[Prev][Next][Index]

Re:Growing conditions for plants and alg


 Stephen

 >>Any comments on water flow being good/bad for plants? <<

 I do know that I have problems with detritus settling on leaves in my Discus
tank that I do not have in my 70G tank.  The 70G has powerheads hidden in the
back to move water around, while the Discus tank does not since it would
bother the fish.  This is more an annoyance than a real "problem", however.

 The only first hand experience I've had with a plant showing a definite
_preference_ for fast moving water is my C. balansae. (or is it crispatula
now?<g>)  This plant sort of hung on and "sulked" in a couple of different
tanks over a period of several years.  About a year ago, I moved it to my
paludarium, where it sits directly in front of the flow from a powerhead.  It
gets hit hard enough that the leaves are blown sideways in the current.  In
this position, it has grown much longer leaves, and finally has started to
send out a number of runners.

 >> From: stevensj at calshp_cals.wisc.edu
 Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 17:36:30 -0500
 Subject: [none] <<


 >> Also, your CO2 addition rate (bubble count) seems too high.  I think I've
heard that one bubble per 3 sec is optimum - try reducing the bubble count &
see if it makes a difference to pH.<<

 There can be no "optimum" bubble count, because the amount of supplemental
CO2 needed by an individual tank is much too variable.  It depends on KH, tank
size, lighting, efficiency of the diffusion system, stocking levels, types of
plants, plant growth etc.

 >> I believe that there is probably a max. saturation level for CO2 & you are
probably not doing much *good* by adding excess CO2. <<

 I'm sure there is a maximum saturation rate, but it is _MUCH_ higher than is
safe for fish or plants.  CO2 levels of up to 40 mg/L are considered to be
safe for fish, and there is some evidence to believe that fish can tolerate
much higher levels even than this, although I can think of no good reason to
use levels higher than this in a planted tank.

  E-mail from: Karen Randall, 16-May-1995