# Big tank - little tank Algae Question



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Here is an interesting thought. Since we seem to see very little algae in mature tanks with lots of healthy plants, what if someone was to siphon of water from a tank like this and add it to a smaller tank with algae. Would the algae disappear? If so why?


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

i don't think so, the algae is in the water( and air) its just not active, give it what it needs and it will grow.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I'm wondering if there is some chemical or something different about mature tank water that can inhibit algae. By transferring the water to an algae infested tank if that were true then the algae should die.


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## UDGags (Oct 4, 2011)

I'm pretty sure the answer would be no but doesn't mean the experiment shouldn't be done to prove it one way or another.

Has there ever been scientific proof of alleopathy in aquariums? I know there has been a lot of speculations but I thought all the proof was for terrestrial plants.

With your same reasoning you could just add activated carbon to the mature tank to remove the chemicals and you should have algae correct?

P.S. If this was true....Want to sell water from mature, algae free tank for $100


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

UDGags said:


> Has there ever been scientific proof of alleopathy in aquariums? I know there has been a lot of speculations but I thought all the proof was for terrestrial plants.


I am fairly certain that it has been shown in natural bodies of water. I remember reading about it ages ago so the details are fuzzy, but from what I remember it was demonstrated with two stem plants, I don't remember the species but they were both plants that looked very similar something like anacharis or a myrio.



UDGags said:


> With your same reasoning you could just add activated carbon to the mature tank to remove the chemicals and you should have algae correct?


I wonder right? Most planted tanks don't use charcoal in the filters. Not sure if it would make a difference either way, but still it begs the question why does it appear to make a difference if the tank is mature or newly started?



UDGags said:


> P.S. If this was true....Want to sell water from mature, algae free tank for $100


Haha, I can see it now, it is clearly the next step for the hobby. I can see the post office scratching their heads at all the ziplock bags full of water being posted back and forth.


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## UDGags (Oct 4, 2011)

It be interesting to read if you find the paper or article on it. I have Walstad's book but it seems like most of it was speculation. I would think it would be hard to rule out lights, fertz, CO2, etc. (or at least difficult to make a DOE).

Yeah, the only time I use AC is with new wood or tank start-ups for tanins. The AC would take out most of the nutrients as well so it would be hard to pinpoint the cause either being ferts or chemicals.

Like the box of water I sent Jeffry earlier this week. As I walking to the post office I was thinking..."Am I really shipping water?" Although, the best is still the flat rate boxes. I remember when those first came out I ordered 100lbs of Seiryu and when they were delivered I felt sorry for the post-man.


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## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

I always think that the benefit of a mature tank comes from the bacteria and the matured plants. I guess I don't have to preach about bacteria here as I assume that everyone here knows about cycling our aquarium (not the bicycle) 

As for matured plants, I believe they are well established and already started to multiply in the tank. So nutrients have been well absorbed (that's the reason we do not dose too much fertiliser when a tank is newly set up...unless you want to encourage growth of algae).

So, I doubt transferring water from matured tank will help reducing algae growth in a new tank. Even if you transfer the plants and soil from matured tank, I doubt it will help because the debris of old soil is more likely to trigger algae growth - I have done this mistake before for the sake of speeding up cycling process.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I agree. I think the key thing there is the mature bacterial colony. That is why people mature filters for use in new tanks etc.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Dumping "good" water in a bad tank does not work. Done that many times, have extensive experience failing, haha.


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## Darkcobra (Nov 23, 2009)

I suppose an applicable experiment has been done unintentionally here.

When Stef suddenly jumped from having zero success keeping betta fry alive, to unexpectedly having virtually every fry out of three simultaneous spawns survive, things got a wee bit out of hand. 

They were kept in Sterilite containers, jars, buckets, vases, carboys, whatever we could lay hands on to house the horde. We chose to rely on plants to keep water quality manageable. Every container was packed with a combo of floaters, submersed fast growers, and mini Marimos. Shop lights were hung, and two thrift stores raided for other light sources.

Water changes were performed on average about every three days, using water from large established planted tanks. This was chosen because unlike tapwater, it wouldn't need to be treated with Prime; which only temporarily binds the ammonia portion of chloramine. It would be guaranteed to have all nutrients needed for plant growth. Plus it should also contain some infusoria, beneficial bacteria, and other biodiversity.

The first "algae" to appear was BGA. Due to reputed toxicity, this was deemed undesirable, and eliminated by adding dried banana leaves.

Then hair algae was completely dominant for a while. That serves our purposes, so it was merely kept trimmed when it got too large, like any other plant.

It was eventually replaced by something else I've never seen, not sure what it is, possibly some kind of oedogonium. It's ugly to the point where Stef disliked it, and wanted the hair algae back. I tried to shift the dominant algae species indirectly, by controlling nutrient profiles in the source water tanks, without any significant success.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

I found a review paper summarizing a lot of the allelopathic intereactions between aquatic plants on page 172. It is called:

Competition and Allelopathy in Aquatic Plant Communities, Brij Gopal and Usha Goel, school of environmental Sciences Jawaharlal Nehru University, The Botanical Review Vol 59 July-Sept, 1993, No. 3​
Lots of info in there on which species kills which other one. There is also an algae allelopathy paper which talks about the same thing for algae.

They noted that decomposing plant matter tends to exhibit strong allelopathic responses on other species by poisoning the environment for an enemy plant.


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