[APD] RE: ADA and SeaChem

["Thomas Barr" <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

> Having worked in the chemical industry, I can tell you that there are 
> two obvious reasons why a company's formulations are proprietary:  1)  
> competitors, 2) do it yourselfers.  Usually, a "trade secret" suggests 
> anyone can do it, given the inclination, equipment, and know how.  

That's "power" in the sand, as Amano says.
This is preciselty what he is doing.
SeaChem will tell you pretty much everything they are allowed to.

A 
> truly novel product that cannot be reproduced doesn't need to be 
> protected by secrecy.  Our delightful hobby is such that some prefer to 
> spend top dollar on whatever will work for them; others want to 
> understand why things work and are willing to tinker.  To each his own.

See SeaChem.
Wonder why I am such a hardcore SeaChem guy?
They are open, responsive and non evasive, sell good stuff that works,
responds to the planted hobbyists need nmore than any other in the North
America and now abroad, they will tell you everything they are allowed to
and explain it well, they show up to the AGA events and help the hobby that
feeds them. Leo wouild be proud.

> Inspired by Tom Barr's recent posts and some great forum reading (where 
> would this hobby be without the internet?), I started water testing 
> again (I know that's not the "Barr Method" per se, but I needed to know 
> where my tanks were before adding nutrients). 

Well, I did indeed test like crazy but now I only need to test what I do
"not" know. So testing for one thing and seeing how it effects things is
nicer.
But you use to be in the chem industry and I know you'll enjoy messing with
it and then you'll see and scratch yer skull some too and ask the same
things I did. 

 To my amazement, all 
> three tanks were radically different, even though they were pretty much 
> neglected equally. 

I wish folks would re read this statement 1000 times. Most assume that the
tanks are all similar rather than seeing if they are or not. This is a
great reason for testing, I learned how to do this with 2 tanks and then
figured out hiow to keep them the same without testing later.
Aftrer testing the water for several weeks(6) and seeing the estimative
index stability for the acceptable ranges I had in mind, I knew the tanks
were very similar. 
  
 Two had nitrates in excess of 100 ppm, one due to 
> overpopulation, the other to the apparent demise of two SAEs (RIP).  
> Even kH varied, with one tank at 6 dkH and the other two at 11 dkH, 
> even though the tap water is the same for all three.  Go figure.  The 
> good news is now that I have a bead on my water parameters, I can 
> fertilize each tank strategically, as Tom suggests.  The differences 
> already are quite noticeable, even after only four weeks.

See how it goes, you seem experimental so go a ahead, try some things, see
how long you can let something go or keep it going.
 You might be very intrested in Edward's post in APC. I'm offering critque
and counter  but I am very very interested in Edward's results and methods.
See prepetual preservation system.

> What I sometimes forget is that aquariums are closed systems, unlike a 
> natural stream or lake, which has a constant flow of water carrying 
> nutrients in and waste out., unless you're talking about the Dead Sea 
> (which some of my tanks have resembled at times, especially before I 
> knew to top off evaporative loss with RO water).  For this reason, the 
> Barr Method is intuitively sound.  In the natural setting, the water 
> column is constantly being renewed; in the aquarium we must replicate 
> this through regular water changes and nutrient additions.  Obvious but 
> often overlooked, I think.

It's all about the rate of input and output.Some things hold the nutrients
longer is all.
Or....ask a question about a substrate and see what they say.
I was certainly entertained by Amano's evasive comments(they come off
funny), but he's doing this business and doing a great thing for the hobby
as well.
No one can doubt him for his influence on this hobby. And this business
also supports him doing wonderful things like lots of neat tank scapes.

Regards, 
Tom Barr








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