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-   -   Guck growing in paludarium - solutions? (http://www.orchidboard.com/community/terrarium-gardening/33899-guck-growing-paludarium-solutions.html)

m_ms09 03-18-2010 10:26 PM
Guck growing in paludarium - solutions?
 
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I built a paludarium not long ago (like a terrarium, but with water on the bottom) -- it has a fogger that humidifies the air 3x a day for a couple hours each time, but there isn't enough water movement to prevent algal growth/etc. Right now there is a black guck (like a sludge) forming on the rocks on the bottom.

I'm growing orchids and ferns in the paludarium which are watered by the water in the bottom.

Question: What can I use to eliminate the guck? Will hydrogen peroxide kill the guck but spare my plants?

Tindomul 03-18-2010 10:36 PM
Do you have a picture of the guck? Hehe
It would be easier if we knew what it was. If its just algae, some sort of antibacterial will do. Hopefully.

You don't have any animals right?
I don;t know if over the counter hydrogen peroxide will be enough, it is possible and worth a try if you haven't got any animals. Well I know 30% H202 will burn the skin off an elephant, but thats if you get desperate.

Epiphile 03-19-2010 06:07 AM
After cleaning, you can plant the water-filled area of the tank with aquatics to eliminate any excess nutrients that might accumulate and keep algae at bay.

m_ms09 03-19-2010 09:50 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tindomul (Post 298384)
Do you have a picture of the guck? Hehe
It would be easier if we knew what it was. If its just algae, some sort of antibacterial will do. Hopefully.

You don't have any animals right?
I don;t know if over the counter hydrogen peroxide will be enough, it is possible and worth a try if you haven't got any animals. Well I know 30% H202 will burn the skin off an elephant, but thats if you get desperate.
Nope, no photos of the guck. It's black and gooey looking though. I have one snail in there that can be transported elsewhere during the cleaning.

So, will H2O2 affect my plants?

Tindomul 03-19-2010 09:51 AM
If it reaches their roots, but if you use the store bought stuff, there should be no problem I hope. Its not that strong after all.

m_ms09 03-19-2010 09:52 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Epiphile (Post 298439)
After cleaning, you can plant the water-filled area of the tank with aquatics to eliminate any excess nutrients that might accumulate and keep algae at bay.
The water-filled area is quite shallow -- only 2 inches or so...not sure of any plants that will fit in there nicely - though I'm sure there are some!

m_ms09 03-19-2010 09:53 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tindomul (Post 298479)
If it reaches their roots, but if you use the store bought stuff, there should be no problem I hope. Its not that strong after all.
Hmm....maybe I'll give it a shot. I'm terrified of killing my little expensive plants in there...there's one about to bloom!

Epiphile 03-19-2010 10:25 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by m_ms09 (Post 298480)
The water-filled area is quite shallow -- only 2 inches or so...not sure of any plants that will fit in there nicely - though I'm sure there are some!
There are loads! A lot of 'aquatic' plants will thrive with their roots submerged and their leaves above water- Anubias, Cryptocoryne and Echinodorus are some nice leafy ones that come to mind. Things like Riccia, duckweed or frog's bit can be floated on the surface, and they're great in that they'll draw nutrients from the water, but also keep light from reaching it, thereby starving the algae on both fronts.

A few aquatic snails might enjoy eating that mystery goo, too- I'm not sure.

m_ms09 03-19-2010 10:32 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Epiphile (Post 298487)
There are loads! A lot of 'aquatic' plants will thrive with their roots submerged and their leaves above water- Anubias, Cryptocoryne and Echinodorus are some nice leafy ones that come to mind. Things like Riccia, duckweed or frog's bit can be floated on the surface, and they're great in that they'll draw nutrients from the water, but also keep light from reaching it, thereby starving the algae on both fronts.

A few aquatic snails might enjoy eating that mystery goo, too- I'm not sure.
Ooh, fantastic! I do have one snail in there, though I'm not sure its appetite is up to the challenge! I used to have three, but two of them kicked the proverbial bucket.

I'll look into aquatic plants!

Until then, hydrogen peroxide?

Tindomul 03-19-2010 10:49 AM
I used one pill of cypro (antibiotic) and in a week there was no goo left. If you have it, try it.
In my experience aquatic plants grow too slowly to compete with algae for nutrients or light. For me, the algae always ends up growing on top of the plants, leaves, etc... sometimes even when not fully submersed. The algae would even keep my aquatic crypts from growing.


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