Doing a light experiment

[d3snoopy]

So I bought a dozen ottos yesterday for my low tech 55gal because they're just so cute.

They join amano shrimp, cherry shrimp, and 3 nerite snails in there as a cleaning crew... so I'm a bit worried that I actually won't grow enough algae. That being said, I took the screen off my light last night, and am now running med-high light over the tank.

It's low tech - no water column dosing and no CO2, so we'll see how it goes. My hope is to grow enough algae to keep everyone fed, but not enough to take over the tank. I can always reduce the light again if that algae starts going crazy.

[Hoppy]

A very much better idea is to get some algae wafers and feed them, plus a blanched lettuce or spinach leaf every few days. Once you get algae started, those algae eaters will never catch up with it, nor will you.

[JSA]

I never had any trouble growing algae in a low-light tank!

Julia

[d3snoopy]

Hrm. Maybe you're right. I take it back.

I'm just worried about the ottos not getting enough food. I'll try the lettuce/spinach. The algae wafers that I put in get swarmed by the amano shrimp and fish, so I haven't seen the ottos get a bite of them yet.

[demonr6]

My otto won't touch lettuce.. it's algae or nothing for him. I can't even get him near a wafer so there must be enough for him to survive.