Okay, I have been looking at all the beautiful pictures of your aquariums and I am quite envious.
1. How do you keep the green and black algae from growing on everything in the tank? I have artificial plants, a plastic ship, 2 lava rocks, plus gravel in the aquarium and they always get coated with algae. I am not talking about long stringy stuff, but just a dark "coating". I periodically soak the ornaments 1 by 1 over several days in a mild solution of bleach and water (with massive rinsing afterward and I DON'T clean the porous large lava rocks). Should I soak portions of my gravel? I worry about killing off too much bacteria.
2. Also, how do you get your water so clear. I do a gravel vac and approx. 60% weekly water change and yet my water is never "sparkling". I have a Penguin 200 Biowheel HOB filter. I use the standard filter cartridges with it. Should I be stuffing some other kind of media in there too?
Thanks for any advice!
1. How do you keep the green and black algae from growing on everything in the tank? I have artificial plants, a plastic ship, 2 lava rocks, plus gravel in the aquarium and they always get coated with algae. I am not talking about long stringy stuff, but just a dark "coating". I periodically soak the ornaments 1 by 1 over several days in a mild solution of bleach and water (with massive rinsing afterward and I DON'T clean the porous large lava rocks). Should I soak portions of my gravel? I worry about killing off too much bacteria.
2. Also, how do you get your water so clear. I do a gravel vac and approx. 60% weekly water change and yet my water is never "sparkling". I have a Penguin 200 Biowheel HOB filter. I use the standard filter cartridges with it. Should I be stuffing some other kind of media in there too?
Thanks for any advice!
