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Re: Phosphates



From:	NAME: DIONIGI MALADORNO
	FUNC: PRCI
	TEL: 201-812-3495 <MALADORD@A1@RNISD0>
To:	NAME: AQUATIC PLANTS <"Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com"@INET@MRGATE@RNISD0>

Kevin wrote:


>add (yes
>add) light (you've only got 120W for a 180gal tank, correct?), K2SO4,
>KNO3, and trace elements to the tank.  The idea is to make sure that
>your plants can consume all the available phosphate, leaving none for
>the algae.  I can help you with dosing, but you'll have to find the
>ingredients locally.

>Incidentally, my guess is that the phosphate is coming from the tablets,
not
>the peat.


Thanks for the suggestions.
I just want to clarify something important right the way:

1) I have a VHO ballast, and the light output is supposed to be 95W for each
3' tube. This gives a ratio of  2.1 Watt/gallon, with a total output of 380
W. The floating plants however screen some light away, and the yellow/brown
pigments and particles coming from peat certainly absorbed a lot of it.
Without peat I see the water being much more clear, with more efficient
light transmission.

2) Please send me some clarifications on the use of K2SO4 (is this potash? I
could not understand well the issue from the recent postings) and KNO4. The
floating plants are growing like crazy, as well as some of the submersed
plats (albeit a minority). Wouldn't trace- and macro-element deficiency be
incompatible with this? My discus and I also do not want (if possible) to
raise hardness and pH.

3) I added the Delaware Imports tablets only 2 weeks ago. I had elevated
levels of phosphates well before of that. I do not think they are the main
phosphate source, because when peat was in the filter and tablets in the
substrate the PHOSZORB could not lower the phosphate levels (I waisted the
first pouch with no results). After I removed the peat, the pouch was able
to measurably lower the levels (yesterday I was down to 1.2, from the
original 4). I think that the bags of peat were a reservoir that the resin
was not able to empty. In the past I also tested the levels of PO4 in
another tank before and after adding Tetra Black Water Extract, finding
phosphate increases (Red Sea Test kit). However, since the tables might
indeed somewhat contribute to the problem, I will make a little experiment
dissolving a table in a bucket and testing the water. I will let you know
how it goes.

Isn't this fun??


Dionigi

P.S. If you have the chance in your paper to review the interactions between
PO4 and iron, this would be very interesting. Could this prevent plants from
using it? Maybe all the iron in my tank is useless for plants? 


P.P.S. (Post- Post-Scriptum) To George Booth and Shinji Egi: PHOSZORB did
not affect iron levels in my tank; since I know these resins are not as
selective as they say, I monitored it (HACH kit), but found no problems. I
know however that it removes also silicates. I do not know what happens to
other trace elements. One time I called the manufacturer and found a nice
guy at the customer service. Mybe I will call again.