[APD] nutrient absorption advantage

["Steve Pushak" <teban at powersonic_bc.ca>]

--- "A.Kumar" <aar111 at yahoo_com> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have a couple of questions on the Barr method. I
> don't really understand why plants are at an advantage
> to algae when it comes to nutrient uptake.

Macrophytes do NOT have the advantage over algae when it comes to getting
nutrients from the water. The algae has the advantage because it is able to
grow faster than the macrophytes when nutrients are plentiful. Algae does
not have the advantage when nutrients come from the substrate; this is the
only reason that algae doesn't win in nature. In nature, the plants get most
of their N & P nutrients from the substrate & its a very large & deep
substrate, not particularly fertile.

Other advantages the plants have is that they can store nutrients much
better than algae. Grazers will sometimes choose algae over plants because
the plants taste bad. Succulent, high growth plants taste good so be aware
that some fish grazers will choose plant tips over crunchy filamentous
algae.

One of the best "grazers" is us. We can get out toothbrushes out & pull
great clumps of fluffy green thread algae out of the tanks. Its hard to get
it out of Lace plant leaves. It always comes back. I hate it. It hates me.
;-)

Steve P

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