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Re: Yamato green, N and P

> From: Thomas Barr <tcbiii at earthlink_net>
> Subject: Re: Yamato green, N and P
> 
> I just think the macro's should not be mixed in with the traces. It's just
> that simple. Reason? They vary too much to different tank's light levels
> growth rates, tap waters etc. Traces generally do not.

	I don't mix them either, for much the same reason.

> So why even bother? Buy some KNO3 and add regular traces/PMDD etc. Want some
> ammonia add more fish food/fish.

	You'll get more than ammonia, but yes.

> KH2PO4 is great stuff too. I don't see
> anyone adding that yet:)

	I use it (or K2HPO4) all the time, but not as part of a mix.

> If someone wants to make something semi useful just make stock solutions of
> K+, PO4 and NO3, and NH4+. "Add 5 drops per 10 gallons to get 1.0ppm of NO3"
> and so on....etc.

	Yes

> I added 1.8 ppm PO4 before I left for 10 days. I had no PO4 when I got back.
> The plants looked like N and P starved. I estimate about .2ppm of P needed a
> day for my tanks.  This was not enough apparently. I am concerned with
> getting some algae outbreaks above 2.0ppm of PO4. I have not seen evidence
> of this yet though. Just being conservative(me conservative?). I see great
> growth at lower levels(1.0ppm range) so why push it beyond? This is crazy.
> Where does the breaking point exist? Curiosity killed the cat.  I dumped in
> about 1.2 ppm of PO4 and the plants just started pearling like mad. Added
> the KNO3(the next day) and lots of fish food. There was no algae at all.
> Hasn't been since I've been adding it. Health really improved at the high
> levels. I did use small pulses at first(to about .2ppm) but have abandoned
> that since the growth and health of the plants has improved dramatically at
> the higher less limited levels.

	This doesn't surprise me.

> Folks make me laugh when they say PO4 causes algae all the time.

	I think that the point is that one doesn't want to run out of
something _else_ when there is phosphate there, and I suspect that if there
is a lot of phosphate there, one may get problems anyway.  Once a tank
is going well, I find I have to add phosphate.

> But each
> tank is different....many of you have a fair amount in your tap. You folks
> don't need to add it.

	Just as most people in Europe don't have to add nitrate - they
have lots in their water.

	When Kevin and I started looking at the "PMDD" ideas, we were both
trying to get algae-ridden aquaria into a better state.  Supplying everything
else and withholding phosphate let us do that.  The situation is different
when things improve.


-- 
Paul Sears        Ottawa, Canada