Ricardo,
I haven't used the Kent product; however, my latest aquarium utilizes a 1" pulverized topsoil underlayer that, within the first 24 hours of submersion, liberated enough DOC (tannins and other humic substances) to turn the water black. It was as if I had a 46-gallon cup of coffee sitting in my living room! Except for the floating plants, there was no visible plant growth.
After two months, and eight 75% water changes, the water is still the shade of weak iced tea. I've ceased the water changes, and am relying on activated carbon in my quick filter to steadily decrease the DOC. Plant growth has now picked up dramatically; even the Vals, which I had almost written off, have stormed back with a vengeance. I have yet to see algae in this aquarium.
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Perhaps the blackwater extract had a inhibitory effect on algae?
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This would be my guess as well. In Diana's book, she states that many DOC compounds such as tannins, phenolics, etc., have allelopathic properties that inhibit the growth of algae. The Kent product and the leachate from my soil underlayer are likely loaded with these compounds.
I could be wrong, but I think it was an excess of such compounds during the first two weeks of my new aquarium that not only inhibited the algae but may have inhibited the plants as well. That, and the fact that the light from two 96 watt PC bulbs was almost non-existent after traveling through the first few inches of water (this, I'm sure, played a much larger role than allelopathy
).
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