Re: [APD] Excess nutrients

[Raj <ggrk at blr_vsnl.net.in>]

Bill,

         The eventual tank balance level with then get limited on the lighting.
The energy input (light) will have to be factored in. I guess that a low light
tank would see very little change.. like one of my own tanks just boomed in
growth when *only* the light was increased by a factor of 2. I presume that
there was surplus nutrients without me adding PMDD. Earlier adding PMDD
did not make any difference due to light limitations. I was depending on
natural light which got shaded out by some trees in the yard.

         Only a product of light and nutrients would result in a 
linear increase
of biomass in the tank if there is additional space to grow. Considering
if there was an infinite space to grow then either light or nutrients would
taking the growth graph into a flat top. OTOH if the light and nutrients
increased largely then space constrains would top out the growth.. finally
the algae would fill the rest of the spaces.. All this assuming that the plants
did not just shade out the rest and light reached everywhere in the tank.

         And there are other issues that would also influence the 
situation that
I have not imagined at this moment...

Raj

>Assuming that excess nutrients in a well planted, "balanced" aquarium do not
>cause algae, is there a tipping point after which the addition of more
>nutrients would cause an algae outbreak?
>
>I am thinking of a healthy but lightly planted tank with low nutrient levels
>(say, 5 ppm of NO3 and .5 ppm of PO4) and no algae.  If the nutrients were
>suddenly increased to, say, 50 ppm and 5 ppm and maintained at that level,
>do you think an algae outbreak would occur?
>
>My guess is yes, but maybe the plant biomass would expand on the presence of
>the additional nutrients and, eventually, the tank would get back into
>balance, if there was enough room for the additional plants.
>
>Bill

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