RE: [APD] K+ Deficiency Symptoms - Scott?

["Laith Arif" <laith at swissonline_ch>]

Interesting point.

First I've seen sodium specifically mentioned like this.  So what are the
sodium deficiency symptoms? Or does a lack of sodium just inhibit uptake of
one of the others?

Or is it an issue at all as the level of sodium we're talking about might be
at trace level and always present anyway?

Laith


-----Original Message-----
From: Wright Huntley [mailto:whuntley at verizon_net] 
Sent: 09 December 2004 19:05
To: Aquatic Plants Digest
Subject: Re: [APD] K+ Deficiency Symptoms - Scott?



> Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 08:28:07 -0800 (PST)
> From: "S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>
> Subject: Re: [APD] K+ Deficiency Symptoms - Scott?
> 
> Also, worth noting, Ghazanfar Ghori at one time recommended
> K levels around 10 ppm. I don't know if he still does but
> that's the vote of one other gardener.
> 
> sh

The issue could be less one of absolute amount than of balance. The 
basic (called "essential" by the medical types) electrolytes that 
dominate all cell activity are sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium 
ions. They use each other and are required to be within certain ranges 
to sustain life and proper allow cell transport.

Folks who overdo RO or rainwater find their plants and animals are 
poisoned by salt. The same exact amounts have no adverse effects if a 
proper mineral balance is present by adding some hard tap water or 
something like Seachem's "Equilibrium." As pointed out earlier, a Ca 
shortage can be seen to improve as other electrolytes are added, but the 
real solution is to get more Ca in there, and get a *balance* of 
essential electrolytes.

I discovered this when I moved from Fremont to Modesto. I took some Java 
moss that had survived nicely in a brackish *Pantanodon stuhlmanni* tank 
at a SG of around 1.015 (sea water being about 1.025). The Modesto 
water, at a tds of about 30-50 ppm contained almost no essential 
electrolytes (only a trace of sodium) and no carbonates (Sierra snow 
runoff across only granite). [Fremont had a nice balance and 300 ppm tds 
with 200 ppm as "hardness."] I practically killed most of my plants and 
nearly killed all my killies by adding a little sodium chloride to raise 
tds to a more comfortable level for osmotic pressure purposes -- about 
90-100 ppm. That is a really tiny amount of salt! Browning plants and 
sick fish were soon obvious.

As soon as I switched to "Equilibrium," plants and fish perked right up 
and I had lush green Java moss in just a couple of weeks. Lesson 
learned: *All* the 4 electrolytes need to be there in modest amounts. OD 
on one can cause a deficiency of another. Absence of one can cause 
toxicity, fast.

Just my US$0.02. YMMV.

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley - Rt. 001 Box K36, Bishop CA 93514 - whuntley at verizon_net
                       760 872-3995

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