I consider good flow to be vital for the maintenance of the tank. I initially had weaker pumps, but only when I switched to Koralia Hydor 4 did blue-green algae stop being a problem. I also get the best flow of macroalgae in the regions of highest flow, probably because the area is kept clear of more loosely attached nuisance algae. My two pumps are at opposite ends of the tank and run constantly, but presumably the results would be even better if they were pulsed to increase turbulent flow. I might even upgrade at least one of them to an even more powerful pump.
Maintenance is a constant chore with these pumps as the inlet slats quickly become clogged with fragments of red algae. I have high levels of primary production in my tank, and the removal of algae is one of the main mechanisms of phosphate and nitrogenous waste removal. I only do a partial (1/4) water change every six months (!), and the phosphate and nitrate levels nevertheless remain below the detection limit of the commercial tests. I used to change the water much more regularly, but I found that this only upset the stability of the system. My tank is not comparable to a tropical reef system because of the lush growth of algae, and frequent removal of algal biomass is very efficient in removing pollutants.
No comments:
Post a Comment