[APD] Re: Barr Method

["William M. Cwirla" <wcwirla at verizon_net>]

Thanks, Tom.   Your summary and the clarification that followed were 
most excellent!  Please be patient with those who may not know that NO3 
and PO4 are anions.  Translating scientific terms into common language 
is critical to overcoming strange and even superstitious practices, not 
to mention dubious marketing of questionable products.  I think the dry 
volume measure for fertilizers is a good one, albeit less than 
scientific.  More in the way of cooking.  When I left the laboratory, I 
also left those great electronic pan scales behind.  Teaspoon and 
tablespoon are quite handy in the kitchen, where most aquarium 
chemistry takes place anyway.

You didn't mention fish load in your prototypical 20 gallon set up.  I 
would assume an average load of an inch of fish per gallon or so?  I 
ask this because you add phosphate on a regular basis.

I'm trying a little "Barr method" experiment.  I have a 10 gal set up 
in my office that's alternately a little gem or a cesspool.  It has 
recently undergone a dreadful bout of hair algae.  Most of the algae is 
now dead, probably due to lack of nutrients.  So are all but the 
toughest of the plants.  I was tempted to tear down and do a clean 
restart, given its small size.  But I hate restarting tanks, so I'm 
going to replant and put it on the "Barr regimen."  My experience is 
that algae is to fish tanks as weeds are to lawn and garden.  Healthy 
plants and maintenance make for fewer weeds.  And we never start with 
sterile gardens.

WMC

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