I found this bit of information also. "Brown algae" (diatoms) This is often the first algae to appear in a newly set-up tank, where conditions have yet to stabilise. It will often appear around the 2-12 week period, and may disappear as quickly as it arrived when the conditions stabilise after a couple of months. It is essential to minimise nutrient levels to ensure the algae disappears - avoid overfeeding and carry out the appropriate water changes, gravel and filter cleaning, etc. Limiting the light will not deter this algae, as it can grow at low lighting levels and will normally out-compete green algae under these conditions. If brown algae appears in an established tank, check nitrate and phosphate levels. Increased water changes or more thorough substrate cleaning may be necessary. Using a phosphate-adsorbing resin will also remove silicates, which are important to the growth of this algae. However, as noted above, it is essentially impossible to totally eliminate algae with this strategy alone. Due to its ability to grow at low light levels, this algae may also appear in dimly lit tanks, where old fluorescent bulbs have lost much of their output. If a problem does occur, otocinclus catfish are known to clear this algae quickly, although you may need several for larger tanks, and they can be difficult to acclimatise initially. There are some very plausible theories as to why this algae often appears in newly set up tanks and then later disappears. If the silicate (Si) to phosphate (P) ratio is high, then diatoms are likely to have a growth advantage over true algae types and Cyanobacteria. Some of the silicate may come from the tapwater, but it will also be leached from the glass of new aquaria, and potentially from silica sand/gravel substrates to some extent. Later, when this leaching has slowed, and phosphate is accumulating in the maturing tank, the Si:P ratio will change in favour of phosphate, which is likely to favour the growth of green algae instead. Green algae A certain amount of green algae is likely to occur in any tank with sufficient lighting. It is eaten by most algae eating fish and is generally fairly easy to remove from the tank glass. Hard 'green dot' algae This appears as small round dots on the aquarium glass. It appears to be a normal part of planted tanks with higher light levels. Algae-eating fish will not remove this algae and manual removal requires hard scraping. Magnetic algae scrapers are usually inadequate, unless the edge of one half is used inside the tank - or use a razor blade.

Once and for all: How to stop the iVillage ad onslaught. First we need to understand how it's done: iVillage doesn't bother to try and buy ads directly from all the various companies that show up on the pages of GW. Instead they use large ad-service agencies like doubleclick, akamai and pointroll. You can visit some of these sites if you'd like to see who's behind the ads. http://www.akamai.com http://www.doubleclick.com/us http://pointroll.com This makes it easy to block out all or almost all of the ads very easily, just block the originating sites. Right now all the ads on GW come from: http://amch.questionmarket.com http://a820.g.akamai.net http://iv.doubleclick.net http://i.ivillage.com http://m.2mdn.net http://tste.ivillage.com http://img-cdn.mediaplex.com http://ads.vmirror.com http://cmhtml.ivillage.overture.com http://ads.pointroll.com The Universal Solution.This will work on Windows systems for all browsers; IE, FireFox and Netscape. The Windows operating system provides a system-level method to block specific IP addresses before they even get to the browser. To effect this solution you need to edit a Windows system file called hosts. This file is located in the directory: Windows XP: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC Windows 2K: C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC Windows 98: C:\WINDOWS Open the file in Notepad. Cut the following from this post and paste it to the end of the file. 127.0.0.1 amch.questionmarket.com 127.0.0.1 a820.g.akamai.net 127.0.0.1 iv.doubleclick.net 127.0.0.1 i.ivillage.com 127.0.0.1 m.2mdn.net 127.0.0.1 tste.ivillage.com 127.0.0.1 img-cdn.mediaplex.com 127.0.0.1 ads.vmirror.com 127.0.0.1 cmhtml.ivillage.overture.com 127.0.0.1 ads.pointroll.com Edit each entry so that there is a tab between the IP address 127.0.0.1 and the URLs. Save the file and you're finished. Close and re-open your browser and all the ads will be gone. Unfortunately, iVillage may in the future buy ads from a new source. In this event the new ad source will have to be added to the list. The IE solution.Most of the ads are placed using Java$cript. You can remove the more offensive ads in IE with the browser settings. You can't however remove them all. To improve GW using IE do the following: From the menu select Tools -> Internet Options -> Security and click on Custom Level. Scroll down to the end of the list and you'll see an entry for Scripting. Disable all the sub-entries. Now select the tab labeled Privacy. In the bottom of the box that appears check on the option to block pop-ups. I recommend you also click on the button Advanced and select the option to block Third-party Cookies. NOTE: By disabling Scripting you will also effect the way other websites behave. You may need to get used to switching scripting on and off as desired. That's why this is the least desirable of these various options. The FireFox solutionThis is an excellent choice -- it's the fastest...

Hi, Mikie. I didn't realize I could go to the Java control panel. There was a selection for temporary internet files - with a warning that only advanced users should delete files or modify settings. But I clicked "view" anyway to take a look. It brought up a box with a heading that said Java Cache Viewer. But all five selections from the drop down menu - starting with applications - brought up an empty box. And the top of the box said installed size 0.0kb and Cached size 0.0KB. So there didn't seem to be anything to clear or delete. The other option from the java control panel under temporary internet files, is settings. When I click settings, it brings up a box that says temporary file settings - and an option to hit delete. But I got scared to hit delete after the warning. Is that the spot in the control panel that you suggest I do delete? Should I select "delete files?" ------------------------ So next I looked for a shortcut - and don't have one on the desktop. But I had one in the start menu. I clicked on it, hit properties and it brought up several Secunia files. When I moused over them they were all dated October 2011. So clearly my last install yesterday - which indicated that it was removing earlier versions - did not remove this version. Even the one in the system tray - when I click 'about" it also dates this as October, 2011. When I right click and select open (for the Secunia PSI file), it opens the box for a moment - but then the box disappears). Anybody know if 2.0.0.4003 is the latest version? When I look at the Secunia file I downloaded yesterday, it says version 2.0.0.4003 - and is dated may 8, 2012. I'm thinking I should go back to the properties and select uninstall. Should I uninstall? I thought I had uninstalled when I clicked yesterday's download - and it prompted me to first select that it uninstall previous versions. (By the way, I had previously in the fall, tried removing the Secunia program with add/remove programs - and redownloaded, but that didn't work.) So is it possible that I still have a bad version from Oct. 2011 - that's preventing successful downloads? and isn't uninstalling? Help. I count on Secunia to keep my programs up to date - and now I can't run the online or psi version. Thanks. Lynn.

Technicolor - After reading your original post again, I never thought about porch and floor paint but that would make sense. What brand (Ace?) were you talking about? Oh, and wouldn't you still need to sand - at least scuff sand and use a (bonding) primer like Zinsser first? *NOTE - Just a general heads up, I don't recommend anyone using SW Porch and Floor paint. Total crap. I supposedly got a 'bad batch' (it never got past tacky and I went above and beyond to do that job right.) and had to redo my stair project which was MISERABLE. They gave me a new gallon of paint and threw in some tape and sandpaper but that still didn't fix my stairs. I was told they were discontinuing the product but I believe it's still available. Your kitchen sounds really pretty. And I like red - have a bathroom painted BM Moroccan Red. You think bb around my DR side too? "My senses tell me it is the dining room that is making this so difficult for you. I know you don't want to change it, but the styles are clashing regardless of color." I almost hate to ask, but can you be more specific? I look at it everyday and I'm sure can't 'see' it like someone else. I'm assuming it's too formal/stuffy for the kitchen side? I've been trying to get away from that a bit, tho the rug didn't bother me enough to make it a replacing priority right now. I figured I'd have a better chance of stumbling across art I liked first. Even if I had more money, I don't know what I'd pick or replace first. Ha, it's a little tough to change anything if you don't have a clear game plan. It's interesting, in the past when I had a project, I'd throw ideas out and go back and forth, back and forth with what I wanted to do and I always have to WAIT, sometimes months, until I figure out what's going to work for me. I wish I knew how to speed the process up. I'll post a photo with the new hardware on when it comes.