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Re: Anaerobic substrate again




> Subject: Anaerobic substrate again
> 
> Before few months I had asked about anaerobic substrate, however, I did get
> some technical jargon but my fundas were not cleared.
> 
> I would now like to ask point blank:-
> 
> 1. If I uproot a plant and if some air-bubbles come up from the substrate,
> does it mean that the  substrate is anaerobic?,

No.
> 
> 2.If so, then what is its significance for the plant/fishes and what is the
> prevention?
> 3. If I poke a tweezer in the substrate for a depth of about one inch at a
> pont and if air-bubbles come up, doest that mean the substrate is anerobic?

No.
 
> I hope answers to these questions will  clear my bug for anaerobic
> substrate.
> 
> Dr Athale,
> Baroda India.

Black sulfur rotten egg smell= bad substrate. You'll see black gravel and
rotting crowns in your plants and poor growth. Anaerobic itself is not bad.
Plant's roots bring O2 deep into the soil and many aquatic plants are
particularly good at dealing with anaerobic water logged substrates. Well
developed root systems can turn an anaerobic substrate into an aerobic
substrate in a plant tank. Root respiration rates can be quite high so the
roots do need O2 but they can get it from the anatomical aerenchyma
formation which seems to work well for the plants.
I hope to get some nice slide cross sections made this coming month using
Riccia for the aerenchyma and some anatomy differences in A. reineckii roots
above and below the substrate. Lot of work to make them though.
Regards, 
Tom Barr