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Re: Murcy clay water



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>
>From: Stephen.Pushak at saudan_HAC.COM
>Date: Mon, 02 Sep 1996 23:47:30 PDT
>Subject: Murky clay water
>.....<Snipped>........After about 6 hours, the water in my experimental
>Crypt pot remains turbid and slightly chalky in appearance. Should I:
>a) wait a little longer and see if it clarifies
>b) ignore the turbidity
>c) siphon the water off since it is probably quite high in calcium
>and other minerals and discard it -or-
>d) re-use this water in small amounts for my aquariums or house plants
>as a source of calcium (which is deficient in our tap water)
>
>Is anyone familiar with the symptoms of calcium deficiency in plants?


Hi, Steve,

It should clarify completely in about 2 weeks, but you should see
improvement in a day or two.  I don't think there are a lot of particularly
valuable nutrients in that water.  There are easier ways to get calcium.
You can put egg shells, clam shells or oyster shells in your tanks, or you
can get some lime from a garden store and add it in small amounts while
watching your pH.  Calcium deficiency hits the plant at the growth
(meristematic) regions of both the roots and shoots.  Deficient roots are
short and stubby, and the tips die and turn brown when the deficiency is
severe.  The shoot may produce distorted and twisted smaller leaves,
sometimes with white striping in the monocots.  With more severe deficiency
the growing tip of the shoot dies, and axillary buds try to grow a bit, but
die, also.  Boron deficiency symptoms are very similar to those of calcium
deficiency.

Paul Krombholz                  Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS  39174
In much cooler Mississippi.