[APD] RE: allelopathic thoughts

["Thomas Barr" <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

> From: "Marcin Baranowski" <martin777 at poczta_fm>
> Subject: [APD] RE: allelopathic thoughts 
> To: <aquatic-plants at actwin_com>
>
> Tom provided strong arguments against the significance of allelopathy in
> "competition" between plants and algae. Let's look at this problem from a
> different angle. Maybe it's not about something that healthy plants leach
> but about something that they don't? High availability of light and CO2
> promotes fast photosynthesis, but plants need sufficent amount of all
those
> micro and macronutrients to utilize synthetised carbohydrates and to
convert
> them to aminoacids, proteins etc. Nutrient deficiency can also impair
uptake
> and/or utylization of other nutrients. It may lead to a leach of DOC and
> absorbed nutrients to the water column thereby promoting algae growth. 

But it'll also do the same to the algae, algae are very leaky also.

It
> would make sense if algae has the ability to assimilate simple organic
> compounds such as aminoacids, carbohydrates etc. from the water column.
Can
> they?

Yes, to some extent but it's not a large pathway/mechanism with the species
we keep with exception to the BGA/Green water.

But an easy way to deal with that to see if it has an impact is to use
activated carbon.
Works well for removing some of these compounds. 

Many of the so called Allelopathic compounds, nutrients etc can be easily
removed with carbon and yet we see(at least I do and others that have tried
it) the same pattern with the plants/algae.

This is a relatively straight forward test most any aquarist can tery out
and see if these compounds play a role.  

Regards, 
Tom Barr
 
> Marcin Baranowski
> Bialystok, Poland



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