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Fwd: Re: [none] (plant growth)



Hi all,

Couldn't resist passing on this gem. 

Wright

P.S. Geert's father *defines* the "Dutch Tank." You should see the pictures!

---- Begin Forwarded Message

Reply-To: killies at mejac_palo-alto.ca.us

"Richard J. Sexton" <richard at ns1_vrx.net> wrote:

> Subject: [none]
> 
> I've discovered the secret to great plant growth.
> 
> I bought a bag of java fern 3 months ago at the CKA auction. Because
> I started to move then, I have yet to unpack it. It's growing great
> in the same bag.
> 
> When I moved my fishtanks, i drained all but 1" of water out of them.
> 
> Mycrypts have neevr grown so well.
> 
> I've concluded water is the enemy of aquatic plants ;-)
> 
> ------------------------------

This is not so very strange, when you consider that most of the plants 
that we are trying to "drown" in our aquaria are really species that 
usually grow emerged with nothing but moist soil, e.g. riverbanks and 
swamps.
Most of the plants that are offered in aquariumshops are cultivated in 
this way (except for the true waterplants of course) and you can easily 
do this yourself.
For more than 20 years my father used *his* special mixture of peat, 
compost and fine sand (in even parts) and mixed a little dried cowshit 
into it. He put a 2-3 inch layer of this mixture in an old aquarium and 
soaked it with water and put the plants in (mostly Cryptocorine, Anubias 
and Echinodorus species). Covered it to prevent dehydration and put the 
tank in a bright place in the garden (no direct sunlight) and all he did 
was harvest every few weeks. During the winter he moved the tank to his 
fishroom.
He also used it to "recuperate" plants that lost most of their beauty 
after their stay in the underwater aquariumworld.
His motivation:"It doesn't cost me any extra money and I always have the 
best quality to choose from".


Geert. 			geert.van.huijgevoort at tip_nl




-- 

Wright Huntley (408) 248-5905 Santa Clara, CA USA huntley at ix_netcom.com