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Re: K2HPO4

I sent Bob a bit of K2HPO4 to play with:

> I tell you - the Epiphany was that Tom Barr's "PO4 Epistle to the Phosphate
> Limited". Phosphate was the final piece to this puzzle. There's no need to
> avoid it entirely at all -- and it's addition, in the correct quantities,
> makes everything else work like it should.

Well if you read the Sears/Conlin paper they say limit, not drop to zero and
they had low light. They deserve more credit as do many others. I just
happened to pick up the ball and run a few yards. I added more CO2 and light
and PO4. The main thing I did on purpose was add a little more CO2. Then K
then NO3. I always had PO4 in my tap (got lucky on that one).

> 
> Everything looks so much better since I started adding PO4 a week ago and the
> kicker is that the tank is sucking down N like crazy now. It didn't look that
> bad in the first place either. That's the scary part.
> 
> Even the BBA is dying off. Yes!

Bummer:)
  
> I also believe iron, which I had avoided to the point of deficiency in the
> past, had much to do with this overall improvement. Everytime I added iron
> before, back when I wasn't also adding the PO4 (like two weeks ago), I'd get
> a noticeable increase in algae of all types: GS, GW, and any BBA present
> would not only spread but reproduce it seemed. Now, when I add iron in the
> presence of . 2 and now up to . 5 ppm of orthophosphate - no algae increases
> and the plant colors are all intensifying dramatically.

I'm so very sorry:) Send the stuff back if your this unhappy.

> It all was made possible by PO4 and Tom Barr's constant nagging and reminding
> to the point where I finally listened.

Careful. Neil has reminded us that we(well okay just me,) have becomes pious
plant zealots that have run amuck. Some folks only want one sword plant in
that 75 gallon tank or enjoy stunted plant growth.
Stunted plants growth, using a P limited approach is STILL very effective
but the P is not meant to go to zero just low relative to the other
nutrients.

> 
> Tom Barr, preaching the gospel of plant nutrition; a voice in the wilderness
> urging us, the sometimes doubtful, always suspicious, yet ever curious
> disbelievers and all unknowing, to change our ways and limitations --
> nutrient and otherwise.
> 
> Thanks Tom!

I'm not sure if your helping or hurting the Tom and Neil issue.
Neil's very correct on many issues.
It may scare many less intense plant folks off. I do not want to do that
ever. I want more folks here and elsewhere to have a plant or two or packed
to the gills.
More examples of good tanks, the better. The folks with one or two swords in
their 100 gallon(this was exactly me a long while back) tanks sometimes grow
into the planted tanks well after some time.
Glad your going to town.
It is a bit freaky when you have grown plants like Bob has for a long while
then use KH2PO4 for a little while.
Regards, 
Tom Barr
> 
> Bob Olesen
> West Palm Beach