Re: [Killietalk] Canary in an aquarium

["home66run" <home66run at neb_rr.com>]

"A few details:  It's a 30 gal tank, heavily planted - Amazon sword, java
moss, java fern and a couple unidentified plants - 1pr kribs and 2 pr
gardneri.  All plants are growing well except the hornworth. "

Have your added any new plants recently?  According to Diana Walstad's book
"Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" ,  "Aquatic plants contain a variety of
allelochemicals whose primary function is to protect the plant from being
eaten by fish and insects or being destroyed by disease."  She states that
Allelopathic behavior has been reported in 97 species of aquatic plants.

Allelopathic behavior from one type of plant can have a detrimental affect
on another type of plant.  She has a table where she shows the affect of
allelochemicals isolated from aquatic plants that inhibit a variety of
organisms.  Ceratophyllum demersum (hornwort) for instance will inhibit 60%
of lettuce seedlings and 30 % of duckweed seedlings.

There is a example question in the book that talks about a person having
problems growing infusoria in a container that contains Java Moss.  There
was a string a little while ago talking about someone (I don't remember who
right now) not finding any critters when they examined their Java Moss under
a microscope.  It would appear that the lack of infusoria is a result of the
above allelopathic behavior.  Java Moss is great for purifying the water,
but not as harbor for fry food.

Also, it's possible your water source has changed in it's mineral content.
That can have a negative effect on some plantlife.

Thank you,
Marshall Cameron


AKA #08791


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