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Re: Biplane10's LEAD WEIGHTS
Biplane wrote:
>I was having health problems, and accompanying fish deaths while a lead
plant
>weight was in the tank. The problem seemed remedied by removal of the lead
>weight and huge changes of water, during which carbon was used to filter.
All
>else stayed the same and water parameters were otherwise excellent.
>
>The higher the acidity of the water, the more of a problem this would be,
I'd
>guess.
I wish this problem were addressed more in the aquarium trade. I first
realized the problem when I used lead weights to hold down sword runners
below the surface of a BALANCED aquarium. The more I used, the more plant
growth seemed to slow. I increased lighting...no effect. I increased
substrate nutrients...no effect. Water changes gave limited improvment. I
increased Co2 to no effect in plant growth, but in response fish began to
die that were showing no signs of illness. Ph didnt drop below 6.6.
I read up on the action of lead in an aquarium and realized Co2 was
enhancing the dissolution of lead into the water column! The dissolved
lead IMHO was inhibiting plant growth AND obviously killing the fish. The
situation changed after a completly changed the water and dumped the top 2"
of substrate.
One cannot deny the utility of the lead weights. Its for this reason I
came up with this idea and I have a local hardware guy make them for me:
http://www.mindspring.com/~boukmn/P&L.html scroll to bottom of page.
See my NEW (3/1) Plants and Driftwood at;
http://www.mindspring.com/~boukmn/P&L.html
eBay specials; http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/boukmn/