More Options for Otis...

The AC 30 is not big or bulky, and aside from the flexibility with how media is loaded this does not seem like it is any more powerful than the Penguin 125. It is certainly no bigger.

I run an Eheim Classic plus a small Eheim Ecco on the 40-gallon breeder tank, so what I will do is pull out the Emperor 400 from storage, dust it off and put it on the 40, keep the Classic, and put the Ecco on the 10-gallon, and see what I think. I can tuck it under my desk, and it might do the trick. I have been very disappointed with the two Ecco filters I own, finding them remarkably underpowered and cheaply constructed, but the lack of power may be to my advantage when putting a canister on a 10-gallon tank.

If that is too much current (I believe puffers enjoy some current) then I'll stick with the AC30, or maybe sell some more angel babies and get the AC50. That way whenever I upgrade the tank I'll have a filter that can be used on the larger tank, plus the canister would certainly be appropriate for the 20 if it is not for the 10. I doubt it will be too much for the 10, however. I admit it - I'm an Ecco hater.

I have been having some algae problems in the 10-gallon, and since it is definitely not brightly lit I know (or suspect) it is an excess of nutrients. The Anubias is not growing fast enough to combat it, and itself is covered in a fine fuzz. The tank looks horrible. I puts some hornwort in there but it promptly melted, as it is wont to do.

I will try very judicious dosing of Excel (no, I have not forgotten the disaster that I attributed to the use of Excel earlier in these pages) and will be very careful with it. This is easier to do in a 10-gallon, where we are talking very small amounts, so there is no casual "glugging" of the container into the aquarium. I will see if this helps combat the algae and the Anubias to do better. It seems to be struggling terribly in the tank, even though it is supposed to be a plant that does well in brackish water. I don't think it is the SG causing the problem, actually, but I sure don't know why it is not growing. If it has nutrients and light it ought to do fine.

I have a 13w CF desk lamp over the tank, but it is raised way up above it, and there is a fluoro ceiling fixture in the room as well, but that is not on all the time. I will try turning off the desk lamp when the ceiling fixture is on, and basically just cut down the artificial light. You would think the light would be low enough not to have algae be a problem, but as is often the case for me, I have unwanted algae that I can't figure out how to cure. In my tanks where I have been successful dealing with algae, I have A LOT of plants present, and medium lighting. I don't want to heavily plant this little tank, since Otis needs his swimming space, so I will have to figure out what is causing it.