Christian_rubilar

Well, GDA is easy to eliminate.
It's appears when there is an imbalance related to Po4 and Ca.
If Ca is high this is because you probably had added too much. 50% water change solves it. And reduced the quantity next time.
About Po4, Water change helps if the new watter hasn't Po4. Reducing the ppms you add helps a lot. I think that 0.5 is enough unless you have a lot of microsorums, marsilea crenata, etc.
This two items should be in your mind in order to avoid a new GDA problem.
Finally, to eliminate it you should use the "generic protocol of the Kno3". Stop fertilizing at all. Change 50% of the water. Add every day for 1 week 1 gram of Kno3 every 50 gallons until GSA appears. If after one week the GPA doesn't appears, then repeat it but 2 gram every 50 gallons and so on.
I know that in this forum you guys have very different ideas about how to deal with GDA. This way to solve it was sucesfully used hundred of times during the last three years.
You can find more info about this in this thread / article:
http://www.drpez.net/panel/showthread.php?t=154436
You know, when a theory doesn't work, then this theory should be abandoned.

sewingalot

How do I translate this article? My high school Spanish isn't good enough, and I don't know how to use google translator. Thanks.

Christian_rubilar

You go to www.google.com, click on languaje tools. Then you copy paste the paragraph and select from spanish to english.
If you understand some spanish better because the technology is not good enough yet.
I suggest you start reading the chapter "el metodo de los desequilibrios controlados", because the beginning is an explanation about myths and how to tune up properly the aquarium,
Regards

Newt

Very interesting article Dr Pez.
I was unable to get the translation when the text got to the info on the Philips PLL-840s.
Do you know what I should do so that I can read it?

EDIT: Never mind. I re-did it and was able to get it. A lot is lost in translation.

sewingalot

Thanks for the help in the translation. This makes a lot of sense to me all the sudden. I have very hard water and was dosing Po4 in excess to get rid of Green Spot Algae. All the sudden, I am hit with Red Algae and major Green Dust Algae. I have now done a 50% water change and am going to try to implement "Method of Controlled Imbalance."

Newt

I read it and have a few questions about it that may be translation issues more than anything. Just cant do it right now.

Christian_rubilar

Well, the main idea behind the MDC is to reach the GSA for three reasons. 1) close to GSA no other algae can bloom 2) the amount of Kno3 your aquarium needs to reach the gsa is the real consumption of your aquarium per week. That's the amount you should use for fertilizing. 3) If you have any algae, if you look for gsa, the algae stop bloom or die.
Fertilizing in this way makes that is you test your water there is never more than 2.5 ppm of No3.
In my opinion, rigid rules like 10.1.15 makes no sense, diferents aquariums have diferents balances: 20.1.15, 5.5.15, or whatever.

The idea about to work only about Kno3 is because if you work with too many other variables, then you don't know how to induce a solution. And if you solve it, you don't know why it happend.

In the other hand, the idea is to use your plants as the filter of your aquarium.

The MDC is only a frame, as soon as you understand it you can use any fertilizing method you want without algae. At the forum of www.drpez.com many people use PPS or EI, etc.

In this thread you can read a little more (in english) about the MDC, this is an unfinished debate with Tom Barr (plantBrain):
http://www.drpez.net/panel/showthrea...6&page=2&pp=25
Regards

Christian_rubilar

Oki, as soon as you have some time I'll answer them.
Regards

sewingalot

I am off to read more. You know, if you had time, it would be cool to have you do a write up on the basics of MDC. It would really help the newer people (like myself).

Newt

Christian_rubilar, I hope you see this post.

I have read the info on the link you provided and I found it not only interesting but I share many of the same ideas as you. However, I do have some questions so that I can be sure I am understanding you correctly.

I need a translation for the following words as these did not translate:
- Coadyudantes
- Tapizantes
- Acuarismo ( I think it means the aquarium hobby)
- Sales (this seemed to be used in a couple/few different ways)
- GAP - green algae point or what you mean by point
- Siguientres

I do realize you want use to dose KNO3 to a point a which green spot algae is the only one left. Is this correct? What then?
In the beginning of your article you say "....seen throughout this work does not recommend the use of potassium sulphate....". However, a few pages in to the article you say "With regard to potassium, all indicate that this has an important role in halting the progression of sevral types of algae". and "....one could argue in principle that the use of potassium in the .....is one of the key variables, or to avoid an explosion of algae or to control them. Potassium is an alkali earth metal and this could be why EI dosing works (for most) as there is so much K2SO4 that the algae cant survive as little is consumed by the plants and a 50% water change will not flush out enough to prevent the levels from continuing to rise over time.

I really want to try your suggestions but it would be helpful to have a better guide, or is it as simple as dosing KNO3 at 1 gram per 200 liters three events per week. This equates only ~3 ppm per event.

Lastly, when talking about the amount of light per liter are you simply taking the given tank size or the volume of water actually subjected to the light. For instance, I have a 75 gallon tank BUT this is when measured on the outside. Once it has substrate and decorations in it the actual water is about 60 gals that has light on it. Several gallons are in the substrate and do not recieve light and the glass is 1/2 inch thick, etc.

Thanks, Newt