[APD] Re: plant/algae competition

[Roger Miller <roger at spinn_net>]

On Tuesday 20 January 2004 15:02, Ann wrote:

> But the plants ought to be leaking "plant products" not "plant intakes"
> this would help explain why it isn't so easy to say what is lacking, if the
> algae growth is reflecting the leakage of what is in the plant, stored
> reserves, not necessarily the inputs that are in excess now.

That was my case, but Claus' information was an plants leaking inorganic 
nutrients -- the plant intakes.  There seems to be plenty of information that 
plants do leak quite a few products.  I've had a hard time finding 
quantification of how much, what kind and when.

This I found out; plants can leak up to as much as algae (~50% of fixed 
carbon) and; the products leaked are colorless, metabolically available to 
other organisms and include nitrogen-bearing compounds (not just simple 
sugars). 

> I observe that when I add new plants to a tank, they frequently develop
> algae and then the old leaves decay, aided by the snails that come to
> feast. Removal of the old leaves is the best solution, for the new leaves
> are not as prone to the algae it seems.

Is it possible that those older leaves were emersed-grown and not adapted to 
submersed cultivation?


Roger Miller
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