Nori and Shrimp

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eatyourpeas

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I have run out of algae in my tanks and was wondering if I could feed my shrimp bits of Nori. Has anyone tried that? In the mean time I will increase light period to encourage some growth.
 
Haha... No, seriously, my tanks have no algae left. Between the Pothos, Hornwort, ostracods, snails and shrimp, the current supply has been depleted. I need to get it going again, so I have added two hours of light (one on each end), and allowing for sunlight to hit the tanks directly for a couple of hours.

I believe the ostracods are the culprit. I put some in a green water jar and it is crystal clear after a couple of days. :huh:

I do not have rare fish, and no intentions of breeding, except the RCS. I understand the need to joke, most people try to get rid of algae, I want to grow it :( I think I got it all backwards!
 
You can put some smooth rocks in a container of water outside in the sun. Let them get covered in algae and put them in the tank for the fish to clean. Then swap them for a few others in the container.

Add 1 level tablespoon of lawn fertiliser for every 20 litres of water, to the container outside with the rocks in. Change the water and add more fertiliser when the algae slows or stops growing.
 
Ostracods, eh? That's interesting. It makes me think of the current trend in keeping certain reptiles and amphibians which is setting up a "bioactive" terrarium. Essentially this means adding a bunch of arthropod inhabitants to the substrate such as collembola, terrestrial isopods, etc. They serve to help keep waste in control, eat potential growth that is not desired, and manage the substrate. It sounds bit like what you might have set up there. I've been thinking about this with my future plans. Well amphipods and aquatic isopods. Now I might have to plan for some ostracods in the mix too.
 
Just get a Nicrew light, algae and plants will grow on command!
6F2A8653-A7BC-4CDC-AB44-8C2463BD0B62.jpeg
 
I have basically tried to learn from our pond. Dipped a glass jar and studied what was in the water. Got my snails, ostracods and scuds from there. There are lots of mosquito larvae as well. If I had a microscope I could probably see an amazing collection of critters, including tardigrades.

The pond has no algae at all, and the plants are thriving. It is home to hundreds of taddypolywogs in the summer, and the parent frogs are very busy in the spring. I figure if that place is balanced, it can teach me something.

So far the only unknown is the dragonfly. I think he lost the territorial battle to the hummingbird last year.

Ostracods are a lot of fun to watch too. It is almost like studying flight patterns in the water. Miss Ethel does this little dance when she is happy and it makes her really look like a mosquito.
 
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@PheonixKingZ , are you using ferts? How long is the light on for? Also, how tall is your tank?
Yes, I’m using the NilocG Thrive Caps:
image.jpg
I keep my Nicrew Classic LED on for around 14 hours a day. (7 AM to 9 PM)
image.jpg
Tank is a 20g long, so it’s 12 inches high.

The shrimp really like all the algae:
image.jpg
(Although it does get annoying)
 
My tank that has the Nicrew is 11.25" and I found the light to be too much for that depth, so I have it at 8 hours. There is no algae, but I do not use ferts.
 

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