NOVEMBER 2015 Newsletter the Raleigh Aquarium Society (RAS) Meets on the First Thursday of Every Month at 7:30 Pm

Raleigh Aquarium Society (RAS) Volume 34, Issue 11 November 2015

NOVEMBER 2015 Newsletter The Raleigh Aquarium Society (RAS) meets on the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm. All meetings are held in the South Theater of the NCSU CVM campus library (North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine) located at 4700 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 (USA). Agendas begin with introductions, followed by a discussion of assorted business topics, then by a program of interest to the membership, and conclude with a ticket raffle and silent auction of fish, plants, and equipment/supplies. Complimentary light refreshments are provided and guests are always welcome. For more information, visit us at http://www.raleighaquariumsociety.org/ or email [email protected]. You can also find us on YAHOO (www.groups.yahoo.com/raleighaquariumsociety), MEETUP (www.meetup.com/raleighaquarium society), and FACEBOOK (www.facebook.com/raleighaquariumsociety). RAS is a member in good standing of FAAS (the Federation of American Aquarium Societies) with a mission to increase the knowledge, enjoyment, and conservation of home aquariums & ponds for aquarist hobbyist/professionals at all levels of experience.

NOTE: RAS club meetings are held in the South Theater of the NCSU Veterinary School Library, downstairs level. Park across the street and enter via the main library lobby no later than 8:00 pm.

Table of Contents: 2 November 2015 Program (Saturday, 11/14/15 @ 1:00pm) – “All About Aquarium Plants”: 2 RAS Club Officers and Committee Chairs: 3 From the Fishing Desk: 3 RAS 2015 Calendar of Events: 4 Fishy Business: 5 Proposal Status 5 Fish & Trips: 5 November Event – RAS Annual Fall Auction 5 Fish Action: 6 October 2015 Silent Auction (SA) Report 6 October 2015 Breeder’s Award Program (BAP) Report 6 Fish Market: 7 Fish Nets: 8 RAS 2015 Fall Auction Information 9 Aquatic Experience Convention in Chicago 12 Fish School: 14 Fish Tails: 20 Control of Red Algae in Freshwater Aquaria 20 The 10 Best Freshwater Aquarium Plants For Beginners 23 Plants: Substrates and Supplementation 27 SoMeThInG’s PhIsHy”: 29 Go Fish!: 30 RAS Sponsors: 31 RAS Membership Application: 32

November 2015 Program (Saturday, 11/14/15 @ 1:00pm) – “All About Aquarium Plants”:

In November, longtime RAS member and Workshop Chairman Chris Smith will speak to us on the selection, care, and propagation of some commonly used freshwater plants that you can keep in your aquarium or pond. Come learn more about the fascinating and beautiful varieties of plants you can easily keep. Aquatic plants are the fastest growing segment of the home aquatics hobby and this has been evidenced firsthand in RAS by the recent uptick in freshwater plants that are available at our monthly and semiannual auctions and raffles. RAS will also be looking to start a “Growers Awards Program” (GAP) group in the club during 2016 if we see continued interest. The GAP will work in a manner similar to the BAP, and, just like the BAP, there are many GAP chapters throughout the country. And don’t’ forget – this is a Saturday meeting. Hope to see you there!

Keep those raffle and silent auction items coming in! Visit our raffle chairperson and/or silent auction chairperson before each meeting to drop off your donations or sellable items. If you have nonraffle items for the silent auction, you’ll get a portion of the proceeds, as per our normal auction split policy. We’re always looking for great programs to educate our membership on any aquaticrelated topic. If you’d like to be a speaker at a future meeting, please contact our Program Chairman.

President: Frank Montillo [fmontillo @ aol.com] VicePresident and Vendor Coordinator: Maggie Poole [dalqueen123 @ yahoo.com] Secretary, Membership, and Newsletter Editor: Michael Maieli [michaelmaieli @ aol.com] Treasurer, BAP Chairman, and Mail Orders: Larry Jinks [bapman13 @ hotmail.com] Past President and Program Chairman: Todd Wenzel [wenzelt @ netzero.net]

Annual Workshop/Auction Chairman: Chris Smith [ctyank @ frontier.com] Monthly Raffle and Silent Auction Chairman: Richard Poole [dalking123 @ yahoo.com] Field Trip Coordinator: Jeremy Maciejewski [jjmaciej @ yahoo.com] Utility Chairpersons: J. Jenkins, H. Greensword, and J. Hamm Yahoo Groups/Forum Administrator: Gerald Pottern [gbpottern @ yahoo.com] Social Media Chairman: Robert Crawford [photorob @ gmail.com] Webmaster: Matt DeGroodt [degmat @ gmail.com]

From the Fishing Desk:

In November, RAS will have its first “miniworkshop” (a term coined by RAS Workshop Chairman Chris Smith). The regular monthly meeting will be on a Saturday (November 14) followed by our big semiannual auction on Sunday (November 15). More information on both these events can be found elsewhere in the newsletter, but we should mention that the Saturday meeting will be held at our usual location in the NCSU Veterinary School (albeit @ 1:00pm). We are experimenting with Saturday afternoon meetings to see if it has any noticeable impact on attendance from our younger members at the meetings. If not, we’ll stick to Thursday nights, but we have received feedback from some that the 10:00pm ending times of the regular meetings are a bit late for kids on a school night. Also, if you need assistance on bringing in your fish or plants to this or any auction, you can reference several past editions of our newsletter on the club’s website (i.e., 9/12, 2/13, 9/13, or 2/14) for more information on how to do this safely. RAS is serious about the care and wellbeing of our pets, so please familiarize yourself with the basic rules if you are unsure. Of course, you can always contact any member of the board or send questions to our email address for any questions you may have.

Membership dues are $20.00 per calendar year, starting each January. This is a perhousehold price. Prorated fees for joining at other times of the year are listed on our application form (the last page of every newsletter). Kindly remit your dues in person to the club treasurer or by mail to our P. O. Box.

Contributions to this newsletter are always welcome. This includes business/technical articles, items to buy/sell/trade/donate, activity updates, forum posts, trip reports, classes, job openings, etc. Submit news softcopy via email or hardcopy via our P.O.Box. When communication to us in any form, please include your full name, phone number, and email address. Monthly newsletters are published about a week prior to each regular club meeting and sent blindcopy to your email address on file. If you have updates to your contact information (including subscription removal), or any questions about our newsletter, forum, web page, MEETUP page (join us on MEETUP!), or FACEBOOK page (like us on FACEBOOK!), please contact the club secretary. FYI, last month’s find the hidden RAS logo was again contained in the “Fish Posts” section. A final note should be made about the locations we use for any of our meetings, events, or outings please keep in mind that we are guests of these facilities and must treat all property and equipment in a responsible manner. Direct any concerns to the club secretary. Thank you for your responsible actions. RAS wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Club Meetings Board Mtgs. W.S./Auctions Fish Food Field Other Trips January 8th 22nd 24th February 5th 19th 13th15th March 5th 19th 28th April 2nd 16h 30th May 7th 21st 16th 30th June 4th 18th 27th 27th July 2nd 16th 4th August 8th (Saturday @ 1pm) 13h 8th 9th 9th September 3rd 17th 23rd October 1st 15th 10th November 14th (Saturday @ 1pm) 19th 15th December 3rd 17th 3rd 26th

RAS 2015 Monthly Meeting Programs (future topics are subject to change) January = “ Aquariums In China ” February = “ The Amazing Mangrove Killifish ” March = “ All About Characins “ April = “ Nano Fish & Nano Aquariums In The U.S. Marketplace “ May = “ Fish Nutrition “ June = “ Breeding Koi in the Backyard “ July = “ The Flora and Fauna of Peru “ August = “ Aquatic Creatures “ September = “ Wild Bettas “ October = “ Roanoke Island Aquarium Renovation “ November = “ All About Aquarium Plants “ December = “ Holiday Party & BAP Awards ” (FM)

Proposal Status By Michael V. Maieli

The latest RAS board meeting was held at 7pm on 10/15/15 at the home of President Frank Montillo. Any club member can attend any board meeting at any time to provide any input on any item of business. Board meetings usually occur on the 3rd Thursday of each month (same time/location as club meetings), but check with the club secretary for exact details as these meetings change.

Proposals/actions discussed or general FYI items include:  RAS stream cleanup postmortem (contact = M. Maieli).  RAS business cards for aquatic businesses (contact = L. Jinks).

Proposals/actions passed include:  Treasurer’s report and analysis (contact = L. Jinks).  Purchase of PetCo 20 gallon long tanks for upcoming monthly raffles (contact = R. Poole).  Purchase of HP laptop computers for RAS auctions (contact = M. Maieli).  2015 RAS fall auction items [food, wireless microphone, laptop availability, volunteers, software fee, paperwork & forms, etc.] (contact = C. Smith).  2016 RAS workshop items [speaker reimbursement rules, food, volunteers, lanyards, insurance issues, software fee, etc.] (contact = C. Smith).

Proposals/actions denied include:  none.

Proposals/actions pending include:  RAS Website updates (contact = M. DeGroodt).  RAS online survey updates (contact = M. Poole).

Fish & Trips:

November Event – RAS Annual Fall Auction By Jeremy Maciejewski

In November, RAS will host its second auction of the year at the Martin Building on the property of the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC. Our auctions now attract hundreds of people each time we run them and some great aquatic deals can be found in almost every price range. More information on this event is contained in the FISH POSTS section of this newsletter. We hope to see you there!

We’re always looking for fun places to go (aquariums, pet shops, fish conferences), neat things to do (collecting trips, ark projects, community volunteering), or interesting people to meet (parties, socials, meetups). If you have any suggestions, contact Jeremy at (919)7404067 or [email protected].

October 2015 Silent Auction (SA) Report By Larry Jinks

The October monthly auction saw at least a dozen members bidding on 16 lots of fish and plants. The top fish bids went to bags of Cory catfish (Corydoras stenocephalus) and Lake Tanganyikan cave spawners (Julidochromis marlieri). The top plant bids went to bags of pygmy chain swordplants and water lettuce. We thank the membership for their generous donations to the monthly auction to build our treasury which allows us to bring in monthly speakers and provide quality events, such as our upcoming November giant auction (November 15, 2015) and our spring workshop with a native fish collecting trip, a “meet and greet” party, six great talks by renowned speakers and a catered banquet with a talk followed the next day by a giant auction (March 1820, 2016). Plan ahead to attend these great events!

Through the monthly auction quality livestock and plants are provided to the membership at reasonable prices which enables the membership to try working with new species of fish and plants that they won’t see at local shops. If you have any extra fish, plants or aquatic items, please consider a donation to the auction to help build our treasury. The auction form will be posted on the website to allow members to save time by downloading the forms and filling them out before the meeting. See Rick and Maggie Poole at monthly meetings to enter items in the auction and be sure to check the tables in the back of the meeting room for more aquatic treasures.

October 2015 Breeder’s Award Program (BAP) Report By Larry Jinks

The October monthly meeting yielded 2 BAP entries from 2 different members. Most notably was an initial entry of Lake Tanganyikan shell dwellers (Neolamprologus multifasciatus) by Chip Hildreth. Continuing the Lake Tanganyikan theme, the other entry was the cavespawning Julidochromis dickfeldi from BAP chairman Larry Jinks. With November as the last month for BAP entries for 2015, we anticipate a flurry of entries between the November monthly meeting and our big fall auction the following day. Any BAP entries after November will be counted for 2016. The Breeder Award Program revisions can be seen on our new website along with the restructured submission form. Webmaster Matt Degroodt has developed an electronic submission of the BAP form to eliminate the paperwork and make filing easier. See BAP chairman Larry Jinks to join the fun of the Breeder Award Program!

Through the monthly auction the Breeder Award Program provides quality livestock to the membership at reasonable prices and enables the membership to try working with new species of fish that they won’t see at local shops. Anyone who would like to join the BAP can contact chairman Larry Jinks at meetings or email him at [email protected]. The BAP standings are now posted on the website along with the rules and entry form. Members don’t have to have anyone come to their house, but can bring six fry at least 60 days old to a meeting with a completed BAP form (found on the website). There are four options to get credit for the entry: <1> Enter the fish in the silent auction (or weekend workshop auction), <2> Donate the fish to the monthly raffle, <3> Write an article on the spawning for the monthly newsletter .or <4> Do a presentation at a monthly meeting. November will be the last month for BAP entries for the 2015 standings. Any entries after November will be credited to the 2016 standings. Award plaques earned will be presented at the December holiday party.

Current RAS BAP standings are listed below:

Annual BAP Standings (as of 11/1/15) Cumulative BAP Standings (as of 11/1/15) 1. Larry Jinks = 270 1. Larry Jinks = 1625 2. Frank Montillo = 150 2. Frank Montillo = 800 3. Dan Koenig = 110 3. Todd Wenzel = 695 4. Elvin Eaton = 90 4. Elvin Eaton = 330 5. Matt DeGroodt = 70 5. Neil Frank = 300 6. Alan O’Briant = 20 6. Eric Hanneman = 250 7. Jon Haddad = 15 7. Gerald Pottern = 230 Chip Hildreth = 15 8. Dan Koenig = 195 9. Jesse Perry = 10 9. Dave Herlong = 120 10. Matt DeGroodt = 70 11. Ben Guardiola = 55 12. Phil Lamonds, Lauren Layton, Allan O’Briant = 30 15. Jon Haddad = 25 16. Chip Hildreth = 15 17. Justin Ho, Sam Jenkins, Jesse Perry = 10

 FOR SALE: RASlogo’ed apparel; various types of shirts, hats, jackets, towels, soft briefcases, etc. Contact Queensboro Apparel Company [http://raleighaquariumsociety.qbstores.com/]. {never expires}

 FREE: RAS logo’ed items bumper stickers & pens; black print on white background, show your support! Contact Michael Maieli or Frank Montillo [at the monthly meetings]. {never expires}

 FOR SALE: Blackworms; @ $15.00/pound or $8.00/half pound. Delivery mechanism varies (call or send email). Contact Gerald Pottern [(919)5568845 or [email protected]]. {never expires}

 WANTED: Back issues of assorted tropical fish, plant, pond, or aquarium hobbyist magazines and literature. Contact Todd Wenzel [(919)7917352 or [email protected]]. {never expires}

 WANTED: Unwanted aquarium fish; don’t flush, rehome! Contact NC Fish Rescue in Winston Salem. [http://www.facebook.com/pages/FishRescueOfNC/261786897257532]. {never expires}

 FOR TRADE: Black convicts; have several litters of various age groups, and would like to get some livebearers. Contact Michael Maieli [(919)8483053) or [email protected]]. {expires 11/30/15}

 FOR SALE: 40 gallon tanks; no cracks. $60.00 each or $100.00 for both. Contact Dave Johnson [(919)9286759 or [email protected]}. {expires 11/30/15}

 FOR SALE: Various aquarium setups; includes lights, pumps, hoods, etc. 7.5gal = $20, 10gal = $30, 15gal = $40. Contact Allen Roxy [(919)6097718 or [email protected]]. {expires 11/30/15}

 WANTED: 20 gallon long or 29 gallon tank; cover, lighting, heater, driftwood, and/or mopani wood also needed. Contact Meghan Bodie [(803)2208207 or [email protected]]. {expires 12/31/15}

 FOR SALE: 55 gallon tank; plus stand, filter, pump, gravel, and some ornaments. $150.00 negotiable. Contact Tom Mount [(919)5375381 or [email protected]]. {expires 12/31/15}

 FREE: Redtailed platies and babies; you can have as many as you want, but bring your own container. Contact Leslie Plata [(919)9242406 or [email protected]]. {expires 12/31/15}

 FOR SALE: Fish Room Items & Angelfish; tanks/filters & 300 angelfish (23 types) including breeding pairs. Contact Ken Martin [(919)6697306 or [email protected]]. {expires 1/31/16}

 FOR SALE: Saltwater tank; 125 gallon, includes stand, pump, filter, light, skimmer, hood, live rock, and fish. $700.00. Contact Bob Cuda [(336)7576207 or [email protected]]. {expires 1/3116}

 FOR SALE: 2 Aquariums; includes 2 of everything (hoods, lights, filters, pumps, ornaments, stand, etc.). $135.00. Contact Cape Valley Hospital [(910)4831853 or [email protected]]. {expires 1/31/16}

 US Directory (for all national clubs and societies) = http://www.ifocas.org/usstates/unitedstates.htm or http://www.fishchannel.com/fishcommunity/fishclubsandsocieties.aspx  Aquarium Enthusiasts of the Triad (located in Winston Salem, NC) = webpage in progress {only FACEBOOK page available}  Atlanta Area Aquarium Association (located in Atlanta, GA) = www.atlantaaquarium.com  Brooklyn Aquarium Society (located in Brooklyn, NY) = www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org  Capital Cichlid Association (located in Silver Spring, MD) = www.capitalcichlids.org  Carolina Fishtalk forum (located in Durham, NC) = www.carolinafishtalk.com/forum  Charlotte Area Aquarists Society (located in Charlotte, NC) = www.aquacharlotte.org  Columbia Marine Aquarium Club (located in Columbia, SC) = www.columbiamac.org  Duke University Marine Laboratory (located in Beaufort, NC) = www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab  East Tennessee Reef Club (located in Knoxville, TN) = www.easttnreefclub.com  Gold Coast Aquarium Society (located in Fort Lauderdale, FL) = www.gcaquarium.org  Greater Washington Area Aquatic Plant Association (located in Washington, DC) = www.gwapa.org  Iowa Aquaria Association (located in Waterloo, IA) = http://www.iowaaquaria.com  James River Aquarium Society (located in Richmond, VA) = www.jamesriveraquariumsociety.org  Jersey Shore Aquarium Society (located in Freehold, NJ) = www.jerseyshoreas.org  Marine Aquarium Society of the Carolinas (located in Raleigh, NC) = www.reefkeeping.com  North Carolina Aquarium Society (located in Roanoke Island, Pine Knoll Shores, & Fort Fisher, NC) = www.ncaquariums.com  North Carolina Koi & Watergarden Society (located in Raleigh, NC) = www.nckws.net  NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine (located in Raleigh, NC; (919) 513 6218) = www.cvm.ncsu.edu  North Jersey Aquarium Society (located in Lynhurst, NJ) = www.njas.net  Potomac Valley Aquarium Society (located in Fairfax, VA) = www.pvas.com  South Carolina Aquarium Society (Greenville, SC) = www.scaquariasociety.com  South Jersey Guppy Group (located in Griggstown, NJ) = www.guppysa2z.com  UNC Wilmington Marine Biology Laboratory (located in Wilmington, NC) = www.uncw.edu/career/marinebiology  Western North Carolina Aquarium Society (located in Hickory, NC) = webpage in progress {only FACEBOOK page available}

RAS 2015 Fall Auction Information Posted by Chris Smith, RAS Workshop Chairman

The Raleigh Aquarium Society will sponsor its next semiannual auction on the third Sunday of November (11/15/15) at the James Martin Building on the NC State Fairgrounds (same location as last time). Onsite registration begins at 9:00am and the auction formally starts at 11:00am. Anyone may buy or sell items related to the aquarist hobby, including fish, invertebrates, plants, equipment, supplies, literature, etc., and participants (buyers or sellers) do not have to be RAS members to attend. Registration is free for current club members of any aquarium club (proof required), but non members must pay a $5.00 registration fee at the door to gain entrance. Buyers and sellers can register online in advance (highly recommended) to save time at http://www.mygroupauctions.com. If not, or if you have additional lastminute items to register, PLEASE COME EARLY to register onsite.

Rules for Buyers (i.e., Bidders):

1. Any person wishing to bid must register and receive a bidder number prior to bidding.

2. A valid driver’s license or state issued ID card is required to register to bid.

3. RAS can only accept cash or checks at this time as payment for auction items.

4. All purchases must be paid for in full before any item leaves the room where auction is held.

5. Auction items may be inspected prior to the auction and during designated breaks.

6. In all cases, decisions made by the Auctioneer and Auction Chairman is final on any dispute.

Rules for Sellers:

1. Any person wishing to sell items must complete all registration documents and agree to the terms of the auction. Use MyGroupAuctions.com to preregister your items and print labels if you can to minimize the morning traffic jam at the registration table (information on this is given below).

2. Live items must be properly bagged and of suitable size to maintain water quality throughout the duration of the auction (several hours). Proper fish bags must be used. Ziploc bags may be used for dry items or plants, but not for fish (fish in Ziploc bags will be removed from the auction). Very large fish must be in a bucket, not a bag. Fish must be bagged with ample air and water (about 1/3 water, 2/3 air). Do not overcrowd your fish. Multiple bags may be joined together as one item if necessary. For dry goods, we encourage bulking small items into 1 larger sale due to space restrictions.

3. RAS may rebag items as necessary and will charge sellers a $1.00 rebagging fee which will be taken off the price received for the item.

4. The Auction Chairman or Auctioneer has the right to remove any item from the auction that is incorrectly bagged, appears sick or diseased, or otherwise deemed unsellable.

5. Priority stickers can be purchased for $1.00 each on a firstcomefirstserve basis. There will be a limited number of these sold. Priority stickers will be available at the Registration Table. You can put priority stickers on any of your items or on items you want to buy if you need to leave early.

6. Tanks and dry goods items will be put into a separate silent auction in a separate area of the room. If any Buyer or Seller wishes them to be sold as part of the main auction, they may purchase a priority sticker and move the item into the main auction. Silent Auction items are to be priced with a minimum $1.00 bid and go up in $1.00 increments. Priority stickers are placed on the item, not sheet.

7. Once an item is registered it may not be withdrawn, except by the Auction Chairman. The Silent Auction Chairman has the right to request that small single dollar items be consolidated into a single lot. The Silent Auction ends at around 2:00pm3:00pm, with item pickup within the hour.

8. Sellers have the right to put a minimum bid on any of their items. This must be clearly labeled, or the item may be sold under a minimum price. Minimum bids must be at least $5.00.

9. Sellers may remove the minimum bid or item with approval from the Auction Chairman.

10. Any item not claimed at the end of the auction becomes the property of RAS.

11. The first dollar of EVERY SALE will go to RAS. After the first dollar, the Seller will receive 70% of the balance (for RAS members), or 60% of the balance (for non RAS members). For example, if you sell an item for $11, a RAS member would get $7.00 and a nonmember would get $6.00.

12. No payments are made on the day of the auction. Checks are normally mailed out in a timely fashion by the RAS treasurer after each auction. Ensure that your registration information (name, address, telephone number, email address) is correct. Although every effort is made to ensure prompt payment, RAS is not responsible for mail delays or incorrect/illegible seller information.

13. RAS claims no responsibility for any item entered in the auction or any personal injury that might result during the auction or on the auction site.

14. In all cases, decisions made by the Auctioneer and Auction Chairman is final on any dispute.

15. In 2015, a new rule for sellers and buyers will be incorporated Modelled after the “BUYIT NOW” facility on eBAY, RAS will allow sellers of silent suction items (i.e., those nonanimal/nonplant items sold outside the main hall) to place a “BUYITNOW” dollar amount on their item(s) for a quick, nonauctioned sale, available for immediate purchase on a firstcomefirstserved basis. The silent auction form will be modified to include this format change and no change to the normal percentage split policy shown above is occurring. If desired for purchase, the buyer takes the item(s) to the auction cashier to complete the transaction. Again, this applies to silent auction items only.

MY GROUP AUCTIONS – Registration Instructions:

Visit http://www.mygroupauctions.com/ 1. Create a user account (your email and choose a password). 2. Click "Prepare" > "Club Affiliations" > "Add Affiliation" > Raleigh Aquarium Society. 3. Click "Prepare" > "Add Auction Items" or "Preview Auction Items". 4. Select an upcoming auction (Raleigh September 22). 5. Enter your items or preview other sellers' items. You can add pictures if needed. 6. After the auction, view lists and prices of everything you bought and sold.

The James Martin Building is located on the north side of the NC State Fairgrounds (1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607) near the corner of Blue Ridge Road and Trinity Road.

Aquatic Experience Convention in Chicago Posted by Elizabeth Neukirch, The Silverman Group (3129329950)

[COLOR KEY TO REFERENCES: BOOKS CATALOGS CORPORATIONS MAGAZINES NEWSPAPERS WEB SITES] 1. About Fish Online website = http://www.aboutfishonline.com/ 2. Age Of Aquariums website = http://www.aquahobby.com/age_of_aquariums.php 3. Aqueon Corporation = http://www.aqueonproducts.com/products/aquariums/ 4. Aquaarticles website = http://aquarticles.com/articles/index.html 5. Aquatic Community website = http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/ 6. Bailey Brothers Aquarium Fish website = http://www.aquariumfish.net/ 7. Daily Tarheel newspaper = http://www.dailytarheel.com/ 8. Dennis Bangerter’s “Know Your Stuff: Cichlids” = http://freepdfbooks.tripod.com/downloads/cichlids.pdf 9. Doctors Foster & Smith Aquarium Supply catalog = http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fishsupplies/pr/c/3578 10. Durham Herald Sun newspaper = http://www.heraldsun.com/news/localnews 11. Fish website = http://www.fish.com/ 12. Fish Channel’s website = http://www.fishchannel.com/ 13. Fishlore’s website = http://www.fishlore.com/ 14. Hagen Corporation = http://usa.hagen.com/ 15. New Aquarium Information website = http://www.newaquariuminformation.com/index.html 16. Pet Solutions Sales catalog = http://www.petsolutions.com/ 17. Raleigh News & Observer newspaper = http://www.newsobserver.com/news/ 18. Tetra Corporation = http://www.tetrafish.com/Splash.aspx 19. Tim’s Tropical Fish & Aquariums website = http://www.tropicalfishandaquariums.com/ 20. Tropical Fish Data’s website = http://www.tropicalfishdata.com/ 21. Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine = http://www.tfhmagazine.com/ 22. Tropical Tank’s website = http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/fishindx.htm 23. Wardley’s Corporation (a Hartz Company) = http://wardley.com/ 24. Wildlife In North Carolina magazine = http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/MultimediaCenter/WildlifeinNorthCarolina.aspx 25. William Berg’s “Tropical Fish Beginner’s guide” = http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/Tropical_FishA_Beginners_Guide.pdf

Ocean Food Chain

Average Temperature of Groundwater in the United States

The 17 River Basins in North Carolina

Control of Red Algae in Freshwater Aquaria By Neil Frank, RAS founding member

Introduction Among all the algae that can invade and gain a foothold in freshwater aquaria, red algae from the division Rhytophyta, can be the most frustrating to the hobbyist. This furry, threadlike flora attaches to various aquarium surfaces including the edges of plant leaves, filter tubes and even gravel. It may have many colors (purple, graygreen, black) and resembles beard hair or fur. In the aquarium literature, this nuisance is often called beard or brush algae. Baensch Aquarium Atlas’ illustrate and talk about three forms. The long thread variety is called beard algae (once misprinted as bear algae), the shorter thread type is called brush algae; and a third type is described as having very short threads and forms dark roundish spots. While most algae from this family are actually found in marine or brackish water environments, there are a few species that inhabit freshwater (including the genera Audouinella). In nature, these epiphytic freshwater red algae are found in fast moving streams which provide a constant, but perhaps low concentration supply of nutrients including CO2. They also have the ability to attach tenaciously to all objects which makes them well suited to the moving water habitat. Unfortunately, they cannot be easily scraped or pulled from objects, thereby adding to the difficulty of their removal from the aquarium. In fact, when attempting to remove from plant leaves, the aquarist or even fishes may tear the leaf in the process. On the positive side, some hobbyists find these algae an interesting and welcome addition to their tanks. It may offer a special charm to driftwood or rocks, especially with the undulating movement created by the downwash of a filter outlet or powerhead. The red algae are often the topic of discussion in aquarium literature. In a recent article published in A & P, Liisa Sarakontu and I talk about the Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus siamensis), perhaps the only fish known to effectively eat and essentially eliminate these algae from the freshwater aquarium. In addition to this very valuable fish, there are many other effective cures for the red algae plague.

How do Red Algae get into and flourish in the Aquarium The most likely reason for red algae is introduction of contaminated plants or a bag of fish from a store tank with red algae. This can come in as some small filaments floating in the water, as water born spores or perhaps in the digestive tract of fishes. Once deposited into a suitable aquarium environment, they may become established. It is unlikely that a substrate additive, including garden soil or plain backyard ‘dirt’ is a source of contamination. I have used soil in some of my planted tanks for many years and never saw red algae in these tanks, even before I found the Siamese Algae Eater. I am also not aware of this problem with many other aquatic gardeners who believe that the iron, manganese and other nutrients derivable from soil can be very helpful for a plant tank, provided that all other conditions are correct and the plant density is sufficient. Perhaps this route of entry is plausible if the soil is taken from a river bank or if aquatic sediment is used. Nevertheless, deposited red algae will benefit from the extra nutrients which can also originate from soils. If a complete set of nutrients are available in the water column from whatever source, algae will thrive.

Approaches for Eliminating Red Algae Eliminate it before it enters the aquarium. First, the aquarist can attempt to avoid introducing red algae into an uncontaminated aquarium. This is most important if red algae are seen in the local area, say, in the local aquarium shops. Contamination from transferred plants is likely, even if the algae aren’t clearly visible. In these situations, a suggested approach is to ‘disinfect’ the plants to kill the red algae. It may also be helpful to avoid using any water from an aquarium shop (e.g. acclimate new fishes in a bucket) and quarantine new fish for a few days until they clear their digestive system. Removing infected leaves is another good idea. In any event, removing some older leaves is often the suggested protocol to reduce the shock of transplanting. With cases where slow growing plants like Anubias have been exposed, however, all leaves may be covered and it becomes impractical to remove the affected parts. Although what I am about to suggest sounds a bit drastic or potentially harmful, it is actually quite safe and very effective. It also avoids the necessity to remove any leaves. The suggested procedure involves a 2 to 3 minute disinfection

© 2015 RAS (All Rights Reserved) www.raleighaquariumsociety.org Page 20 of 32 Raleigh Aquarium Society (RAS) Volume 34, Issue 11 November 2015 bath in diluted household bleach (1 part bleach to 19 parts water). You can use the name brand products or the generic. Just get the ordinary bleach and do not get the variety with the added lemon scent. Place the plant in the solution (including one that is totally covered with algae) and gently circulate the bleach solution to ensure good coverage. The fine leaf plants are the most sensitive and should only get 2 minutes, while the broad leaf varieties including Java fern, sword plants and Anubias can take the full 3 minutes. Next, give them an immediate rinse in clean water. I usually have a bucket with clean water ready and I simply transfer the plant to the new container and leave it there for a few seconds. The previously tough algae is now dead, visible pieces can be more easily removed by rubbing the leaves between your fingers and the plants are now ready to go into their new home. Some plants will later lose their leaves, but when placed into a suitable environment (good light, nutrients, etc), the plants will quickly recover and soon take off. As a bonus, the bleach treatment (but perhaps with more than 3 minutes immersion) will also eliminate the green hair algae (Pithophora, Cladophora, Oedogonium, etc). Plants like swords, crypts and Anubias can take 4 minutes of the bleach treatment without too much damage. The tough textured hair algae can be very resistant and really need 4 minutes. Fortunately, stem plants that can't take 4 minutes are able to outgrow hair algae, which usually attach to old parts and don’t seem to spread to the young parts very quickly. As many of us know, these algae can be just as big a nuisance down the road. Bleach can also be used to remove algae from other aquarium objects including rocks, filter parts and even gravel. Of course this would be done outside the tank. Rinse everything very well and be sure to remove all traces of bleach. Your nose will be a good judge. Extra rinsing and even air drying is suggested for porous or large surface area items like clay pots.

Provide trace elements to the plants and deprive the algae If one or more plant nutrients are substantially reduced or completely eliminated from the water, then the algae will fail. This can be accomplished by managing iron which is one of the most important trace nutrients. Iron can be provided to the aquarium in several ways through feeding and subsequent mineralization of detritus; with soil or laterite in the substrate, some from new water introduced with water changes, and with the addition of plant fertilizers. Sufficient iron is desirable, but too much is bad. While iron is needed for good growth of all plants, including algae, excess amounts will merely be extra food for algae and help it to thrive. Iron is often a limiting plant nutrient and it can be an indicator of the concentration of other needed trace nutrients. Most iron in the aquarium (e.g. from decomposing organic matter, mineralized detritus or from added tap water) will be bound to oxygen or organic matter and will be less accessible to algae. Digested iron will be excreted as feces and deposit in the substrate. The same is true for any iron oxidizes, as contained in soils or laterite. Limit the amount of added soluble iron bearing aquarium plant fertilizer. Rooted plants can derive iron from the substrate in addition to getting it from the water. However, algae (and floating plants) can only get it from the water. So, one strategy is to reduce the amount of added iron. Many fertilizers contain a chelated form of iron which is designed to keep the iron in solution. The recommended dose is often designed to produce a concentration of approximately 0.10 ppm and may be based on daily or weekly additions. Unfortunately, label suggestions are based on some typical condition which may not be ideal for your situation. Depending on the nutrient uptake based on density of plants, their general health, growth rates as well as the existing reservoir of iron in the aquarium, the target concentration may be too high. Therefore, some trial and error may be needed to determine the correct dosage for your situation. I also note that the iron concentration is also an indicator of the amount of a variety of other trace element nutrients used by both higher plants and algae.

Add iron directly to the substrate A final way to reduce iron in the substrate is to not intentionally add any iron bearing fertilizers to the water. However, iron must still be made available to the plants. The latter reason is why good plant growth can occur in an established tank but not in some newly established ones. Fish excretions will supply most other nutrients, so many aquarists can have virtually algae free plant tanks with good lighting and regular feeding of the fish. In all of these cases, the insoluble iron from the soil or from mineralized detritus can be chemically modified (reduced) in the oxygen free, anaerobic areas of the substrate and become accessible to the plants through their roots. Small amounts of iron and other trace elements in the water will still be soaked up by the plants, thereby helping to starve the algae. With this strategy, supplemental additions of iron may become necessary when the plants are well established and the roots totally fill the substrate. Then it becomes difficult for the plants to get their iron from this source. Hopefully, by this time all the algae problems are under control.

Manage the rate of nutrient uptake This is another way to control excess iron and other water soluble nutrients. This is where lighting and plant density come in generally the more light, the faster the plant growth

© 2015 RAS (All Rights Reserved) www.raleighaquariumsociety.org Page 21 of 32 Raleigh Aquarium Society (RAS) Volume 34, Issue 11 November 2015 and with more plants, the faster the nutrient concentrations are depleted. Sufficient light is need for good plant growth and generally speaking, growth will increase with more intense light. Because actively growing plants will soak up nutrients from the water column, this helps to starve algae. Although it is also a good idea to avoid introducing excess nutrients, a heavily planted tank will make it difficult for any extra to remain around for long. Regular water changes are also important to avoid nutrient buildups. In heavily planted tanks with few fishes or ones that are fed lightly, it may be possible to develop a nitrogen deficiency. This will cause plant growth to slow down and allow some algae to start to get the upper hand. Perhaps this situation can also benefit red algae. When this occurs, nitrogen supplements may be needed to reestablish the nutrient balance and permit plants to out compete algae.

Use lots of healthy plants to help get things off to a good start It is important to plant heavily to permit plants to outcompete algae, especially in a new setup. It is even more important to use healthy plants. Sometimes, plants are weakened during transit from the grower to the aquarist, so newly purchased plants may take a while to become acclimated. They will not be growing quickly and soaking up nutrients if they are not in good condition, so it’s best to know the source of your plants and get them from the actual grower rather than through a transhipper. I also like to obtain them when they first arrive at the aquarium shop before they have a chance to pick up any new algae or have their roots damaged from an additional planting

Maintain a densely planted aquarium Among all the strategies mentioned above, a common solution is a tank of healthy, actively growing plants. Many aquarists report disappearance of certain algae, including red algae in heavily planted tanks with healthy, actively growing plants. So, nutrient management may be the means to the desirable end, but may not be the actual mechanism for the outcome. The types and density of plants may in fact be the reason for eliminating, discouraging or resisting red algae (and other algae). Some plants, both slow and fast growing appear to be more prone to red algae attacks than others. I recall one moderately planted tank with the red algae covering slow growing Anubias and the new leaves of faster growing Echinodorus bleheri, but not on the relatively slower Cryptocoryne affinis. Plants are known to introduce chemicals which can inhibit the growth of other plant species or certain algae. These defensive compounds, called allelochemicals, build up over time and may also be responsible for failure of some higher plants in an otherwise healthy plant tank. Therefore, with a heavily planted tank and patience, you may see red algae disappear on its own.

Consider CO2 Another nutrient which may be related to the sustenance of red algae is inorganic carbon. This exists in the aquarium as dissolved CO2, bicarbonate or carbonates. The equilibrium of these carbon species depend on pH. Free CO2 becomes available at pH less than 8.0 and predominates when pH is less than 6.5. In my experience, I have only seen red algae in low alkalinity, low pH conditions. Tanks with calcareous substrates will push the carbonate equilibrium from CO2 to HCO3 and red algae seem to diminish. Accordingly, I used to see beard and brush algae in my moderately planted South American cichlid tanks, but never in the Tanganyikan tanks with their crushed coral substrate. It seems that red algae may be among those algae and water plants that can only utilize free CO2. On the other hand, several sources suggest that adding CO2 will help eliminate red algae. Although this first appears to be a contradiction to my hypothesis, I believe this method is effective because CO2 injection helps to increase the rate of plant growth. As mentioned earlier, with a large density of plants and bright light, the plants will suck up dissolved nutrients (or release allelochemicals) and cause algae to subside. The same effect can be accomplished by CO2 obtained from aquatic organisms or decomposition of organic matter. Hydrogen peroxide and enzymes are also said to control algae. I believe this is due to a similar effect; increased bacterial growth, which provides the potential benefit of increasing CO2 concentrations. I should note that at the time I had red algae in the South American cichlid tank, I was adding any CO2 and did not have an organic substrate.

Utilize algae eaters The next major strategy for algae control involves algae eaters. First and foremost is the Siamese algae Eater (Crossocheilus siamensis), perhaps the only known fish to eat red algae. As mentioned earlier this cyprinidae and its lookalikes was the subject of the lead article in the May issue of FAMA and was also featured in the April issue of Aquarium Fish Magazine. As with all algae eating fishes, it is best to introduce them into an aquarium before red algae becomes established, preferably, when the tank is first set up. Feeding should be minimized during this stage so that the SAE and other algae eaters will be trained to seek out algae as their source of nourishment. In an established tank, a small school of these fish will also help out and can quickly eliminate mature red algae from your tank. A second animal in the arena of hair algae

© 2015 RAS (All Rights Reserved) www.raleighaquariumsociety.org Page 22 of 32 Raleigh Aquarium Society (RAS) Volume 34, Issue 11 November 2015 control are shrimps. The Yumatonumaebi, the Japanese marsh shrimp (Caridina japonica) is used almost exclusively in Japan and Taiwan for algae control. These creatures which are native to Asian waters are mentioned in Amano’s great book Nature Aquarium World and are a more colorful alternative to our native glass or grass shrimp. Amano says the Yumato numa ebi is the best algae eater. Caridina and similar Neocaridina species are not yet available in the U.S. Our fresh water shrimps are called glass or grass shrimps (Palaeomonetes sp.). They are also native to Europe. Glass shrimps can be found in aquarium shops and fishermen bait stores. I have used both the Yumatonumaebi and glass shrimps and can personally report success with hair algae. To be effective, the shrimps must be used in large numbers, not allowed to eat preferred fish food and obviously can’t be used in tanks with certain hungry fishes. When needed to control algae in such tanks, add lots of shrimps at night. They will work on the algae while the fish sleep and then the fish can have a snack in the morning. If used in a tank where the only source of food is plants and algae, they may start on the plants when detritus and other food supplies disappear.

Use Chemical controls Copper will kill red algae; however, I only suggest this measure as a treatment of last resort. Although I first discussed algaecides in 1986, these chemicals have been used to control algae for a long time. Unlike other algaecides sold for aquarium use (e.g. simazine), copper will kill red algae. Unfortunately, it will also harm some aquarium plants (e.g. Myriophyllum and Vallisneria), so it should be used with caution. However, the treatment will not harm many desirable aquatic plants including Echinodorus (sword plants.), Cryptocoryne (crypts), Anubias, Microsorum (Java Fern) and many others. The major advantage to the copper treatment is that the tank does not have to be dismantled and disinfected; the plants, rocks, and gravel can be all left in place. In addition, some plants (e.g. crypts) can actually seem to benefit from a slug of copper while many other sensitive algae succumb to the treatment. The only thing that should be removed is the fish. To effect the treatment, copper concentration should be maintained at 0.5 ppm for 710 days. The copper can be added as copper sulfate solution or as other copper compounds. There are several aquarium products which can be used including the medicines designed to kill Oodinium, a parasitic algae. A copper test kit is needed to be sure the needed concentration levels are up and more copper is needed after the first day because plants and other organics will absorb or bind with it. To reduce dissolved organics, it can also help to first prefilter the water with carbon or do large water change prior to adding copper in order to improve the effectiveness of the treatment. In general, the fishes should be removed and only returned after the copper concentration is again below detection limits. This is especially important for cyprinids and live bearers which are particularly sensitive to copper. The same is true for snails and other invertebrates. Some fishes, including cichlids, are relatively tolerant to copper and may be allowed to remain in the aquarium if difficult to net out.

Summary I have presented several methods for preventing or eliminating red algae. The principle methods are: pretreatment of plants with bleach, reduction of water column nutrients, lots of healthy actively growing plants, algae eating animals and copper algaecide. Although this provides the rest of the (current) story, it may not be my final word! (This article was originally published on the web in 1996 and shortly afterwards appearing in Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine and Aquarist and Pondkeeper. Commentary on these content and new ideas on the subject can be found at http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/rhodophytes).

The 10 Best Freshwater Aquarium Plants For Beginners By Chad Smith; staff writer at www.theaquariumguide.com If you’ve never looked at a planted tank before, you’d probably be surprised at just how vibrant and lively the aquarium seems to be. That’s because the freshwater aquarium plants provide natural filtration for the water, help keep fish healthy, and can even help you breed your fish. Aquarium plants are used by fish for any number of things, including safety, comfort, food, and reproduction, so they’re vital to any healthy aquarium environment. You’ll find great resources in a few places online, but here’s a list of the top 10 freshwater aquarium plants that are nearly impossible to kill, and grow quickly in most every kind of water. It can be tempting to set up everything in your aquarium on the same day, but in most cases it’s not a good idea. You’re aquarium needs to go through what’s called a cycling process, where the water quality and parameters and vary widely. During this time, There are very few fish that can survive. This is why most experienced fish keepers will tell you to wait for a period of time before you put live fish in. However, plants don’t require this. You’re free to add plants as soon you get the water in the aquarium. Just be sure you have the correct plant tools to avoid harming them while you’re planting. There are three categories of plants for most aquariums:

© 2015 RAS (All Rights Reserved) www.raleighaquariumsociety.org Page 23 of 32 Raleigh Aquarium Society (RAS) Volume 34, Issue 11 November 2015 foreground, midground, and background. Each type requires various types of light, and there are certain setups that make your plants grow much more effectively. Java Moss

Java Moss is one of the most common plants in a tank. It’s lowmaintenance, difficult to kill, and grows quickly. If you attach it to a rock, it’ll crawl over the surface of your tank. it has been known to float, so it’s best advised to attach it to something to prevent any floataway. Appearance: Low, carpetlike growth pattern. Appears ‘fuzzy’. Water Preferences: Tolerates anything between 7290 degrees Farenheight. Growth is fastest around 73. Lighting Preferences: Grows well in any lighting, but growth is fastest in mediumhigh lighting conditions. Uses: Decoration, substrate covering/stabilization, carpeting, protection, and breeding of certain types of fish.

Dwarf Baby Tears

These are my most favorite carpeting plant. It’s tough, hardworking, and a healthy carpet of DBT looks beautiful in many of the common aquascaping styles. As a bonus, if they’re producing oxygen, Dwarf Baby Tears have beautiful little bubbles that form on their leaves. Appearance: Low, carpetlike growth pattern. Healthy carpets of DBT are thick and vibrant. Water Preferences: Tolerates anything between 7285 degrees Farenheight. Growth is fastest around 7375. Lighting Preferences: Grows best in bright lighting conditions, thought amount of light affects growth patterns. Brighter light means more compact growth. Uses: Decoration, substrate covering and stabilization, carpeting, and protection.

Dwarf Hairgrass

The aquascaping possibilities are endless with this type of plant. It looks beautiful next to Stone, as well as contrasting perfectly with dark sand or soil. It’s incredibly easy to grow. So much so that you’ll probably find yourself trimming this quite a bit! Appearance: Small to medium size strands of what would appear to be grass. Carpets in most environments. Water Preferences: Tolerates most environments. Grows best in water that’s 7278 degrees Farenheight. Lighting Preferences: Grows best in bright lighting conditions Uses: Decoration, accenting various hardscape features such as stone and wood, carpeting, and protection.

Marsilea Minuta

The aqua escaping possibilities are endless with this type of plant. It looks beautiful next to Stone, as well as contrasting perfectly with dark sand or soil. It’s incredibly easy to grow. So much so that you’ll probably find yourself trimming this quite a bit! Appearance: Easily identified by the ‘clover’ appearance of its leaves. Carpets easily in most environments. Water Preferences: Tolerates most environments. Grows best in water that’s 7378 degrees Farenheight. Lighting Preferences: Grows in most lighting conditions. Does best in medium lighting. Uses: Decoration, accenting various hardscape features such as stone and wood, carpeting, and protection.

Amazon Sword

The Amazon Sword is the staple of most aquascapes. It’s easy to maintain, fastgrowing, and can be quite beautiful when arranged in the appropriate area. Note that these can grow quite big (up to 20 inches), so they’re most often planted in the midbackground area. Appearance: Large swordlike leaves Water Preferences: Grows best in water that’s 7282 degrees Farenheight. Lighting Preferences: Growth is optimal in medium lighting. Uses: Background decoration, hiding plumbing and hardware, and protection.

Java Fern

Java Fern is very a very low maintenance plant, and has a unique look that appeals to most aquascapers. Its biggest benefit is its ability to be planted in nearly any area of the aquarium without distracting from the hardscape. It also looks quite good! Appearance: Semistriped, thick leaves. Appears in bunches. Water Preferences: Grows best in water that’s 7278 degrees Farenheight. Lighting Preferences: Growth is optimal in lowmedium lighting. Uses: Decoration and protection.

Anubias Nana

Anubias Nana is one of the more appealing midground plants you’ll find in aquascaping. It tolerates nearly any water quality or environment. With curved stems and large semiround leaves, it’s a great match for the stone aquascaping present in most aquariums. Appearance: Curved stems with mediumsized, semiround leaves. Water Preferences: Grows best in water that’s 7278 degrees Farenheight. Lighting Preferences: Growth is optimal in medium lighting. Uses: Decoration and protection. Looks beautiful in any aquarium placement.

Pygmy Chain Sword

This plant isn’t often seen in aquascaping. Mostly because it’s very similar to what we see everyday of our lives—grass. It’s useful for placement around hardscapes, and is beautiful when properly trimmed. However, it’s nearly impossible to accidentally kill it! Appearance: Strikingly similar to most lawn grass. Water Preferences: Grows best in water that’s 7278 degrees Farenheight. Lighting Preferences: Growth is optimal in mediumbright lighting. Uses: Decoration and protection. Good for placement around hardscapes.

Pogostemon helferi

Besides having an interesting name, this is one of the most unique foreground plants available to aquascapers today. It has a striking zigzag shape in its leaves, and grows in a ‘blooming’ pattern that’s visually appealing in front of hardscapes. Appearance: Beautiful ‘blooming’ growth pattern. Zigzag shaped leaves. Water Preferences: Grows best in water that’s 7278 degrees Farenheight. Lighting Preferences: Growth is optimal in medium lighting. Uses: Decoration and protection. Good for placement around hardscapes.

Dwarf Sagittaria

Dwarf Saggitaria is an easilymaintained plant that maxes out at around 46 inches, making it perfect for midground aquascapes. Placing Dwarf Saggitaria around stonework or driftwood is an ideal location, giving it a perfect place to root into the wood or stone, and is an ideal complement. Appearance: Vibrant green leaves with curved blades. Water Preferences: Grows best in water that’s 7278 degrees Farenheight. Lighting Preferences: Growth is optimal in medium lighting. Uses: Decoration and protection. Good for placement around hardscapes.

Plants: Substrates and Supplementation By Greg Morin, Ph.D., President/CEO Seachem Laboratories, Inc.

Although often considered too difficult for the beginning hobbyist, planted aquariums are actually ideal for the beginner. The sheer number of factors required for plant growth and health may seem daunting, but we can broadly classify these factors into three categories: substrates, pH/hardness, and supplements. Then, the task of deciding what is needed becomes more manageable. Each category builds upon the one before to ensure a flourishing environment at every stage. Substrates Start with a high quality, mineral rich gravel such as Seachem's Fluorite to lay the foundation for further success. Although low cost gravel may save money in the short term, this will be more than offset by a necessitated increase in use of supplements to make up for the shortcomings of such gravels. With quality gravel, one could actually just add a few fish and have a successful planted aquarium. It is not likely to win any awards, but the overall simplicity of maintenance will appeal to even the beginning hobbyist. For those who desire faster growth and richer greens, here's how to take it to the next level. pH/Hardness (KH and GH) This next level begins with pH/Hardness optimization with buffers and mineral salts. The native environment of some plants, like Cryptocoryne, is soft whereas others such as Sagittaria subulata are more acclimated to hard water. For soft water plants: If the source water is hard, one will need to soften it either by using an RO system or by purchasing already dimineralized / deionized water. Once the water is softened, adjust pH and KH with Acid Buffer and Alkaline Buffer, and then GH with Equilibrium as needed. Many soft water plants grow quite well in a hard water environment, thus if the source water is hard it may be worthwhile to try it first to see how plants fare. If they do well, then demineralization would not be necessary. For hard water plants, the task is a bit easier since only minor adjustments to the presumably soft source water would be needed. If the source water is already hard, then pH may be the parameter needing adjustment. Supplementation Supplementation encompasses organic nutrients (vitamins, amino acids, carbon, etc.), as well as micro, and trace elements (such as iron, manganese, nickel, and cobalt). I recommend starting with Flourish and/or Flourish Tabs. These provide a broad range of micronutrients, along with micro and trace elements that will enhance plant health and growth. During substantial growth, trace elements are often utilized more rapidly than other components in Flourish. In this case, it would be beneficial to also employ Flourish Trace along with Flourish and/or Flourish Tabs. Because plant nutrient requirements, usage rates, and source water can vary drastically, we have determined that the ideal approach to supplementation is to separate each component so that each can be dosed individually as needed. The five main parameters that need direct control can be provided with products such as: Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish Phosphorus, Flourish Potassium, Flourish Excel (Carbon), and Flourish Iron. All are essential for plant processes, including growth and energy. Because carbon availability is normally the limiting factor to growth, addition of carbon dioxide (CO2) to a planted aquarium will always result in large increases in growth (assuming other critical elements are not

© 2015 RAS (All Rights Reserved) www.raleighaquariumsociety.org Page 27 of 32 Raleigh Aquarium Society (RAS) Volume 34, Issue 11 November 2015 lacking). Without additional CO2 the growth rate will be dependent on the rate at which atmospheric CO2 equilibrates into the water. CO2 will dissolve into CO2–free water to a degree that is dependent on the air pressure, temperature, pH, and bicarbonate/carbonate content of the water. The final concentration of CO2 in the water depends entirely on those factors. Once that concentration is achieved, the level of CO2 will not change unless the plants remove it or one of the other factors is altered. Plants remove CO2 at a rate much greater than the rate at which it equilibrates into the water. So at the height of CO2 utilization the plants limit their own growth by using up all available CO2. Because CO2 is an integral component of the bicarbonate buffer system, a drop in CO2 will necessarily result in a rise in pH. As the pH rises the influx of additional atmospheric CO2 will be diminished by its conversion to bicarbonate. This is offset somewhat by hard water plants that can utilize bicarbonate directly. However, without routine water changes or buffer additions (Alkaline Buffer or Liquid Alkaline Buffer) this path will eventually lead to complete depletion of the KH (carbonate hardness) which will result in dramatic pH swings from day to night (5.7 – 9.6). Using a CO2 injection system will bypass this predicament by delivering a constant source of CO2. Because the introduction of CO2 will lower pH, one has two options:

 Monitor and calibrate the rate of CO2 addition to precisely match the usage by the plants  Use a pH feedback metering system.

A metering system is ideal because as the pH falls below a certain point the CO2 turns off, thus avoiding catastrophic pH drops. If one is not quite ready for the initial investment in a CO2 injection system but would still like to enjoy some of the benefits of adding additional carbon there is an alternative: Flourish Excel. Flourish Excel is a supplement that provides a simple organic carbon molecule (similar to what is described above in the photosynthesis discussion) that plants can use as a building block for more complex carbohydrates. Because Flourish Excel is an organic carbon source it does not impact pH. Even if one is already using CO2 one can still obtain a cumulative benefit by using Flourish Excel in conjunction with CO2. Conclusion Although planted aquariums are often considered to be difficult for the beginning hobbyist, we believe that they are actually ideal for the beginner. With the right substrate, the beginner can have a successful aquarium with minimum maintenance. As the beginner becomes more comfortable in the hobby, they can build on the solid foundation they have already established.

“ … I am not against golf since I cannot but suspect it keeps armies of the unworthy away from discovering trout … “ Paul O'Neil

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