Just A Thought

[Neo8223]

Hi all, i recently had a tiny ammonia/nitrite spike the other day and sorta related, i was wandering what others thought.

When you do blackouts to remove some types of algae, you are effectively disabling the facility of photosynthesys, which help plants grow. However, wouldnt this also cause a knock on effect to the plants so they take in less ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. (in the amonia cycle) Therefore would it be possible to cause a spike when doing blackouts? or would the filter bacteria just grow really fast to counter the increased ammonia/nitrite?

 

[Themuleous]

A decent filter should prevent any sort of spike. Also, blackouts only really work on BGA which isn't strictly an algae its a bacterium. Plants will survive 3 days without light quite happily and so will 'true' algae for that very same reason.

If you had a very nasty BGA infection, then I guess the sudden death of so many bacteria could cause an NH3 spike but I would think the tank would have to be covered in the stuff for this would happen.

Sam

EDIt - Worth thinking about though

 

[mibson]

I never use black outs. I agree that blackouts are really only effective in BGA (bacteria) but you dont need to do this. a very small does of antibiotics will take care of bga without seriously effecting your "good" bacteria that help convert ammonia and nitrate to nitrite.

Also, besides using the small does of antibiotics what i do is : hook up a second filter (I use a HOB with a biowheel) about 2 weeks before you plan to do the antibiotic treatment. I place mature ceramic bio cubes in the hob and the biowheel will develop a moderate level of ammonia and nitrate "converting" bacteria within that two weeks. Then I remove the HOB filer and put it on the back of a bucket that has tank tempature water (heater) and add ammonia drops in the appropriate level, and do the antibiotic treatment for 2-3 days with some reduced lighting. This takes care of the BGA. Then after the 2-3 days do a 40% water change and put the somewhat mature HOB back onto the tank that received the BGA antibiotic treatment and this somewhat mature filter will minimize all ammonia/nitrate issues.

Cheers