Amano Ingredients

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Amano Ingredients
From: krandall at world_std.com
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 18:58:54 -0500
STDIXON wrote:

>Three cheers for that sentiment!  Now, why don't we take a respite from
>PMDD and Tropica MasterGrow, and try to figure out what Amano is doing? 
>Why don't we buy samples of all of his stuff: PowerSand, Green Mix this and
>that, Special Hocus Pocus Goop A, B and C, and whatever else :-), and try
>to figure out his methods?  

I haven't seen anything (including all the photos in his books) to lead me
to beleive that Amano has any corner on growing beautiful plants in algae
free environments.  Amano is an master at aquarium design, there's no doubt
about that.  He's an even better photographer.  But I haven't seen any
plants in his tanks that couldn't be grown just as well by many
accomplished American and European aquatic gardeners.

>If any of you chemistry/science types were interested in determining the
>ingredients of Amano's stuff, I will send you a check for $50 to help with
>the lab costs.  I really mean it.  Maybe his stuff is just another brand of
>Ibuprofen (N,P,K plus a mix of iron and other trace elements), but what if
>he's on to something new?  

What have you seen in his books that's new?(from a PLANT GROWTH standpoint,
not a design/photography standpoint)

>He's a pretty original guy, I think.  (I want to
>think about this a little bit more, but I don't think there's anything
>illegal, immoral or improper about determining the ingredients in Amano's
>products.  

I hope not.<g>  Beacause the same has already been done by George (or his
wife?) on the Dupla products, and we've all benefitted, I think.

>I've kind
>of already made a little promise to myself not to buy any product that
>doesn't list the ingredients (with relative amounts).  I was pleased to see
>that SeaChem Flourish now comes with a list of ingredients with
>percentages.  I agree with your stand, and I'm glad to see that Seachem
has come through. IMO, that's what all reputable companies should do.

>On a personal note, in the past I traveled in Japan (for work) on numerous
>occasions, and I never knew to take the train north to Niigata--to see the
>Great One's beautiful aquariums.  Oh, how I wish I had done that!  

>Correction from yesterday:  On page 176 of The Optimum Aquarium, the
>nitrate level for the large Dupla aquarium is listed as 25 mg/l.  Whow!

Goes to prove Paul and Kevin's assertion that phosphate is a better
limiting factor for algae growth than nitrate.<g>