Algae Control using small fish?
Is there any correlation between TDS readings and algae content in the system? That is, will the presence of algae contribute to higher TDS readings? I initially started with plain water and had a reading of 175 on the meter. I added Southern Ag. Special Hydro product along with Epsom salts and calcium nitrate as per instructions to treat 50 gallons of water and raised the TDS reading to around 850. The TDS measurements lowered by around 25 units a day for several days, but seems to have leveled off at around 750, and algae levels are rising.
It would be nice if there were some inexpensive algae eating fish that can survive in the nutrient mix.
A sump pump with a float switch cycles around 75 gallons 4 to 6 times per hour, so there is a lot of water movement through the system. I know that aquaponics makes use of fish waste to feed plants. That is not my intention. I would like to know if some small aquarium algae eaters have ever been used to control algae levels effectivly in a hydroponic system, and if so, what (small) fish species would last the longest in a hydroponic environment? Thanks, chuck