Re: [APD] vinegar

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at yahoo_com>]

I said:
> Acetic acid is what we have used to kill plant tubers, you can kill your
>fish with common house hold stuff also, I'd suggest the same caution as you
>would take with H2O2, another house hold item that has killed a few fish in
>planted tanks not too long ago.
> Regards,
> Tom Barr
-------------------
>Before some time, there was an idea suggested of adding vinegar to
>aquarium water,
>in order to help reduce algae, or ? as a source of co2.
>How does it work?
>Could Tom & others Gurus please explain?
>I mean to say that -If it is helpful, it will be lot convenient than
>the co2 tank and all accessory stuff.
>Regards,
>ajit
>India.

Not really a source of CO2 unless you break it down aerobically.
If you want to add CO2, add CO2. There is no way around that by adding acids effectively for planted tanks (well.... Excel type acids). Some used HCl to soften their water (not a wise method if you ask me). 
 
We used it(but much higher concentration) in Yuba county to kill aquatic weeds, see Dr David Spencer's work in CA at UC Davis.
See here also:
http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Products/weedkiller.htm
 
I suppose you could kill algae etc much like H2O2 by adding spot treatments(marine folks have used it), but both are easily available. Add too much and you kill fish/plants also. Peroxide is not much different there.
 
My issue with H2O2, copper, Vinegar etc etc etc............it detracts from the issue of this hobby, growing plants. You do not get more CO2 from adding acids over the long run, you get more CO2 by adding well..........more CO2.
 
Algae does not grow well when the plants do, this is a universal observation.
If your goal is to grow the plants, then grow them and focus on that.
Killing algae is a hobby for some folks I suppose:)
 
I do not use copper, vinegar, snake oil, all these other items to get me over "the hump".
Just because I know a fair amount about aquatic weeds does not mean I have some advantage someone else, a newbie for example, does not.I do not suggest these things with good reason to new folks. Algae tells me some environmental issue is wrong/out of whack.
That is the long term solution. Focus on the plants.
 
Regards, 
Tom Barr
 
www.BarrReport.com
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  

 


		
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