This blog is about biotopes - natural habitats - in and around the water. It shows natural environments that are an inspiration for biotope aquariums. The idea of a biotope aquarium is not only to make it look like nature, but it to be nature. It involves all kind of macro and micro organisms, not only selected ones. The difference is visible and this kind of aquariums open up opportunities for different species - those who need specific care or food...
In the first place the 'Vodka Method' is used to control the growth of algae in your aquarium. But the way it works is very fascinating and has some interesting 'side-effects'. To apply this method successfully requires understanding of biological processes in an aquatic biotope.
The idea is that bacteria are competitors of algae, since they consume the same nutrients. But besides nitrates and phosphates bacteria need something else to multiply: carbohydrates. These can be provided in high concentration through alcohol, thus high concentrated alcohol i.e. ethanol. Ethanol is a natural product and quite cheap available in pharmacies.
A dosage that works fine for me is: 100 ml of ethanol with 400 ml of water. From this mixture I add daily in the morning (important!) 10 - 20 ml per 100 l aquarium. This dosage must be achieved gradually, starting from 1 - 2 ml, because the bacteria consuming this alcohol must multiply in a controlled way. This means they establish themselves on surfaces, such as stones, sand, plants, glass, filter material. On this surfaces other forms of life can feed on them or water currents carry them to anemones and coral who highly appreciate this extra food. Even more, filter feeders like sponges, sea squirts, gorgonians, tube worms... feed mainly on infusorians. I had a good multiplication of zooplankton.
Overdosing would cause bacterial bloom, i.e. bacteria don't multiply on surfaces, but in the water itself. The water gets cloudy. This condition must be avoided, because - other from algae - bacteria produce co2. A bacterial bloom can consume oxygen to a life threatening degree and is difficult to get under control.
This is also the reason why ethanol must be added in the morning, because in the night co2 levels rise anyway, you would not double this effect by fueling bacterial metabolism through ethanol dosage. During the day co2 can be consumed by plants and could provide even an additional fertilizer - especially in planted aquariums, both salt and fresh water.
All of this may sound very complicated and dangerous, but actually it is quite safe, when applied carefully and with understanding for the biological processes. I am very satisfied with the results, because it was the only way to safe a stone coral from being totally overgrown by algae.
I hope you will achieve good results with this cheap yet natural way of algae control...
Besides the fact that it is a unique experience to collect and catch the species in your aquarium from the wild on your own, it is also a good opportunity to study the needs of the animals and plants you care for. Once you have examined the natural environment it is much easier to understand how do treat them.
It also helps to rebuilt a biotope at home, because you have seen it in real. For me this is much more exciting than to go to a shop and to purchase whatever catches your eye and to put it in your tank...
Of course this must happen in a way respecting and protecting nature. But I think people who collect species and take personally care of them are no harm. Those who do this to sell them for money are the actual danger for nature...
This is a list of species I collected in the wild and care for successfully:
Since most aquariums in our homes house species from tropical parts of the earth they do fine with the same temperatures throughout the year, while species from the subtropics and temperate zones need lower temperatures during winter. Seasonal changes are part of their natural environment and cause changes in behavior. For example mating is often triggered by seasonal changes.
But these are not only changes in temperature and not only important for species from temperate zones. Seasonal changes include water conditions and changes in daylight hours. Even species from tropical climate zones are effected by seasonal changes and in my opinion a biotope aquarium should include this factor at least to a certain degree. For example changes in daylight hours may trigger a certain behavior as well as changes in temperatures.
For example: One night I decided to keep the "moonlight" (= only the blue LED) switched on for some more hours because I was up late. And all of a sudden a coral started spawning. I remembered, that most species of coral spawn at full moon. Obviously this change in lighting triggered the corals spawning.
Usually aquarists don't take into account such factors except if they want to breed a certain species. Even if I can't maintain temperature changes as full as in the natural environment of mediterranean species I will include at least changes in lighting according to the real day and night cycles. Lets see what will happen...
After the success with the little biotope aquarium, the bigger one bore new challenges: I couldn't keep those beautiful seagrasses alive. Anemones were wandering around, which is no good sign and dangerous for them. I needed to understand some more things about the processes in the sea and how to transfer them into the aquarium...
For example: Everybody is anxious about nitrate and phosphate in their aquariums, because undesired algae would grow... Even in a tropical coral reef, as coralish it looks, there are always algae growing around!!! And there are animals that feed on them. Also: Corals and anemones are inhabited and maintained by algae that need...: nitrates and phosphates!!! I was determined not to transfer this into a chemical lab. There must be a natural way... And there is! First of all: If you have animals that feed on algae and your aquarium is stable, you will never have a problem with the typical algae, since while they grow, they are consumed. There are only some specific species that cause trouble - so did with me - for example because they overgrow everything including corals and no animal obviously feeds on them. I had that problem. I found a snail that feeds on this algae, but it wouldn't eat all of it and not between the corals. It was impossible to defeat it!!!
Finally I came across information about another important player in the game: bacteria. Similar to algae they multiply very fast, consume nitrates and phosphates, but different from them they don't need light and they don't produce oxygen, but carbon dioxide. Their growth can be boosted with the so called 'Vodka-Method'. This means that alcohol in tiny doses is added to the water. (I use a mix of 100 ml of ethanol + 400 ml of water and add 10 - 20 ml daily to my 150 l aquarium. You have to start with a little dose and increase it slowly. Add it in the morning, because bacteria will produce co2, which you don't want to happen at night...) Bacteria consume the carbohydrates from the alcohol and phosphates and nitrates to such a degree, that other forms of life could begin starving. They also can lead to a lack of oxygen, which is fatal ('bacterial bloom'). At the same time they are - as microscopic algae - at the bottom of food chains. I had also an explosion of plancton - which is very desirable!!!
And finally: It solve my problem with algae! I'm pretty sure that in freshwater environments this effect is also very desirable to provide biological co2 and also plancton for freshwater mussels, for example . And also to control algae growth. It seems as if some plants also profit from the carbohydrates...
Aren't those biological processes extremely fascinating?
My last significant projects were about saltwater aquariums. I always thought: This is too tough for me, very complicated and very expensive!!! But not necessarily. A friend of mine had a short term experiment with saltwater species that caught my interest. He caught them in the wild, took sand, rocks and water from the same place and put altogether in an aquarium.
I tried the same thing with a little 40 liter aquarium and took some 'stuff' from our Black Sea. It's amazing how many creatures had been in the water, plants and sand as larvae and evolved afterwards!!! Later I slowly raised the level of saltiness to normal and added some species from the Mediterranean Sea. During all the time I did just water changes with self prepared saltwater and fed the inhabitants. No problems, no control...
Here are some pictures (Sorry, I had no decent camera then...)
This is a mountain creek with crystal clear water, as you can see. The ground is covered with big gravel. In this river live caddisfly larvae...
Friday, August 10, 2018
Hi, my name is Stefan, I care for aquariums about 25 years by now. This is a blog about aquatic biotopes and biotope aquariums. I wanted to create this blog, because I find there is still little information available about biotope aquariums. If you have interesting information about aquatic biotopes or have a nice biotope aquarium, please share it! I believe, that the best way to success with aquariums of any kind - freshwater, saltwater or even paludariums - is to understand how an aquatic biotope works. The more natural and stable cycles and processes in an aquarium are the better it will work. According to me aquascaping is not necessarily a natural way to care for an aquarium. Many processes in an aquascape are monitored and maintained by high doses of fertilizers, co2 and those aquariums don't seem to run very stable. This is because species with very different requirements need to be kept in one tank because it looks beautiful. Even worse is the case with saltwater aquariums. Some are totally technology dependent and very delicate. My observations in nature show the total opposite. Most systems are very flexible and enduring. They stand extreme occasions depending on seasonal differences or ecological catastrophes. There must be a different way to install and maintain aquariums more natural. That is my approach and I think this could be future trend in aquaristics...
