# [Wet Thumb Forum]-What can this be?



## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

The tank was filled with water 3 days ago and till thursday i won't receive the plants, but I've notice some orange spots that is spreading quiet quickly it started yesterday and today it has doubled the size.

you can see it at

http://www.pbase.com/image/26345543/original

http://www.pbase.com/image/26345543/large

thanks.


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

The tank was filled with water 3 days ago and till thursday i won't receive the plants, but I've notice some orange spots that is spreading quiet quickly it started yesterday and today it has doubled the size.

you can see it at

http://www.pbase.com/image/26345543/original

http://www.pbase.com/image/26345543/large

thanks.


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

Given how quickly it started after the tank was set up I will guess that it could be a cyanobacteria.

Roger Miller

------------
_"The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want" -- Ben Stein_


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

I've always thought Cyanobacteria was green but after what you've said I've look info on google and it seems they are orange forms...

The water was brough from the mountains... 40 kilometers away from home because of the soft Ph and GH. I filled 130 bottles of 5 liters each. Plants are coming on thrusday 45 pots from Tropica.

And I'm shivering only thinking about was is going to be like once the Cyanobacteria covers all the plants. 

It's not an option to change the water, and i can't undo the delivery of the plants. 

Any suggestions? Cyanobacteria is a bacteria so maybe antiobiotics? now that i don't have plants nor fish.


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## Neal (Mar 1, 2003)

My suggestion is to do nothing. You've got a tank full of water and gravel. Therefore you have nutrients. You have no plants or algae to consume those nutrients, so something took advantage of the lack of competition. That something was likely a cyanobacteria like Roger said.

If it really bothers you, vacuum it off right before you plant the tank.


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

The thing that afraids me, it's that probably the water from that fountain is contaminated by that bacteria, it's only been a few days since i filled the tank and haven't turned on the lights... so I'll have to search another place to look for water.

Thanks for your help.


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## Planted Engineer (Jan 15, 2004)

Why do you have lights turned on when there are no plants to consume???

When I was waiting for the planting day I covered the tank with a thick blanket.

I believe you need to relax and let the plants fight for you. I had cyno on the first week after planting - it was blue/green and it was during that period on which there's absolutely zero NO3. The plants are red at that time which is beautifull. So I added KNO3 and it went away.

PE.


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

Thanks, i haven't turned on the lights, the idea of the blanket is good, you are right i need to relax, I'm a bit nervous because it isn't the first time I've filled the tank, this weekend i had to threw away all the water plus the sustrate a mixture of (jbl aquabasis plus Seras floradepot) and gravel because it all get mixed with the water and it was really cloudy, actually muddy, it's just that i don't want to do it again...

This time the sustrate it's only Aqualit plus gravel.

Picture of the sustrate I added which i don't recommend

http://www.pbase.com/image/26081053

maybe it was too much don't realy know what happened.


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## Neal (Mar 1, 2003)

I believe you are over-reacting. The cyano may not have come from the fountain. It is found everywhere, unless you are going to prepare your tank in a sterile environment, you are going to have cyano in it. Its just a matter of keeping conditions good, so it remains in negligible amounts that are not visible.

On your substrate clouding the water, its common for some of the richer substrates like floradepot or flourite or eco-complete to cloud the water at first. The clouding is just fine material from the substrate that suspends in the water after it gets all swirled up from you pouring it in. It will settle on its own. If you want to minimize the clouding, pour slowly onto a plate set on the substrate.


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Neal
> On your substrate clouding the water, its common for some of the richer substrates like floradepot or flourite or eco-complete to cloud the water at first. The clouding is just fine material from the substrate that suspends in the water after it gets all swirled up from you pouring it in. It will settle on its own. If you want to minimize the clouding, pour slowly onto a plate set on the substrate.


Thank's Neal it't true I over react, but it's just that I've invested a lot on this and I don't want to ruin it from the beginning.

About the sustrate I did in fact use a plate and it was fine till I turned on the filters, it wasn't cloudy but muddy.

Don't know if you have used Floradepot but it isn't like ecocomplete or the products I've seen you use there in the US. the size of this product is like sand and IMO when I turned on the filters it passed through my gravel and the water was turned to a color similar to mud. Maybe it was because I used to much, 35 Kilos.

Anyway I threw all away and change the sustrate to Aqualit, it's planted already and pearling so I'm happy now... Thanks for the interest.


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## Neal (Mar 1, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Metatron:
> Thank's Neal it't true I over react, but it's just that I've invested a lot on this and I don't want to ruin it from the beginning.
> ...


Oh, I really empathize with you on not wanting to mess it up right from the start.

I've never used floradepot, but I've seen it in use at a LFS. I had no idea it was so messy.

Congratulations on getting the tank planted and growing well. You should post a picture.


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Neal:
> 
> ...


Neil here are the latest photos I'll be updating them weekly.

http://www.pbase.com/acuario_metatron/otras_fotos&page=2


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Metatron:
> 
> ...


http://www.pbase.com/acuario_metatron/otras_fotos&page=2
[/QUOTE]


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## Neal (Mar 1, 2003)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Metatron:
> Neil here are the latest photos I have the intention of updating them weekly
> ...


http://www.pbase.com/acuario_metatron/otras_fotos&page=2
[/QUOTE]
Hah! Doesn't look like you had much to worry about, those pictures look great! Good job!


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