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Re: Evil PO4---, CO2 cylinders

> From: Tim Mullins <tbm at ix_netcom.com>
> Subject: Regaurding Evil PO4
> 
> >Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 10:06
> >From: "Dixon, Steven" <stdixon at bechtel_com>
> >Subject: Evil PO4
> >
> >>Tim wrote:  Tim Mullins - Pittsburgh
> >>
> >>(who has found the heretofore evil PO4
> >>quite useful in my PMDD regimine as of
> >>late)

	Same here.
> >
> >Tim, what form of the evil PO4 are you
> >dosing your aquarium with?
> 
> I use KH2PO4 (MonoPotassium Phosphate)

	I use any of K2HPO4, KH2PO4 or H3PO4. The doses are so small
that pH changes are negligible, whatever I use.

> Why do this????? Maybe you shouldn't.
> Turns out I was quite phosphate limited
> in my Dupla style 90 gallon. My particuars:

	The 160 L tank described in the original article that Kevin and
I wrote also became phosphate limited.
> 
> - - Old growth on my Pygmy Swords browned 
>   away. Lots O' dead leaves.

	ditto.  Also, hygro and hygro difformis died off.  Old leaves
fell off, and the plants gave up growing.

> - - Val would spirt when first planted, then
>   slowly melt (substrate depletion of P I
>   suspect but can't say conclusivly)

	My experience was a bit different.  Giant Val just about took over.

> 4) So, last resort, PO4 addition. Why a last
> resort? Like I said, the evil PO4! I knew my
> 90 was phosphate limited. This was my goal via
> Conlin and Sears. BUT. . .,apparently it was
> way too phosphate limited! Since adding PO4
> things have really greened up and old growth
> now STAYS GREEN.

	ditto.  Mind you, when I first started adding nitrate, I was really
paranoid about that, too.  I was less worried about the phosphate, by the
time it went in - logic really does work!!!!

> 5) Algae? Sure. Too much PO4 and I get spot
> and the green velvety algae on the glass
> (later easy to remove). Other types haven't
> been a problem, praise be the SAE.

	I haven't seen anything but the spot algae, so far.  My (ex-Kevin)
Farlowella gets so little algae that he trashes one of the crypt varieties.

> Still,
> very easy does it with PO4.

	Indeed.  :)

> I sure don't put in in every day.

	Same here.

> The plants are my guide. 

	The best guide of all.  I'm still a little puzzled by the repeated
statements that the method Kevin and I put forward is a "high-tech" method
with lots of measurements.  I do _some_, but the appearance of the plants
and algae (what algae?) is the main guide.

> if I dose KH2PO4 to the column at night,
> I swear it leads to less algae and better
> higher plant growth than if I dose it in
> the morning with my PMDD. Can't yet say
> anything conclusive though.

	I'll have a try this way, too.
> 
> 7) Of course I could bag all the PO4 stuff
> and just add more fish (and food).   :-)

	I never thought of that........  :)

> Tim Mullins - Pittsburgh

	Thanks for the posting.

	As for CO2, why are people fooling around with yeast setups?  I
admit that I paid about $175 CDN for my cylinder setup (no controller),
but it has run for something like 3 years so far on its first filling,
and I haven't adjusted anything in months!  I still have a fairly strong
suspicion that its main function is to keep the pH down in the 160 L tank,
and that it doesn't have all that much effect on the plants, but the tetras
breed in there, so I'm happy with the setup.

	On another topic, I'm trying to set up a Java Moss free tank!
I've come to the conclusion that it functions the way algae do in most
places.      ;)

-- 
Paul Sears        Ottawa, Canada