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Re: red aquatics/red terrestrials
Re: red aquatics/red terrestrials
Neil wrote:
Roxanne, why do you say that there is no relationship between aquatics and
terrestrial plants.
RB: I didn't mean to suggest there was no relationship between them, just that we
shouldn't assume the same reasons apply. This is because terrestrial plants use
secondary chemicals (such as flavonoids and alkaloids) to ward off predation, and I
have never read that submersed aquatic plants do this too (naturally, insects are less
of a problem underwater; once the plant is emersed, the story changes). This
argument doesn't take into account vegetarian fish predation and the possible use of
sec. chemicals to discourage this - I have a feeling noone has studied this, so we
have no data.
Red flavonoids have also been implicated as plant "sunscreen" and that is what we
may be observing in our Rotalas. I will concede that both intensity and light quality
seem involved in producing redness, but intensity seems to me to be the most
important of the two. Naturally, I could be wrong...
Dean, Santa Fe wrote, re CO2 reactors:
I know the Dupla is a good unit,
but a little too expensive for me. I've read the archives concerning the
Aqualine Buschke unit, and it appears that it doesn't pass muster. Has
anyone tried the Coralife O2/O3 reactor, or know of any good
alternatives to the Dupla?
RB: I don't profess to be an expert on CO2 reactors, but I have long been in search
of the "ideal" reactor. Features of my ideal reactor would include: efficient CO2
dispersion; small, unobtrusive "footprint" in the aquarium scape; long-term usability;
less than $100.
I found one, after reading Neil F's and other's comments on it: the ADA (Amano)
"Pollen glass" reactor. All this is is a sintered glass filter-like thing - basically, a big
CO2 bubble comes in from below, and goes out thru the glass filter as very tiny
bubbles (pollen-like). It costs $59 I believe, thru TFP (back page). It took forever to
come from Japan however.
I love it; it's almost invisible and the bubbles are so small that they float on the water's
surface, if they make it that far. The CO2 bottle seems to be lasting longer than it
was with my old, Aqua Medic reactor, so perhaps the pollen glass is more efficient.
Now, if I could only find tubing that wasn't so visible; you need to use silicone tubing
so far as I know (not vinyl) and it only seems to come in black (which is too stiff) and,
the more flexible, greenblue tubing (yuk).
My problem with the A-B and Dupla reactors are their size - too hard to hide in a 40g
aquarium.
Roxanne Bittman