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[APD] Re: The why of the Barr method



Jeff Ludwig wrote in part
>Okay, so within the Barr framework, what do I do about attached algae? Do
>these melt away also? What about BBA in the substrate/on driftwood (this is
>a huge problem among even the most seasoned growers)? Why can't we isolate
>this chemical, bottle it and make millions? The market for a chemical like
>this is enormous (almost all of it outside of the aquarium industry). Same
>comments apply to Jim's reply, if these chemicals existed they would be
>commercially available already and this would not be an academic pursuit. :)
>Okay, so within the Barr framework, what do I do about attached algae? Do
>these melt away also? What about BBA in the substrate/on driftwood (this is
>a huge problem among even the most seasoned growers)? Why can't we isolate
>this chemical, bottle it and make millions? The market for a chemical like
>this is enormous (almost all of it outside of the aquarium industry). Same
>comments apply to Jim's reply, if these chemicals existed they would be
>commercially available already and this would not be an academic pursuit. :)

OK firstly I don't think chemical warfare is the only thing gong on. The high levels of dissolved oxygen goes a long way toward getting rid of algae attached to things that can't fight back. BBA seems especially susceptible to this effect. A big thick stand won't just disappear but I have noticed if I get things pearling away nicely the SAEs will attack the weakened stand of BBA and mow it down. Green water is probably similarly adversely affected by high O2 levels.
Secondly although I didn't state it clearly I doubt that the plants' resistance to attached algae is through just pumping out toxins. Just pumping out algacides would be an extremely wasteful response for a water plant. I would guess it is something much more short range like responses in the plants cell wall when an algae spore tries to attach. Terrestrial plants can respond to insect or fungal attack by such methods as forming galls around affected parts or producing toxins in localised areas. I would be very surprised if aquatic plants hadn't evolved some sort of defense response to attached algae. In short I doubt that there is one single thing going on but the environment produced when plants are healthy and growing does seem to suppress algae and it sure isn't about competition for limited nutrients or light.


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