這個人成天板著一張撲克臉，心地還真是好！」
老闆充耳不聞，只是沈默不語的把麵盛到碗裡。
桌上母子三人圍著一碗麵說話的聲音，不時傳到分別站在料理台裡外的老闆和老闆娘耳裡。
「…好好吃喔…」
「今年我們也吃到北海亭的麵了耶。」
「要是明年也能來吃不知道該有多好？」
吃完麵，三人付了一百五十塊走出店門，老闆和老闆娘用當天反覆說了不下數十次的話送走三人的背影。
「謝謝光臨！新年快樂！」
生意興隆中又過了一年的翌年除夕，北海亭的老闆和老闆娘雖然彼此心照不宣，卻從九點半過後便惶惶然的沈不住氣。
十點一過，老闆讓店員都下了班，並將掛在牆上的菜單一一翻面。這年夏天漲價改成兩百圓的清湯蕎麥麵，也在轉眼間又變回一百五十圓。
相對於此，老闆娘則早在三十分鐘前就在二號桌放了「預約席」的牌子。
十點半，彷彿等著店裡都不再有客人之後才進來似的，那母子三人來了。
哥哥穿著國中的制服，弟弟穿著去年哥哥穿過的稍嫌大一點的夾克，兩個孩子都長大很多，母親仍然穿著那件褪色的格子布舊大衣。
「請進! 請進!」老闆娘熱情的招呼著。
望著笑臉相迎的老闆娘，母親戰戰兢兢地說：「那個…清湯蕎麥麵…只叫二碗…可以嗎?」
「當然，請這邊坐。」
老闆娘招待他們坐到二號桌，趕快若無其事的將那「預約席」的牌子藏起來，然後向裡面喊著：「兩碗湯麵!」
「兩碗湯麵!」老闆一邊應著，一邊下了三個麵團。
母子三人一邊吃麵，一邊談話，看起來很高興的樣子。
站在廚檯後面的老闆夫婦也跟著感受他們的喜悅，內心也跟著喜悅起來。
「小淳和哥哥；媽媽今天要謝謝你們兩個人，謝謝!」
「為什麼?」
「是這樣的，你們過世的爸爸所造成八個人受傷的車禍，保險公司不能支付的部分，這幾年來每個月都必需繳五萬元。」
「這個我們知道呀!：哥哥說。
「本來應該繳到明年三月的，但是今天已全數繳完!」
「媽媽，真的嗎?」
「真的。因為哥哥認真的送報，小淳幫忙買菜做飯，使媽媽可以安心工作，公司發給我一份全勤的特別加給，因此今天就將剩下的部分就全繳清了。」
「媽! 哥哥! 真是太好了，不過以後請讓小淳繼續做飯。」
「我也要繼續送報。小淳，加油!」
「謝謝你們兄弟倆，真的謝謝!」
「小淳和我有一個秘密一直都沒有跟媽媽您說。那是十一月的一個禮拜天，小 淳的學校通知家長要去參觀教學課程，小淳的老師還特別附了一封信，說小淳的一篇作文被選為全北海道的代表參加全國的作文比賽。我們明白媽媽要是知道這件事 一定會休假出席，於是那一天我代表媽媽去參觀了。
那天，小淳當眾把文章唸出。爸爸發生車禍過世，留下一筆債務；媽媽從早到 晚拚命工作；連我每天早晚送報的事，弟弟全都寫出來了。還有，十二月三十一日晚上，我們三人共吃一碗湯麵，麵店的伯伯和伯母竟然還向我們道謝，並祝我們新 年快樂，那聲音好像在鼓勵我們要堅強勇敢的活下去。因此小淳決定長大後要開麵館，當日本第一的麵館老闆，對每一個客人說加油。」
一直站在廚臺裡聽他們對話的老闆夫婦突然失去蹤影，原來他們蹲下去，一條毛巾一人抓一頭，拚命擦著不斷湧出來的淚。
「作文讀完了，老師說：小淳的哥哥今天代表媽媽來了，請上來說幾句話。」
「因為太突然了，我也不知說什麼好。想了一會，我說：謝謝大家平時對小淳 的關愛。我弟弟每天必須買菜做飯，常常會在團體活動中急忙地回家，一定給大家添了麻煩。剛剛我弟弟讀一碗湯麵時，我曾感到很羞恥，但是看見弟弟挺胸大聲讀 完一碗湯麵的故事時，我明白到感到羞恥的那種心情才是真正的羞恥。」
「這些年來媽媽只叫一碗湯麵的那種勇氣，我們兄弟絕對不會忘記。我們兄弟一定會好好努力，好好的照顧母親，今後仍然拜託各位多多關照我弟弟。」
母子三個悄悄地握握手，拍拍肩，比往年都快樂地吃完麵，付了三百元，鞠躬道謝。老闆望著母子三人的背影，好像做個一年的總結束似地，大聲說：「謝謝光臨! 新年快樂!」
又過了一年。
北海亭麵館過了晚上九時，二號桌上又放了一塊「預約席」的牌子等待著，但是那母子三人並沒有出現。
第二年、第三年、二號桌仍然空著；三母子沒有再出現北海亭。
北海亭的生意愈來愈好，店內全部都改裝過，桌椅都換了新的，只有那張二號桌仍然保留著。
望著這張格格不入的舊桌，客人都覺得奇怪。
老闆娘就講述關於一碗湯麵的故事給大家聽；那張舊桌子對自己好像也是一種鼓勵，而且說不定那一天那三位客人還會再來，希望仍能用這張桌子來歡迎他們。
客人一個個傳開去，有客人為了看那張桌子，專程從老遠的地方跑來吃麵，大家都指定要坐那桌子。
又過了很多年的十二月三十一日。
北海亭附近的商店主人，到了除夕這天打烊以後，都會帶著家眷集合到北海亭來吃麵，一邊吃，一邊等著聽除夕的鐘聲，然後大家一起到神社去，這是這五六年來的習慣。
這一天過了九點半，先是魚店夫婦端著一大盤魚片，接著又有人斷斷續續地帶酒菜來，集合了三四十人。大家都知道二號桌的故事，大家都寧願擠迫一點，也沒用二號桌。當大家邊吃邊談，打成一片時；門突然被輕輕地拉開。所有人都停止談話，視線一起朝向門口望去。
兩個青年穿著筆挺的西裝，手上拿著大衣走進來。老闆娘正準備說「抱歉，已經客滿了」，有一個穿和服的女人走進來，站到兩個青年的中間。
店內所有的客人都屏住呼吸，聽那穿和服的婦人慢慢地說：「麻煩…清湯蕎麥麵…三碗…可以嗎?」
老闆娘的臉色馬上就變了。經過了十幾年的歲月，當時年輕母親和兩個小孩的形象，和眼前這三人，她瞬間努力想把畫面重疊在一起，廚檯後的老闆看傻了，說不出話來。
其中一個青年：「我們母子三人曾在十四年前的除夕夜叫了一碗 湯麵，受到那一碗湯麵的鼓勵，我們母子三人才能堅強的活下去。後來我們搬到滋賀縣的外婆家住。我今年已通過醫師的檢定考試，明年四月將在札幌的綜合醫院服 務。禮貌上先來拜訪這家醫院，順道拜祭父親，和曾經想當麵店老闆未成，現在在京都銀行就職的弟弟商量一個奢侈的計劃 – 今年除夕，母子三人要來北海亭吃三碗湯麵。」
一邊聽一邊微微點頭的老闆夫婦，眼眶裡溢滿淚。
坐在門口的客人說：「怎樣啦? 不是一直等待這一天的來臨嗎?? 那個除夕十點過後的預約席呢? 趕快招待他們啊!」
老闆娘終於恢復神志：「歡迎! 二號桌，三碗湯麵。」
老闆擦了一下眼淚：「是的，湯麵三碗。」
《一碗清湯蕎麥麵》
這故事要從距今約十五年前的十二月三十一日，也就是除夕，發生在札幌「北海亭」蕎麥麵店的一件事說起……
對麵店來說，客人最多的日子莫過於除夕了。
北海亭這一天也從一大早就忙得不可開交。平常過了午夜十二點多都還是車水馬龍的門前大路，隨著天色漸暗，路人歸心似箭的腳步也快了起來。十點一過，北海亭的客潮便嘎然而止。
看看時間差不多了，常客稱之為老闆娘的老闆太太便代替心地很好卻不苟言笑的老闆吩咐大家下班，並將紅包和蕎麥麵拿給打工的店員，慰勞大家忙碌一天的辛勞。
就在送最後的客人走出店門，夫妻倆商量著差不多該把門前的布簾招牌拿下來打烊的時候，大門卻嘎拉嘎拉無力的打開，走進一位帶著兩個孩子的婦人。約莫六歲和十歲大的男孩子，穿了全新且款式一致的運動衫，但婦人卻身著與季節不合的格子短外套。
「歡迎光臨！」
面對老闆娘的招呼，婦人吞吞吐吐的說：
「那個…清湯蕎麥麵…只叫一碗…可以嗎？」
在她身後，兩個孩子憂慮的仰望。
「啊？…喔當然當然！請！這邊請。」
將他們帶到最靠近暖氣的二號桌，老闆娘向著料理台裡喊：
「湯麵一碗！」
聽到外頭叫麵的聲音，老闆一邊瞄了一眼店裡的三個客人，一邊附和「湯麵一碗！」的下了一團麵，再加上半團。
麵團一個是一碗麵的份量。老闆在客人和妻子都不知情的情況下，特別優待的煮了一碗大碗湯麵。
圍著從料理台送出的一碗湯麵，他們三人湊著臉一起共享，談話聲依稀傳到料理台裡。
「好好吃喔！」哥哥說。
「媽媽您也吃嘛！」說著弟弟便抓了一條麵送到媽媽嘴邊。
吃完麵，付了一百五十塊麵錢，母子三人鞠躬說了聲謝謝的走出店門。老闆與老闆娘齊聲送客：
「謝謝光臨！新年快樂！」
迎接新年後的北海亭，在不變的繁忙中度過一年，很快的又到了十二月三十一日。
結束忙得比去年還人仰馬翻的一天，差不多過了十點，正打算打烊的時候，店門又徐徐的打開，帶著兩個男孩的婦人走了進來。
老闆娘看到婦人身上穿的格子短外套，便想起他們是去年除夕店裡最後的客人。
「那個…清湯蕎麥麵…只叫一碗…可以嗎？」
「當然當然，這邊請。」
老闆娘將三人帶到跟去年同樣的二號桌，並大喊：「湯麵一碗！」
「湯麵一碗！」
老闆附和，同時重新點燃剛熄掉的爐火。
「我說老公啊！我們乾脆就當特別招待，煮三碗麵給他們吧！」老闆娘悄悄的附在老闆耳邊說。
「不行！這樣反而害人家尷尬。」
老闆說著便下了一個半的麵團，老闆娘看在眼裡不禁微笑說：
「沒想到你這個人成天板著一張撲克臉，心地還真是好！」
老闆充耳不聞，只是沈默不語的把麵盛到碗裡。
桌上母子三人圍著一碗麵說話的聲音，不時傳到分別站在料理台裡外的老闆和老闆娘耳裡。
「…好好吃喔…」
「今年我們也吃到北海亭的麵了耶。」
「要是明年也能來吃不知道該有多好？」
吃完麵，三人付了一百五十塊走出店門，老闆和老闆娘用當天反覆說了不下數十次的話送走三人的背影。
「謝謝光臨！新年快樂！」
生意興隆中又過了一年的翌年除夕，北海亭的老闆和老闆娘雖然彼此心照不宣，卻從九點半過後便惶惶然的沈不住氣。
十點一過，老闆讓店員都下了班，並將掛在牆上的菜單一一翻面。這年夏天漲價改成兩百圓的清湯蕎麥麵，也在轉眼間又變回一百五十圓。
相對於此，老闆娘則早在三十分鐘前就在二號桌放了「預約席」的牌子。
十點半，彷彿等著店裡都不再有客人之後才進來似的，那母子三人來了。
哥哥穿著國中的制服，弟弟穿著去年哥哥穿過的稍嫌大一點的夾克，兩個孩子都長大很多，母親仍然穿著那件褪色的格子布舊大衣。
「請進! 請進!」老闆娘熱情的招呼著。
望著笑臉相迎的老闆娘，母親戰戰兢兢地說：「那個…清湯蕎麥麵…只叫二碗…可以嗎?」
「當然，請這邊坐。」
老闆娘招待他們坐到二號桌，趕快若無其事的將那「預約席」的牌子藏起來，然後向裡面喊著：「兩碗湯麵!」
「兩碗湯麵!」老闆一邊應著，一邊下了三個麵團。
母子三人一邊吃麵，一邊談話，看起來很高興的樣子。
站在廚檯後面的老闆夫婦也跟著感受他們的喜悅，內心也跟著喜悅起來。
「小淳和哥哥；媽媽今天要謝謝你們兩個人，謝謝!」
「為什麼?」
「是這樣的，你們過世的爸爸所造成八個人受傷的車禍，保險公司不能支付的部分，這幾年來每個月都必需繳五萬元。」
「這個我們知道呀!：哥哥說。
「本來應該繳到明年三月的，但是今天已全數繳完!」
「媽媽，真的嗎?」
「真的。因為哥哥認真的送報，小淳幫忙買菜做飯，使媽媽可以安心工作，公司發給我一份全勤的特別加給，因此今天就將剩下的部分就全繳清了。」
「媽! 哥哥! 真是太好了，不過以後請讓小淳繼續做飯。」
「我也要繼續送報。小淳，加油!」
「謝謝你們兄弟倆，真的謝謝!」
「小淳和我有一個秘密一直都沒有跟媽媽您說。那是十一月的一個禮拜天，小 淳的學校通知家長要去參觀教學課程，小淳的老師還特別附了一封信，說小淳的一篇作文被選為全北海道的代表參加全國的作文比賽。我們明白媽媽要是知道這件事 一定會休假出席，於是那一天我代表媽媽去參觀了。
那天，小淳當眾把文章唸出。爸爸發生車禍過世，留下一筆債務；媽媽從早到 晚拚命工作；連我每天早晚送報的事，弟弟全都寫出來了。還有，十二月三十一日晚上，我們三人共吃一碗湯麵，麵店的伯伯和伯母竟然還向我們道謝，並祝我們新 年快樂，那聲音好像在鼓勵我們要堅強勇敢的活下去。因此小淳決定長大後要開麵館，當日本第一的麵館老闆，對每一個客人說加油。」
一直站在廚臺裡聽他們對話的老闆夫婦突然失去蹤影，原來他們蹲下去，一條毛巾一人抓一頭，拚命擦著不斷湧出來的淚。
「作文讀完了，老師說：小淳的哥哥今天代表媽媽來了，請上來說幾句話。」
「因為太突然了，我也不知說什麼好。想了一會，我說：謝謝大家平時對小淳 的關愛。我弟弟每天必須買菜做飯，常常會在團體活動中急忙地回家，一定給大家添了麻煩。剛剛我弟弟讀一碗湯麵時，我曾感到很羞恥，但是看見弟弟挺胸大聲讀 完一碗湯麵的故事時，我明白到感到羞恥的那種心情才是真正的羞恥。」
「這些年來媽媽只叫一碗湯麵的那種勇氣，我們兄弟絕對不會忘記。我們兄弟一定會好好努力，好好的照顧母親，今後仍然拜託各位多多關照我弟弟。」
母子三個悄悄地握握手，拍拍肩，比往年都快樂地吃完麵，付了三百元，鞠躬道謝。老闆望著母子三人的背影，好像做個一年的總結束似地，大聲說：「謝謝光臨! 新年快樂!」
又過了一年。
北海亭麵館過了晚上九時，二號桌上又放了一塊「預約席」的牌子等待著，但是那母子三人並沒有出現。
第二年、第三年、二號桌仍然空著；三母子沒有再出現北海亭。
北海亭的生意愈來愈好，店內全部都改裝過，桌椅都換了新的，只有那張二號桌仍然保留著。
望著這張格格不入的舊桌，客人都覺得奇怪。
老闆娘就講述關於一碗湯麵的故事給大家聽；那張舊桌子對自己好像也是一種鼓勵，而且說不定那一天那三位客人還會再來，希望仍能用這張桌子來歡迎他們。
客人一個個傳開去，有客人為了看那張桌子，專程從老遠的地方跑來吃麵，大家都指定要坐那桌子。
又過了很多年的十二月三十一日。
北海亭附近的商店主人，到了除夕這天打烊以後，都會帶著家眷集合到北海亭來吃麵，一邊吃，一邊等著聽除夕的鐘聲，然後大家一起到神社去，這是這五六年來的習慣。
這一天過了九點半，先是魚店夫婦端著一大盤魚片，接著又有人斷斷續續地帶酒菜來，集合了三四十人。大家都知道二號桌的故事，大家都寧願擠迫一點，也沒用二號桌。當大家邊吃邊談，打成一片時；門突然被輕輕地拉開。所有人都停止談話，視線一起朝向門口望去。
兩個青年穿著筆挺的西裝，手上拿著大衣走進來。老闆娘正準備說「抱歉，已經客滿了」，有一個穿和服的女人走進來，站到兩個青年的中間。
店內所有的客人都屏住呼吸，聽那穿和服的婦人慢慢地說：「麻煩…清湯蕎麥麵…三碗…可以嗎?」
老闆娘的臉色馬上就變了。經過了十幾年的歲月，當時年輕母親和兩個小孩的形象，和眼前這三人，她瞬間努力想把畫面重疊在一起，廚檯後的老闆看傻了，說不出話來。
其中一個青年：「我們母子三人曾在十四年前的除夕夜叫了一碗 湯麵，受到那一碗湯麵的鼓勵，我們母子三人才能堅強的活下去。後來我們搬到滋賀縣的外婆家住。我今年已通過醫師的檢定考試，明年四月將在札幌的綜合醫院服 務。禮貌上先來拜訪這家醫院，順道拜祭父親，和曾經想當麵店老闆未成，現在在京都銀行就職的弟弟商量一個奢侈的計劃 – 今年除夕，母子三人要來北海亭吃三碗湯麵。」
一邊聽一邊微微點頭的老闆夫婦，眼眶裡溢滿淚。
坐在門口的客人說：「怎樣啦? 不是一直等待這一天的來臨嗎?? 那個除夕十點過後的預約席呢? 趕快招待他們啊!」
老闆娘終於恢復神志：「歡迎! 二號桌，三碗湯麵。」
老闆擦了一下眼淚：「是的，湯麵三碗。」
2008年10月28日 星期二
Algae Control (the article)
Non-planted aquarium
Excess organics and ammonia/ammonium levels will result an algae break-out. Over feeding and over stocking is the most common reason for water quality to go bad. Performing weekly water changes (25-50%), substrate vacuuming, creating a moderate surface agitation for gas exchange (good O2 levels), maintaining sufficient water flow/circulation and cleaning the filters regularly are the best solutions in preventing algae issues. The ammonia (NH3), ammonium (NH4) and nitrite (NO2) levels should be at 0ppm. Nitrate (NO3) levels should be kept below 30ppm. Phosphate (PO4) levels should be kept below 0,5ppm. Lights should be at no more then 10 hours per day. Note that algae favour strong lights so placing the aquarium away from the window is a good idea. Direct sunlight will likely cause an algae-breakout. Algae eating army will help a lot in combating certain types of algae.
Planted aquarium is a bit more complex, because there are not just fish to take care for, but plants also. It is true that plants will uptake the ammonia/nitrAte/phosphate and keep the water chemistry in high quality. But what happens when you suddenly experience the worst algae out-break in a planted tank?! You will ask "but how is that possible"!!!
What induces algae in planted aquariums?
Some people state that algae will flourish in aquariums which contain lots of nutrients like NO3 and PO4 and they try fighting the algae by reducing those nutrients just to discover soon after that reducing nutrients only leads to more algae issues.
In heavily planted aquariums the fish waste alone doesn't provide enough nutrients which plants require to grow healthy without algae issues and for that reason we rather dose nutrients. Plants (like us) require balanced diet to be able grow healthy.
Lets mention the real reasons behind (most of ) the algae issues;
1. Uncycled aquarium
Most people get algae in the first 2 month since the set-up. Newly established aquatic systems lack in beneficial bacteria which helps in balancing the system. Such bacteria is involved in organic decomposition, nitrification, denitrification, etc... To avoid such algae problems in the begining I advice using the Dry Start Method (by Tom Barr).
Since plants grow much better in nutrient rich substrates ideally soils should be used. (E.g. potting soils, commercially available aquarium soils)
Soils also support various beneficial bacteria (chemoautotrophic, heterotrophic) which are involved in the decomposition of organic compounds, nitrification/de-nitrification, reduction and oxidation of heavy metals and gasses into plant nutrients. This means that using plain sand or gravel would be a poor choice for establishing a proper environment for aquatic plants especially in Low-light Low-tech aquariums.
Potting soil (or commercial aquarium soil) is terrestrial (exposed to O2) and has to go through a very sudden change. Once saturated in water O2 levels decrease rapidly used up by the bacteria.
Bacteria use O2 during organic decomposition. At the start the soil once submerged will release lots of nutrients into the water column.
The soil has to settle down before flooding the tank. With this method we can avoid unnecessary algae blooms and water turbidity.
Keep the soil saturated for 1 to 2 month (I wait up to 4 month). Note! Do not flood the aquarium yet. Add more water if it evaporates because the soil must remain submerged at all times to convert (soil cycling) into a settled aquatic soil which the plants require. It is important to wait to ensure sufficient bacteria development involved in nitrification of Ammonium to Nitrates, avoiding NH4/NO2 spikes which are very toxic to fish and crustaceans.
After approximately 2 months it is really worthwhile waiting, the tank can be flooded. Once the aquarium is filled with water, flush it out!
We do this because the nutrients which diffuse out of the soil into the water column might cause unnecessary algae blooms.
If you are extra cautious you can repeat the flush-out a few times. There is no harm in doing this but the water must be dechlorinated before adding it to the tank.
NOTE; never add ice cold tap water back into the system. It should be tepid to start with. Set the heater to approximately 26’Celsius.
At this stage introduce all the plants you want to grow. It is best to plant heavily from the submerged start. Also it is good to plant lots of rooting plants. Plant roots will add Oxygen into the rhizosphere to protect themselves from heavy metal toxicity and also by doing this the O2 enables the oxidation of the very toxic Hydrogen Sulfide gas (H2S) converting it to harmless salt HSO4 and the oxidation of Methane gas to CO2 and water. The plant roots will prevent soil Redox from becoming too low.
2. Insufficient water circulation and surface agitation
It is of great importance to create sufficient water circulation and surface agitation in a planted Ecosystem.
Circulation will evenly distribute nutrients making them available for plants and bacteria. Aim for a circulation between 5-8 x of the tank volume per hour depending on plants grown and fish kept. Some prefer stronger currents while others weaker ones. Some aquatic gardeners use circulation of up to 10 x the tank volume per hour but they do reduce the water flow by using very long submerged spray bars which should be placed just below the surface.
Surface Agitation will insure sufficient gas exchange and will prevent the surface film from forming. Even though plants will provide lots of O2 through photosynthesis especially in CO2 injected systems it can’t hurt to add extra O2 via the surface agitation.
One should bear in mind that Oxygen is one of the most important electron acceptors involved in animal and bacterial metabolism.
At higher temperatures O2 levels decrease especially during the summer. When the temperature gets higher it is beneficial to create a strong surface agitation or add another power head for this purpose only. I have found that it is not the temperature that affects the fish/shrimp/plants during summer months but rather the low O2 levels. At higher temperatures the bacterial metabolism accelerates and uses up lots of O2 for nutrient recycling.
E.g. I live on the top floor and during the summer time the temperature of my tanks do go up to 31’Celsius. In the past I believed that this would harm fish, shrimps and plants. Now I know better. What I do under such extreme conditions is that I create a very strong (but no splashes) surface agitation in all my aquariums for good gas
exchange and I never experience any problems with fish/crustaceans or plants.
In planted aquariums keeping good Oxygen levels is as important as keeping good CO2 levels.
3. Unbalance between the light levels, CO2 and other nutrints (low CO2 and low nutrient levels)
For healthy growth plants require Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) and Sulphur (S) as the Macro Nutrients and Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zink (Zn), Copper (Cu), Boron (B), Nickel (Ni), Chlorine (Cl) and Molybdenum (Mo) as the Micro Nutrients.
In comparison to the Micro-nutrients plants require larger amounts of Macro-nutrients.
Macros and Micros can be added via commercially available products like Tropica’s AquaCare Plant Nutrition N&P+traces and Seachem’s Flourish macro and micro fertilisers as well as dry fertilisers like KNO3, KH2PO4, Epsom salts, etc…
It is all about finding the right balance between the lights, CO2 and nutrients.
I have to draw a line here! There is a difference between dosing nutrients to an aquarium with only a few plants and heavily planted aquarium.
Plant density and plant growing rate is something to consider before deciding on the nutrient dosing methods.
Everything starts with the light. One can decide between using Low lights, Medium or High lights over the aquarium.
The light strength affects the plant growing rate. The stronger the light the faster the plant will grow and the faster it will up take the nutrients.
Deciding which light levels to use depends entirely on the aquatic gardener’s life style and goals.
Planted aquariums are complex and dynamic ecosystems, which hugely depend on us (the aquarist).
Nature doesn't have much influence on them, and for that reason we are the ones pulling all the strings in leading them to an algae free/thriving planted ecosystem.
Plants need stable nutrient levels to thrive and grow lush. It is up to
the aquarist to understand the planted aquarium ecology and influence this system by finding the right nutrient balance.
Aquarium plants can be successfully grown in several ways and most of it depends on the light. This is simple mathematics;
The stronger the light, the faster the plant will grow, and the nutrient uptake will be greater.
Less light = slow growth = slow nutrient up-take.
Aquarium light levels:
Low lights are between 1 - 2 watts per gallon (0.3 - 0.5 watt/litre)
Medium lights are between 2 - 3 watts per gallon (0.5 - 0.8 w/l)
High lights have 3 watts per gallon or higher (0.8 w/l or higher)
How to calculate the light level:
Divide the total aquarium light wattage with the aquarium volume (gallons or litres) to get the light level per gallon/litre.
e.g. Lets say the aquarium is 48 gallons (180 litres) and has 2 x 30 watt fluorescent tubes.
2x30 watt = 60 watts in total over the aquarium
60 watts divided by 48 galls = 1.25 w/g, or
60 watts divided by 180 litres = 0.33 w/l
meaning this is a low-light set-up.
Common planted aquarium methods are:
Low-light Low-tech
Low-light (non-CO2 injected) planted aquariums, where soils are used as the plants' main nutrient source. This is a low maintenance method, which requires very few water changes.
Low-light High-tech
Low-Light planted aquariums where CO2 is used to stimulate the plant growth. This system will depend on extra fertilising and often water changes to stay in balance
High-light High-tech
High-light planted aquariums were CO2 is injected to stimulate the plant growth. Higher light levels provide plants with a huge amount of energy promoting luxurious lush plant growth. This is the common method used for creating stunning looking aquascapes; (Aquascaping Competitions)
Which method suits me best? you might ask
This depends on your goals and your life style.
1. Lets say you have a very busy life; long working hours, studying, kids, etc... and don't have much time left for often aquarium water changes.
In this case, it is best to choose the Low-light Low-tech planted method, which needs only 5-6 water changes per year. For Low-tech tanks I dose nutrients once a week e.g. Tropica Plant Nutrition+ (read
plus) which contains NPK and traces 5ml per 50 litres. Even though plants can get most of the nutrients via soils we have to bear in mind that soils will become exhausted after approximately 6-12 month. To prevent this from happening it is beneficial to dose macro and micro nutrients via dry or liquid fertilisers once a week.
2. You have a tight budget, but would like to create a nice looking aquascape. Choose the Low-light High-tech method, meaning less light, less nutrients, inexpensive DIY/Yeast CO2 solutions, etc...
For this method I dose Tropica Plant Nutrient N & P + traces 1-2 times a week followed by a weekly 50% water change.
3. Or, your goal is to create a stunning looking planted tank for an Aquascaping Competition. In this case High-light High-tech method would be the best option. But to succeed in creating such a system, one has to dose nutrients often and do large weekly water changes to prevent nutrient over-dose. The best nutrient dosing strategy is known as the EI (Estimative Index) which was invented and popularized by Tom Barr.
For my 160 litres High-tech heavily planted aquarium with up to 0, 8 watts per litre I dose as followed:
*CO2 approximately 4 bubbles per second monitored via Drop Checker (25-30ppm).
Tuesday – (after the 50% water change) 1/2 teaspoon of KNO3, 1/8 teaspoon of KH2PO4 and 1/2 teaspoon of GH-Booster.
Wednesday – 10ml of Tropica Plant Nutrition for traces
Thursday – 1/2 teaspoon of KNO3, 1/8 teaspoon of KH2PO4
Friday – 10ml of Tropica Plant Nutrition for traces
Saturday – 1/2 teaspoon of KNO3, 1/16 teaspoon of KH2PO4
Sunday – 10ml of Tropica Plant Nutrition for traces
Monday – I dose nothing
With Tuesday it starts from the beginning (50% water change and nutrient re-dosing as followed above).
NOTE: Just remember, unbalanced planted tanks will lead to algae bloom, so e.g. choosing the High-light method, but not performing often water changes/plant pruning/nutrient dosing will lead to algae heaven.
Carbonate Hardness (KH) should never be under 4KH. Carbonates and Bicarbonates have the acid binding capacity. Carbonate Hardness level which is under 3KH doesn’t have a very good buffering capacity and therefore pH might shift drastically. If necessary dose Bicarbonates (Baking soda) to increase the KH.
Most plants can grow under all 3 light conditions if CO2 is not the limiting factor. For example it is believed that Hemianthus calitrichoides Cuba (HC) needs high lights to be able to grow into a foreground carpet. This isn’t true! This plant will do just fine under lower light conditions as soon as the CO2 is not a limiting nutrient. In CO2 limited systems HC like many other plants will grow upwards trying to reach over the water surface where the atmospheric CO2 is available. Many believe that plants grow towards the surface to get closer to the light source which isn’t true.
The most common reason behind plants growing like this or simply melting away is due to the limiting CO2 factor.
Of course under low lights plants will grow slower but with good CO2 levels they will eventually grow into the desired aqua-scape.
4. Insufficient aquarium hygiene and plant maintenance
Once the aquarium is maturing organic matter starts accumulating creating mulm, filters get clogged with particles, and plant bio mass increases to the point where tank maintenance becomes necessary.
With each water change it is good to perform light substrate vacuuming just over the gravel. No need for deep vacuuming in planted aquariums with many rooted plants. Like this we keep the beneficial Oxidizing Microzone (top layer of substrates) from becoming anaerobic (clogged with mulm).
The Oxidizing Microzone helps to convert toxic NH4 to NO3 and it keeps nutrients trapped in the substrate (oxidation).
Filtration will remove floating particles and help in nutrient recycling. External filters seem to work best in planted aquariums. One of the reasons they are a better choice than inner filters is that they keep all the collected dirt outside of the tank. Once the filter is opened for cleaning, all the dirt stays in it. On the other hand when taking the inner filter out of the tank for maintenance half of the trapped dirt leaks straight back into the aquarium. This should be avoided and for that reason external canister filters and hang on back filters (HOB) should be used.
Clogged filters will reduce circulation. Clean them regularly. How often depends on the pump type (external, inner) and fish bio-load.
When cleaning the filters make sure not to rinse them under tap water which contains chloramine. Such tap water can damage the beneficial bacteria living in the filter. Always rinse in aquarium water from the water change.
Under balanced nutrient conditions plants will grow better especially the fast growing stem plants. One should never allow them to grow to the surface. When this happen gas exchange becomes limited and low Oxygen levels might occur causing various issues e.g. algae, surface film, NH4/NO2 accumulation, stressed fish, etc...
Also, overgrown plants will reduce water circulation creating dead zones. Prune the plants regularly. This will not only encourage new growth but will make your plants look much better. The more you prune them the bushier they become.
Foreground plants should be mowed regularly. They tend to grow on top of each other creating a tick carpet. If the carpet is allowed to grow too tick it will start to rot from the underside and the whole carpet might float up (e.g. HC).
Partial water change is very important and should be performed weekly in Hi-tech and “Excel Only” aquariums. Like this we reduce excess nutrients which might have built up via extra fertilisation.
Hi-tech systems require frequent nutrient dosing (3x a week) and for that reason it is beneficial to do weekly water changes (50%) to re-set the system.
Low-tech aquariums require less water changes to prevent CO2 fluctuations. These systems need steady CO2 levels in accordance to avoid algae issues. Tap water is rich in CO2 and with each WC we add a fair amount of CO2 which plants will consume in just a day or two leaving them with low CO2 levels for the rest of the week. Fluctuating CO2 levels will very likely cause algae issues (stressed plants). For Low-tech tanks it is enough to do a 50% water change every 2 month. For that reason we rather under-stock with fish to minimize the organic build up.
5. Not stocking with enough shredders like shrimps and snails can cause organic build-ups causing algae issues
Certain fish and crustaceans can also help a lot in maintaining hygiene in a planted aquarium.
One of my favourite is the Caridina multidentata shrimp (formerly C. japonica) which was popularized by Takashi Amano. This shrimp is a very effective Thread/Hair algae eater. Besides algae it will also help to recycle dead plant matter and fish waste, breaking it down to smaller organic particles which bacteria can consume.
This shrimp also feeds on bacteria and micro-organisms preventing them from over populating the system.
Malaysian Trumpet Snail is very effective in aerating the substrate’s top layer keeping the Oxidizing Microzone aerated. It spends most of it’s time digging through the substrate in search for bacteria, micro-organisms and dead organic matter.
Otocinclus catfish which grows to just about 5 cm is a very useful addition in planted aquariums. This tiny fish will clean plant leaves from Diatoms and bacteria film.
Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) is the most effective fish in eradicating the Black Beard Algae (BBA). It grows to approx 14 cm and for that reason is not suitable for smaller tanks (fish requirements)
Neritina sp. Zebra is another snail worth keeping. It is particularly effective at eating the Green Beard algae and Green Spot algae which tend to grow on rocks and wood. Remember not to stock too many because they will start laying white eggs all over the aquarium which can look unsightly to some people. These eggs can’t hatch in fresh water.
Now that we know how to prevent algae, lets ID the most common algae in fresh-water aquariums:
Excess organics and ammonia/ammonium levels will result an algae break-out. Over feeding and over stocking is the most common reason for water quality to go bad. Performing weekly water changes (25-50%), substrate vacuuming, creating a moderate surface agitation for gas exchange (good O2 levels), maintaining sufficient water flow/circulation and cleaning the filters regularly are the best solutions in preventing algae issues. The ammonia (NH3), ammonium (NH4) and nitrite (NO2) levels should be at 0ppm. Nitrate (NO3) levels should be kept below 30ppm. Phosphate (PO4) levels should be kept below 0,5ppm. Lights should be at no more then 10 hours per day. Note that algae favour strong lights so placing the aquarium away from the window is a good idea. Direct sunlight will likely cause an algae-breakout. Algae eating army will help a lot in combating certain types of algae.
Planted aquarium is a bit more complex, because there are not just fish to take care for, but plants also. It is true that plants will uptake the ammonia/nitrAte/phosphate and keep the water chemistry in high quality. But what happens when you suddenly experience the worst algae out-break in a planted tank?! You will ask "but how is that possible"!!!
What induces algae in planted aquariums?
Some people state that algae will flourish in aquariums which contain lots of nutrients like NO3 and PO4 and they try fighting the algae by reducing those nutrients just to discover soon after that reducing nutrients only leads to more algae issues.
In heavily planted aquariums the fish waste alone doesn't provide enough nutrients which plants require to grow healthy without algae issues and for that reason we rather dose nutrients. Plants (like us) require balanced diet to be able grow healthy.
Lets mention the real reasons behind (most of ) the algae issues;
1. Uncycled aquarium
Most people get algae in the first 2 month since the set-up. Newly established aquatic systems lack in beneficial bacteria which helps in balancing the system. Such bacteria is involved in organic decomposition, nitrification, denitrification, etc... To avoid such algae problems in the begining I advice using the Dry Start Method (by Tom Barr).
Since plants grow much better in nutrient rich substrates ideally soils should be used. (E.g. potting soils, commercially available aquarium soils)
Soils also support various beneficial bacteria (chemoautotrophic, heterotrophic) which are involved in the decomposition of organic compounds, nitrification/de-nitrification, reduction and oxidation of heavy metals and gasses into plant nutrients. This means that using plain sand or gravel would be a poor choice for establishing a proper environment for aquatic plants especially in Low-light Low-tech aquariums.
Potting soil (or commercial aquarium soil) is terrestrial (exposed to O2) and has to go through a very sudden change. Once saturated in water O2 levels decrease rapidly used up by the bacteria.
Bacteria use O2 during organic decomposition. At the start the soil once submerged will release lots of nutrients into the water column.
The soil has to settle down before flooding the tank. With this method we can avoid unnecessary algae blooms and water turbidity.
Keep the soil saturated for 1 to 2 month (I wait up to 4 month). Note! Do not flood the aquarium yet. Add more water if it evaporates because the soil must remain submerged at all times to convert (soil cycling) into a settled aquatic soil which the plants require. It is important to wait to ensure sufficient bacteria development involved in nitrification of Ammonium to Nitrates, avoiding NH4/NO2 spikes which are very toxic to fish and crustaceans.
After approximately 2 months it is really worthwhile waiting, the tank can be flooded. Once the aquarium is filled with water, flush it out!
We do this because the nutrients which diffuse out of the soil into the water column might cause unnecessary algae blooms.
If you are extra cautious you can repeat the flush-out a few times. There is no harm in doing this but the water must be dechlorinated before adding it to the tank.
NOTE; never add ice cold tap water back into the system. It should be tepid to start with. Set the heater to approximately 26’Celsius.
At this stage introduce all the plants you want to grow. It is best to plant heavily from the submerged start. Also it is good to plant lots of rooting plants. Plant roots will add Oxygen into the rhizosphere to protect themselves from heavy metal toxicity and also by doing this the O2 enables the oxidation of the very toxic Hydrogen Sulfide gas (H2S) converting it to harmless salt HSO4 and the oxidation of Methane gas to CO2 and water. The plant roots will prevent soil Redox from becoming too low.
2. Insufficient water circulation and surface agitation
It is of great importance to create sufficient water circulation and surface agitation in a planted Ecosystem.
Circulation will evenly distribute nutrients making them available for plants and bacteria. Aim for a circulation between 5-8 x of the tank volume per hour depending on plants grown and fish kept. Some prefer stronger currents while others weaker ones. Some aquatic gardeners use circulation of up to 10 x the tank volume per hour but they do reduce the water flow by using very long submerged spray bars which should be placed just below the surface.
Surface Agitation will insure sufficient gas exchange and will prevent the surface film from forming. Even though plants will provide lots of O2 through photosynthesis especially in CO2 injected systems it can’t hurt to add extra O2 via the surface agitation.
One should bear in mind that Oxygen is one of the most important electron acceptors involved in animal and bacterial metabolism.
At higher temperatures O2 levels decrease especially during the summer. When the temperature gets higher it is beneficial to create a strong surface agitation or add another power head for this purpose only. I have found that it is not the temperature that affects the fish/shrimp/plants during summer months but rather the low O2 levels. At higher temperatures the bacterial metabolism accelerates and uses up lots of O2 for nutrient recycling.
E.g. I live on the top floor and during the summer time the temperature of my tanks do go up to 31’Celsius. In the past I believed that this would harm fish, shrimps and plants. Now I know better. What I do under such extreme conditions is that I create a very strong (but no splashes) surface agitation in all my aquariums for good gas
exchange and I never experience any problems with fish/crustaceans or plants.
In planted aquariums keeping good Oxygen levels is as important as keeping good CO2 levels.
3. Unbalance between the light levels, CO2 and other nutrints (low CO2 and low nutrient levels)
For healthy growth plants require Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) and Sulphur (S) as the Macro Nutrients and Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zink (Zn), Copper (Cu), Boron (B), Nickel (Ni), Chlorine (Cl) and Molybdenum (Mo) as the Micro Nutrients.
In comparison to the Micro-nutrients plants require larger amounts of Macro-nutrients.
Macros and Micros can be added via commercially available products like Tropica’s AquaCare Plant Nutrition N&P+traces and Seachem’s Flourish macro and micro fertilisers as well as dry fertilisers like KNO3, KH2PO4, Epsom salts, etc…
It is all about finding the right balance between the lights, CO2 and nutrients.
I have to draw a line here! There is a difference between dosing nutrients to an aquarium with only a few plants and heavily planted aquarium.
Plant density and plant growing rate is something to consider before deciding on the nutrient dosing methods.
Everything starts with the light. One can decide between using Low lights, Medium or High lights over the aquarium.
The light strength affects the plant growing rate. The stronger the light the faster the plant will grow and the faster it will up take the nutrients.
Deciding which light levels to use depends entirely on the aquatic gardener’s life style and goals.
Planted aquariums are complex and dynamic ecosystems, which hugely depend on us (the aquarist).
Nature doesn't have much influence on them, and for that reason we are the ones pulling all the strings in leading them to an algae free/thriving planted ecosystem.
Plants need stable nutrient levels to thrive and grow lush. It is up to
the aquarist to understand the planted aquarium ecology and influence this system by finding the right nutrient balance.
Aquarium plants can be successfully grown in several ways and most of it depends on the light. This is simple mathematics;
The stronger the light, the faster the plant will grow, and the nutrient uptake will be greater.
Less light = slow growth = slow nutrient up-take.
Aquarium light levels:
Low lights are between 1 - 2 watts per gallon (0.3 - 0.5 watt/litre)
Medium lights are between 2 - 3 watts per gallon (0.5 - 0.8 w/l)
High lights have 3 watts per gallon or higher (0.8 w/l or higher)
How to calculate the light level:
Divide the total aquarium light wattage with the aquarium volume (gallons or litres) to get the light level per gallon/litre.
e.g. Lets say the aquarium is 48 gallons (180 litres) and has 2 x 30 watt fluorescent tubes.
2x30 watt = 60 watts in total over the aquarium
60 watts divided by 48 galls = 1.25 w/g, or
60 watts divided by 180 litres = 0.33 w/l
meaning this is a low-light set-up.
Common planted aquarium methods are:
Low-light Low-tech
Low-light (non-CO2 injected) planted aquariums, where soils are used as the plants' main nutrient source. This is a low maintenance method, which requires very few water changes.
Low-light High-tech
Low-Light planted aquariums where CO2 is used to stimulate the plant growth. This system will depend on extra fertilising and often water changes to stay in balance
High-light High-tech
High-light planted aquariums were CO2 is injected to stimulate the plant growth. Higher light levels provide plants with a huge amount of energy promoting luxurious lush plant growth. This is the common method used for creating stunning looking aquascapes; (Aquascaping Competitions)
Which method suits me best? you might ask
This depends on your goals and your life style.
1. Lets say you have a very busy life; long working hours, studying, kids, etc... and don't have much time left for often aquarium water changes.
In this case, it is best to choose the Low-light Low-tech planted method, which needs only 5-6 water changes per year. For Low-tech tanks I dose nutrients once a week e.g. Tropica Plant Nutrition+ (read
plus) which contains NPK and traces 5ml per 50 litres. Even though plants can get most of the nutrients via soils we have to bear in mind that soils will become exhausted after approximately 6-12 month. To prevent this from happening it is beneficial to dose macro and micro nutrients via dry or liquid fertilisers once a week.
2. You have a tight budget, but would like to create a nice looking aquascape. Choose the Low-light High-tech method, meaning less light, less nutrients, inexpensive DIY/Yeast CO2 solutions, etc...
For this method I dose Tropica Plant Nutrient N & P + traces 1-2 times a week followed by a weekly 50% water change.
3. Or, your goal is to create a stunning looking planted tank for an Aquascaping Competition. In this case High-light High-tech method would be the best option. But to succeed in creating such a system, one has to dose nutrients often and do large weekly water changes to prevent nutrient over-dose. The best nutrient dosing strategy is known as the EI (Estimative Index) which was invented and popularized by Tom Barr.
For my 160 litres High-tech heavily planted aquarium with up to 0, 8 watts per litre I dose as followed:
*CO2 approximately 4 bubbles per second monitored via Drop Checker (25-30ppm).
Tuesday – (after the 50% water change) 1/2 teaspoon of KNO3, 1/8 teaspoon of KH2PO4 and 1/2 teaspoon of GH-Booster.
Wednesday – 10ml of Tropica Plant Nutrition for traces
Thursday – 1/2 teaspoon of KNO3, 1/8 teaspoon of KH2PO4
Friday – 10ml of Tropica Plant Nutrition for traces
Saturday – 1/2 teaspoon of KNO3, 1/16 teaspoon of KH2PO4
Sunday – 10ml of Tropica Plant Nutrition for traces
Monday – I dose nothing
With Tuesday it starts from the beginning (50% water change and nutrient re-dosing as followed above).
NOTE: Just remember, unbalanced planted tanks will lead to algae bloom, so e.g. choosing the High-light method, but not performing often water changes/plant pruning/nutrient dosing will lead to algae heaven.
Carbonate Hardness (KH) should never be under 4KH. Carbonates and Bicarbonates have the acid binding capacity. Carbonate Hardness level which is under 3KH doesn’t have a very good buffering capacity and therefore pH might shift drastically. If necessary dose Bicarbonates (Baking soda) to increase the KH.
Most plants can grow under all 3 light conditions if CO2 is not the limiting factor. For example it is believed that Hemianthus calitrichoides Cuba (HC) needs high lights to be able to grow into a foreground carpet. This isn’t true! This plant will do just fine under lower light conditions as soon as the CO2 is not a limiting nutrient. In CO2 limited systems HC like many other plants will grow upwards trying to reach over the water surface where the atmospheric CO2 is available. Many believe that plants grow towards the surface to get closer to the light source which isn’t true.
The most common reason behind plants growing like this or simply melting away is due to the limiting CO2 factor.
Of course under low lights plants will grow slower but with good CO2 levels they will eventually grow into the desired aqua-scape.
4. Insufficient aquarium hygiene and plant maintenance
Once the aquarium is maturing organic matter starts accumulating creating mulm, filters get clogged with particles, and plant bio mass increases to the point where tank maintenance becomes necessary.
With each water change it is good to perform light substrate vacuuming just over the gravel. No need for deep vacuuming in planted aquariums with many rooted plants. Like this we keep the beneficial Oxidizing Microzone (top layer of substrates) from becoming anaerobic (clogged with mulm).
The Oxidizing Microzone helps to convert toxic NH4 to NO3 and it keeps nutrients trapped in the substrate (oxidation).
Filtration will remove floating particles and help in nutrient recycling. External filters seem to work best in planted aquariums. One of the reasons they are a better choice than inner filters is that they keep all the collected dirt outside of the tank. Once the filter is opened for cleaning, all the dirt stays in it. On the other hand when taking the inner filter out of the tank for maintenance half of the trapped dirt leaks straight back into the aquarium. This should be avoided and for that reason external canister filters and hang on back filters (HOB) should be used.
Clogged filters will reduce circulation. Clean them regularly. How often depends on the pump type (external, inner) and fish bio-load.
When cleaning the filters make sure not to rinse them under tap water which contains chloramine. Such tap water can damage the beneficial bacteria living in the filter. Always rinse in aquarium water from the water change.
Under balanced nutrient conditions plants will grow better especially the fast growing stem plants. One should never allow them to grow to the surface. When this happen gas exchange becomes limited and low Oxygen levels might occur causing various issues e.g. algae, surface film, NH4/NO2 accumulation, stressed fish, etc...
Also, overgrown plants will reduce water circulation creating dead zones. Prune the plants regularly. This will not only encourage new growth but will make your plants look much better. The more you prune them the bushier they become.
Foreground plants should be mowed regularly. They tend to grow on top of each other creating a tick carpet. If the carpet is allowed to grow too tick it will start to rot from the underside and the whole carpet might float up (e.g. HC).
Partial water change is very important and should be performed weekly in Hi-tech and “Excel Only” aquariums. Like this we reduce excess nutrients which might have built up via extra fertilisation.
Hi-tech systems require frequent nutrient dosing (3x a week) and for that reason it is beneficial to do weekly water changes (50%) to re-set the system.
Low-tech aquariums require less water changes to prevent CO2 fluctuations. These systems need steady CO2 levels in accordance to avoid algae issues. Tap water is rich in CO2 and with each WC we add a fair amount of CO2 which plants will consume in just a day or two leaving them with low CO2 levels for the rest of the week. Fluctuating CO2 levels will very likely cause algae issues (stressed plants). For Low-tech tanks it is enough to do a 50% water change every 2 month. For that reason we rather under-stock with fish to minimize the organic build up.
5. Not stocking with enough shredders like shrimps and snails can cause organic build-ups causing algae issues
Certain fish and crustaceans can also help a lot in maintaining hygiene in a planted aquarium.
One of my favourite is the Caridina multidentata shrimp (formerly C. japonica) which was popularized by Takashi Amano. This shrimp is a very effective Thread/Hair algae eater. Besides algae it will also help to recycle dead plant matter and fish waste, breaking it down to smaller organic particles which bacteria can consume.
This shrimp also feeds on bacteria and micro-organisms preventing them from over populating the system.
Malaysian Trumpet Snail is very effective in aerating the substrate’s top layer keeping the Oxidizing Microzone aerated. It spends most of it’s time digging through the substrate in search for bacteria, micro-organisms and dead organic matter.
Otocinclus catfish which grows to just about 5 cm is a very useful addition in planted aquariums. This tiny fish will clean plant leaves from Diatoms and bacteria film.
Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) is the most effective fish in eradicating the Black Beard Algae (BBA). It grows to approx 14 cm and for that reason is not suitable for smaller tanks (fish requirements)
Neritina sp. Zebra is another snail worth keeping. It is particularly effective at eating the Green Beard algae and Green Spot algae which tend to grow on rocks and wood. Remember not to stock too many because they will start laying white eggs all over the aquarium which can look unsightly to some people. These eggs can’t hatch in fresh water.
Now that we know how to prevent algae, lets ID the most common algae in fresh-water aquariums:
Introduction to algae issues
What induces freshwater algae in planted aquariums?
Algae will flourish in unbalanced aquarium systems. What causes these unbalanced conditions?
It is of great importance to feed our plants on regular bases a well balanced diet with NO3, PO4, CO2 and other macro and micro elements.
In the past many believed that NO3 and especially PO4 can induce algae. It has been proven numerous times that these nutrients (even if overdosed) can not create algae issues. Actually the more we dose the less algae we get.
Plant nutrients in general have nothing to do neither with algae issues nor with fish/shrimp issues (dead/sick fish/shrimps) in planted tanks which are regularly dosed with fertilisers!
The question is; “Why do I get algae even though I dose NO3, PO4, CO2 and other nutrients on regular bases”?
The worst mistake many do in such cases is they start reducing nutrients out of fear that these nutrients might be creating the algae issue. Such nutrient reducing method will induce algae even more!
Let’s name the real reasons behind algae issues in planted aquariums which are dosed with nutrients on regular bases:
1. Low Oxygen level
2. Insufficient water circulation
3. Organic build-up
4. Un-cycled aquarium
Low Oxygen (O2) level can be caused by overstocking, high water temperature (summer time), dirty filters, overfeeding, weak surface agitation.
Insufficient water circulation can cause poor nutrient transport. Even though we dose enough of CO2, NO3, PO4 + traces the water flow has to be strong enough to deliver all those nutrients to the plants. Improve over all circulation (stronger pumps, more pumps).
Organics tend to build-up over time with feeding, fish-waste, rotting plant leaves, etc… Decomposing bacteria needs ample supplies of Oxygen in accordance to decompose Organics into inorganic compounds like NH4, NO3, PO4, and CO2 which plants can use up.
Shredders like shrimps and snails can help a lot in organic recycling. Bacteria can’t decompose bigger organic peaces fast enough. Shrimps and snails will eat dead plants leaves, un-eaten food or food trapped in gravel preventing them from rotting slowly.
Keep good O2 levels by creating a moderate surface agitation, keep the filters clean, keep good circulation, remove un-eaten food, remove old plant leaves, perform regular water changes, stock the tank with shrimps and snails and perform light gravel vacuuming every so often.
Un-cycled aquariums don’t have enough of beneficial bacteria to help in recycling organics and therefore Organics and NH4 might tend to build-up inducing algae. Cycle the aquarium by using following methods:
1. Fishless Cycling
2. Silent Cycling
3. Jump Start
4. Dry Start (I will mention this one in the following article since this one is best suited for planted tanks with nutrient rich substrate/soil).
Please do not reduce nutrients like NO3 and PO4 in planted tanks to fight algae! By reducing them you will only induce algae even more! NO3 and PO4 can cause algae issues ONLY if they are MISSING!
Algae will flourish in unbalanced aquarium systems. What causes these unbalanced conditions?
It is of great importance to feed our plants on regular bases a well balanced diet with NO3, PO4, CO2 and other macro and micro elements.
In the past many believed that NO3 and especially PO4 can induce algae. It has been proven numerous times that these nutrients (even if overdosed) can not create algae issues. Actually the more we dose the less algae we get.
Plant nutrients in general have nothing to do neither with algae issues nor with fish/shrimp issues (dead/sick fish/shrimps) in planted tanks which are regularly dosed with fertilisers!
The question is; “Why do I get algae even though I dose NO3, PO4, CO2 and other nutrients on regular bases”?
The worst mistake many do in such cases is they start reducing nutrients out of fear that these nutrients might be creating the algae issue. Such nutrient reducing method will induce algae even more!
Let’s name the real reasons behind algae issues in planted aquariums which are dosed with nutrients on regular bases:
1. Low Oxygen level
2. Insufficient water circulation
3. Organic build-up
4. Un-cycled aquarium
Low Oxygen (O2) level can be caused by overstocking, high water temperature (summer time), dirty filters, overfeeding, weak surface agitation.
Insufficient water circulation can cause poor nutrient transport. Even though we dose enough of CO2, NO3, PO4 + traces the water flow has to be strong enough to deliver all those nutrients to the plants. Improve over all circulation (stronger pumps, more pumps).
Organics tend to build-up over time with feeding, fish-waste, rotting plant leaves, etc… Decomposing bacteria needs ample supplies of Oxygen in accordance to decompose Organics into inorganic compounds like NH4, NO3, PO4, and CO2 which plants can use up.
Shredders like shrimps and snails can help a lot in organic recycling. Bacteria can’t decompose bigger organic peaces fast enough. Shrimps and snails will eat dead plants leaves, un-eaten food or food trapped in gravel preventing them from rotting slowly.
Keep good O2 levels by creating a moderate surface agitation, keep the filters clean, keep good circulation, remove un-eaten food, remove old plant leaves, perform regular water changes, stock the tank with shrimps and snails and perform light gravel vacuuming every so often.
Un-cycled aquariums don’t have enough of beneficial bacteria to help in recycling organics and therefore Organics and NH4 might tend to build-up inducing algae. Cycle the aquarium by using following methods:
1. Fishless Cycling
2. Silent Cycling
3. Jump Start
4. Dry Start (I will mention this one in the following article since this one is best suited for planted tanks with nutrient rich substrate/soil).
Please do not reduce nutrients like NO3 and PO4 in planted tanks to fight algae! By reducing them you will only induce algae even more! NO3 and PO4 can cause algae issues ONLY if they are MISSING!
2008年10月3日 星期五
Planting Techniques for Foreground Plants
For a good amount of us in this hobby, attaining the picturesque aquascapes of the likes of Amano, Tom, and many others can be a desired and challenging endeavor. Often, it can be very frustrating to believe you're doing everything right but still not get the results you're looking for.
In the short amount of time I've been in the hobby of planted aquariums I've noticed that of all the skills to be good at, patience seems to be one of the top three. Of course, research and sharing of information plays a big part in a successful tank and in this respect I highly value the wealth of information on this forum and the people who put this together.
Onto the thread topic of planting techniques for foreground, carpeting plant like HC and HG among others. There is an excellent article on this forum about growing HC in particular, emmersed before filling the tank with water. Of course, this is wonderful if you're starting a new tank. However, there are many of us out there who have tanks that are already filled with plants and livestock who are looking for good techniques to introduce carpeting plants without the hassle of algae and uprooting.
I hope that people out there who have been successful in this area will share their experience and techniques for all to learn from. I'll share an experiment that I am currently doing and will update my progress to this thread. I'm attempting to use the emersed technique with a custom setup I'll elaborate on.
Here's my setup. I don't know if it will work or not but I'm optimistic. The plan is grow the HC in plastic cups emmersed using my current aquarium to provide the moisture and light. Once the HC is well rooted I'll transplant the whole thing to the tank. The netting is suppose to help me retain the gravel while I place it in the tank. I normally have a sheet of plastic covering the cups for humidity and moisture but I took them off to take the picture.
I'm trying this technique with Lilaeopsis 'Mauritius' also:
2008年9月24日 星期三
夏金城 - 馬小靈
馬小靈
你在何處馬小靈，望你脫險馬小靈。
我王小虎空有威名，也練得一身好本領，
強壯機密又夠醒，但也無法保護馬小靈，
被人綁架去，淚濕衣衫領，
做夢看見馬小靈，對我細語訴心聲，
佢話希望壞人有報應，
去污雲，見天睛，
殺壞人，救小靈，
共我一同訴心聲。(重唱一次)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4H0USfkwM0
你在何處馬小靈，望你脫險馬小靈。
我王小虎空有威名，也練得一身好本領，
強壯機密又夠醒，但也無法保護馬小靈，
被人綁架去，淚濕衣衫領，
做夢看見馬小靈，對我細語訴心聲，
佢話希望壞人有報應，
去污雲，見天睛，
殺壞人，救小靈，
共我一同訴心聲。(重唱一次)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4H0USfkwM0
2008年9月22日 星期一
2008年9月21日 星期日
四種ADA泥的特性比較
四種ADA泥的特性比較:
根據Tom Barr的分析, 水族缸中的藻類產生是因為NH4過高, 所以亞瑪遜泥 I 代較 II 代容易生藻. 所以朋友, 如果想小D藻, 就用 II 代泥會好D.
根據Tom Barr的分析, 水族缸中的藻類產生是因為NH4過高, 所以亞瑪遜泥 I 代較 II 代容易生藻. 所以朋友, 如果想小D藻, 就用 II 代泥會好D.
2008年9月18日 星期四
六支T8管流明比較
光管共有六支:
1. ADA NA /T8/15W/8000K/ra=9x/$80(Sept-08)
2. Arcadia /T8/15W/7500K/ra=9x/$85(Sept-08)
3. Dazs /T8/15W/6000K/ra=?/$20(Jan-08)
4. GELEC /T8/15W/6500K/ra=7x/$12(Sept-08)
5. Philips /T8/15W/3000K/ra=8x/$18(Jan-08)
6. Toshiba /T8/15W/6500K/ra=7x/$15(Sept-08)
=======================================
Technical Data :流明計: TENMARS TM-201
由燈架到流明計的距離: 13寸(33cm)
所有數值都是開燈後5分鐘記錄的
=======================================
流明強弱次序:Philips > ADA > Arcadia > Toshiba > GELEC > Dazs
============================================
1. ADA NA /T8/15W/8000K/ra=9x/$80(Sept-08)
2. Arcadia /T8/15W/7500K/ra=9x/$85(Sept-08)
3. Dazs /T8/15W/6000K/ra=?/$20(Jan-08)
4. GELEC /T8/15W/6500K/ra=7x/$12(Sept-08)
5. Philips /T8/15W/3000K/ra=8x/$18(Jan-08)
6. Toshiba /T8/15W/6500K/ra=7x/$15(Sept-08)
=======================================
Technical Data :流明計: TENMARS TM-201
由燈架到流明計的距離: 13寸(33cm)
所有數值都是開燈後5分鐘記錄的
=======================================
流明強弱次序:Philips > ADA > Arcadia > Toshiba > GELEC > Dazs
============================================
2008年9月8日 星期一
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