aufwuchs…. what is this green stuff growing on my rocks

[Rusty_Shackleford70 185]

Have you considered an aufwuchs farm?
Now it's too late in the year to try it now, but what about a shallow pool of water with a stack of rocks in it placed outside in the spring? You could rotate rocks through it to grow algae and I'd be willing to bet you would have different microfauna living on the algae outdoors rather than indoors. It might be worth a try and relatively little effort for the potential rewards.

 

[GaryE31 29]

The only time I get to really look at what I see as aufwuchs, it was a brownish yellow version in the Yucatan. It grew 1 or 2 inches out from a wall, rather like a vertical lawn. It was thick, long and covered a cliff face that was in intense sunlight..

The closest I've seen in an aquarium was black hair algae, although that stuff is different. I've had a lot of algae in my tanks, and may have a little now... but none of it has resembled that stuff or what I've seen in photos of the Rift Lakes. I think it needs intense light - like really intense.

 

[WhistlingBadger66 21]

It's like sending @WhistlingBadger to a grassland to hunt, only one with no mammals.

I know exactly what that's like.

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

I have a couple pin spotlights coming, for other tanks… I’m wanting to target an area for an algae spot, in tanks with too dark of water, or too shaded by terrestrial plants to grow algae, I’m hoping to find a spot I can light up through the side glass or top of the tank, and adjust the lens to grow only a 2-4 inch spot of algae in a tank where little grows because of the shaded conditions…

I have some smaller 1 inch stones. that I could add a small pile, and use that pile as a target for the pin spot light…

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

well, the tank I previously tried the spot lights in, was not a mature tank… this one, with the rock pile is, that and the original tank was not full of aufwuchs eaters, so the algae in the previous tank grew like magic, in this tank the rock pile is grazed heavily, and I’m not seeing any green in a half week yet… but the fish are all grazing on these stones already, and I have no doubt , that with 3-70 watt spot lights on the rock pile, that it will be a visible garden in no time… the additional stones arrived yesterday, I was thinking about giving the ones in the tank a few days in full light, before adding more stones on top… the timed power strip, that I’ll be using for the spotlights on the stone pile, arrived yesterday as well, I’m currently turning the spots on and off manually at the same time as the main tank light, which is on for like 16 hours a day… right now half the spot tails and a half dozen hillstream’s are working over the rock pile, so there must be fresh growth there…

the over sized sponge filters are a big hit as well, as the fish openly graze them also, as witnessed by the kisser , in this picture… this one is on the opposite side from the big rock pile…

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

my panda garra seem to be telling me, with their bright coloration, that they like the changes to this tank… all 4 are highly colored

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

ok, that is more than enough big stones ( I’m disappointed I killed a reticulated hillstream adding the rest of the rocks

this is the pile today. pictured with my monster algae scraper for the glass, long enough to get leverage to scrape way more than the magnetic scraper will remove… so now waiting for the rock slide to grow algae… the pile us about 40 pounds of 2-4 inch rocks… once the algae comes the critters get added…

 

[fishorama]

Hmm, I was under the impression that aufwuchs grew in the tank biofilm. No special seeding required in a well aged, not too vigorously cleaned tank. Maybe there is more diversity in your tank now? I do remember some hillstream loach keepers on another board kept smooth rocks outdoors with a "secret ingredient" (urine) to grow both algae & aufwuchs to be swapped out as needed.

Biofilms are very interesting! I wish I'd kept the links to really good drawings, maybe from Dr. Tim Hovniac(?) of beneficial bacteria starter culture fame. That, unfortunately, was a few PCs ago.

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

I’m sure you could have a “seed” container outside, in the sun, during the summer, however it wouldn’t work so well during the winter around here, and I think it involves having more than just having sun grown algae, I believe the micro fauna is critical, so this is in effect an experiment, in keeping as many diverse micro fauna as i can maintain in the tank… using the turkey baster I mentioned for seeding into the rock pile, I can do the same to “feed the rock pile with “green water” if needed to maintain colonization….

Freshwater Phytoplankton - 16oz Bottle

16oz freshwater phytoplankton. Feeds daphnia, moina, copepods & shrimp in freshwater systems. Green water in a bottle. Free shipping.

copepodsforsale.com

I’m sure the “green water” could be grown outdoors during the summer, but my goal here is to get some micro’s cultured into the algae I’m growing in this tank… it’s all an experiment, but any level of success is an improvement, a step in the right direction

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

the adjustable pin spotlights arrive today, for the mini algae garden spots in a couple tanks too dark to grow algae, and if I focus them on a little pebble pile in each tank, they could end up as mini versions of the big rock pile… those 2 tanks don’t really have aufwuch’s eaters in them, so there would be less pressure feeding off the pile. however what self respecting fish would’ve eat a micro dangled in front of it’s face, so there will still be consumption…

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

pin spots arrived today, and I finished the new electric circuit for my main tank group, of which the hillstream tank is part of… spotlights are now on timers… I’ve got one pin spot shining in the south american tetra tank, but it’s not on a timer yet, or permanently placed, but things are moving along..

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

anyone ever wonder what BacterAE actually is…

I was thinking it was good for more than shrimp, and have been adding it every couple weeks already to my hillstream tank, assuming it adds to the algae… a deeper dive tells me I’m right, and could aid in the growth of aufwuchs helping to feed all the micros, and enriching the algae part…

more explained here… ( expanding the AI overview, gives lots of interesting information, about the product )

Google Search

and another informational link…

What In The World Is Bacter AE? - Shrimply Explained

What is Glasgarten Bacter AE? Is this mysterious white powder good for your shrimp? When and how should you use it? Click here to find out!

www.shrimplyexplained.com

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

most of the micro fauna I’ll be cultivating in the algae, are essentially tiny shrimp relatives, so this should in essence help feed the aufwuchs…

I typically dose this powder in a protein shaker filled with RO water, to rehydrate it, and spread it fully in the tank.. even fish as big as my kisser gourami , love this stuff, as witnessed that it swims into the middle of the cloud when it’s added, and sucks up as much as it can. until it fully disperses in the tank…

 

[Magnum Man71 185]

rock pile is slowly growing algae… of course with fish constantly eating on it, it’s taking a little while

 

[MattW70 186]

When I had my hillstreams, adding smooth pebbles and cobbles definitely helped with natural feeding. Your fish will definitely be thanking you for those rocks