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Re: Cyanobacteria, Algae, etc.



     

 Roger Miller wrote: (excerpts, out of order)

-For clarity, are the values you're citing actually phosphorus (P)
-concentrations, or are they phosphate (PO4) concentrations?
    Sorry, those were for inorganic phosphate.

-Either way, that seems low enough.  I think in most tanks with phosphorus 
below -      -0.05 that something other than P is usually more limiting.
    
    Are you saying, more or less, that levels between .00 and .05 are 
generally ample?

(snip)
-I don't know that parasitism is likely.  Interestingly (to me, anyway)
-aquatic plants apparently "leak" fairly large amounts of organic material
-into the water.  I'm not real clear on the details of that.
    
    That's interesting to me too.  Do you know if they do it all the time?  
I'll try and learn about that when I can.


(snip)
-I have read in technical literature the speculation that leaking organics is 
a ploy
-evolved specifically to promote growth of attached algae and
-cyanobacteria.  The idea is that herbivores would then concentrate on the
-attached growth and leave the underlying leaf alone.
    
    I had been wondering if ,at times, my plants were somehow supporting the 
cba on their leaves to protect themselves from a light level they couldn't 
handle.  This because when peeling the thick dark layer away, leaves were 
healthy and nearly fully green.  Among others, Glosso. comes to mind, which 
still grew horiz.(very slowly), though more elongated, in spite of the 
coating.   (They weren't being fed on significantly). 


(snip)
-My sense is that you're concentrating to much on the phosphorus and that
-you don't need to buy a more expensive kit.  The problem lies elsewhere.
(snip)
-Perhaps you should try a different approach.  An approach that worked for
-me was based on the observation I cited near the beginning of this
-response, that cyanobacteria proliferates only under conditons that are
-poorly suited for other organisms.  To beat the cyanobacteria you need to
-take a positive approach -- improve the conditions that you provide for
-other plants and animals and even for algae in your tank.

    It's good to hear about that.  I've been trying to do that, but felt 
constrained by cba.  I'll hang on to my hat and see what I can do.   You gave 
me alot that I can work with.  Instead of posting a whole tank desc., it 
seems best to work at it some more.
    Thank You for your help and for the very interesting info.  I _really_ 
appreciate it. 

    Zach K.
    P.S. By the way , I do reconstitute my r/o water. thnx