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Cloudy Aldrovanda tank

Clint

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Whats up my peeps? I've got a "problem". My Aldrovanda tank is cloudy! Now I know about fish and why aquaria can get cloudy, but this Aldrovanda tank (really just a big rubbermaid tub) had no living critters in it visible to the naked eye. Not even any mosquito larvae. It has 2 kids of grasses, arrowhead plants, and Azolla in it as well as the Aldrovanda. There is about 5 gallons of media in the tank, consisting of oak leaves, clay, a very healthy amout of LFS to decay, lots of peat and all of that is covered by about 15-20 pounds (3-4 inches) of inert , washed aquatic plant media.

Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate test to be zero. I'm sure it's high under the media what with the rotting leaves and LFS, but the water column is what matter. PH is mildly acidic. 6.6-6.8 or so.

The Aldrovanda is doing spectacularly. In fact when I got them, they were mostly rotten except for the very tip. Now, about a month later, they are full-sized strands and most of them are bifuricating of not trifuricating. The companion plants have healthy root systems and in fact I just cut them way back to give the Aldrovanda more light. I do not remove any dead leaf litter. There is no algae what so ever (not even a little speck!). I do not fertilize, and don't do water changes, although I do replace evaporated water with RO water.


This isn't really a growing issue. The plants look great, and when I get my camera I'll show pics, it's just an aesthetic issue. I COULD change the water but I'd still like to know what the cause of this problem is. On the other hand if it ain't broke...
 
What color is the cloudy water? Different colors can mean different problems.
 
Light light white. It's not very cloudy but it's not to the clear that even pond water is. I don't know where the bacteria is coming from.
 
Dude, Clint, my aldrovandas are thrivin too!!!! I stuck a whole bunch of rotting crap and potting soil in the bottom with some water lettuce and hyacynth. You gave me like 5 growing tips, now I have 18!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!! :banana2:
 
Ya, it's bacteria. I wouldn't do a water change just yet. Let the bloom run its coarse, just keep a close watch and keep us informed. Jack
 
Dude, Clint, my aldrovandas are thrivin too!!!! I stuck a whole bunch of rotting crap and potting soil in the bottom with some water lettuce and hyacynth. You gave me like 5 growing tips, now I have 18!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!! :banana2:

I know, it grows so fast compared to our other plants.
 
Mine so far haven't had any problems with bacteria. I've had to do a massive trimming of the water hyacinths but the water color has been perfect I've also had some trouble with algae... but after adding about 400 algae eaters... I don't think I'll have that problem again any time soon. :D

I don't care what anyone says, water fleas are cute.
 
I need some little critters.


They are doing so well I'm going to donate some to the auction. The water gets hot as hell, about 95, during the day. Maybe that's the secret to my success?
 
Yea, I think the little critters are very important to the ecosystem (besides nummy food). My Aldrovanda are growing by leaps and bounds. The traps are alot bigger than I thought they would be too.
 
  • #10
I was told that after a while the tank will have have little critters automatically.. however.. I prefer to do things the fast way.. and order some off of eBay. xD

My tank also gets hot... but not THAT hot. That's crazy! When you get the daphnia.. get ready to stare at em for a while cuz they're kinda fun to watch.
 
  • #11
Mine are warm too. Weird, eh?
 
  • #12
the colour sounds like suspended clay particles
 
  • #13
I thought so too, but it's buried under a good 5 inches of media and the water turned cloudy overnight. I'm about to leave town and I should get pics.. monday.
 
  • #14
You might've stirred some up when you added the water? That happened to me as well except not with clay.. all the sphagnum and some leaves floated to the top. I ended up having to remove it altogether.
 
  • #15
ChronoKiento,

What I did to stop the material from floating:
1.) Scoop it off the surface.
2.) Put the debris in a plastic bag.
3.) Fill bag with water.
4.) Leave it there for like 3 days.
5.) Put it back in the tank under particles of clay and potting soil.
6.) Tadaaa - it stays put :)

Hope this helps someone out there....
 
  • #16
It's clear again so... weird.


I just put all of the floating ingredients in and covered by a bunch of aquatic plant soil and nothing floated.
 
  • #17
That's the way the algae is in my tank.. one day it's there.. the next day it's absolutely gone. I know it's weird.
 
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