[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Plant nutrients in water column



Steve P. quoted Dr. Dave as saying:

> I
>asked the same type of question in a paper published in 1982 and came up
>with the same result (Huebert and Gorham (Aquatic Bot. 16: 269 to 283).
>These experiments, and several others, indicated that with a fertile
>substrate the only nutrients required in the water column are Ca, Mg, K
>and of course CO2 (I must admit, though, that the evidence for
>micronutrients is scant and it is in fact likely that water column
>additions of micronutrients is a good strategy ... though my swords and
>Sagittaria are completely indifferent to whether or not I add
>micronutrients)

Of course, this makes the supposition that the aquarist is _only_
interested in growing root feeding plants who's roots are IN the substrate.
 Just making it clear that this strategy will not work for those plants who
depend on the water column for all nutrients.


Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association