Testing the willow branch method!!

[malachi]

I read a sticky from Wyldfya that led me to a website on algae control. I am in the process of trying to balance the nutrients in my tank. I have a crazy quick case of green water that is taking over my tank.

If you read the post I made a few days ago on the problem all of the details of water parameters and so forth are there. It says something like green water please help on the title. And if you read it and you had input you didnt share.... thanks a lot.

So if you look in my gallery you will see pics of a green tank with willlow branches sticking out of it. 3 branches that have been cut from a weeping willow. I am on day three of branch placement and they are starting to root!!!!


The idea for me here, and please correct me if i am wrong, I am trying to use these branches to soak up the excess nutrients in the tank, and in doing jso this will starve the algae and create clear water.

I did a little research on the method and saw another case of it tested on another forum site somewhere. So I thought i would do it and share it with everyone here.

If it has been done on MFK before than just ignore this.

i will be posting pics via my gallery so just click on the left to see pics. If someone could tell me a way to post pics on here i would love to in the mean time i will try to figure out how to use photobucket and get them posted here that way. It should be two more days of rooting to see solid results.

in the mean time i have also lowered the lighting period and stopped fertalizing in order to help balance. Frequent water changes as well. However these are not working and i have been doing this for a week. In order to really test this though, i am not going to decrease the lighting period to less than 7 hours a day. i really want to see if I can use the branches to control nutrient levels and allow my new plants to grow and take over for the branches. if you think this sounds wierd, read my previous post asking for help and it will make sense to you. The plants are all relatively new.

 

[malachi]

here is a picture of the branches in the tank as of three days ago.

Today they just started to sprout their roots and the tank was just as green as this picture.

Same tank same plants before a bad filter cleaning.

Crystal clear water. Plants growing new shoots and new sprouts everywhere.

Then i cleaned the filter media with tap water, killing bacteria in the filter. Not knowing this i did a double dose of flourish.

now this.

Now as stated the program is to continue light, stop fertalizer, and try and use the branches to soak up nutrients and clear the water.

They are just starting to root now but when they do show prominent roots i will post a picture of the roots. This is day three and they are already starting.

If the tank clears, i will retest the amount of nutrients as best i can and dose accordingly, if even at all. and also by then the jungle valls and everything should be on their way to taking the place of the branches in using their fair share of nutrients in the water. As well as a good stable amount of bacteria in the filter system.

As of right now the jungle valls are starting to really fill in but they are not as tall as i would like yet, and the swords are also reproducing in the tank. So all in all this is just a theory of mine mixed with others i have found online and i hope to heck this works. it would be cool.

 

[I'mHooked]

Since you don't have fish in that aquarium (at least by looking at your picture) it would greatly benefit you to do a 30-50% water change to remove the excess flourish that you dosed.

 

[I'mHooked]

Scratch that - I do see some fish. Even so, a decent size water change isn't going to hurt.

 

[malachi]

scratch this whole method. im over it. no light and water changes it is. Im going back to listening to people on the other thread. those ideas are working. this takes a ridiculous amount of time.