Jane in Upton

What a great webpage, Betty! Yes, nicely done!

-Jane

plantbrain

Jane,

Why might you think that miracle grow would cause algae, yet adding KNO3/KH2PO4/Traces to very high levels would not in a non carbon enriched tank?

What might that suggest about NH4 and NO3? Is it really excess nutrients?

How many types of NO3 transportors are there and how many NH4 transportors are there in plants?

Do a google search.

There are many types of NO3 uptake transporters and they each respond to different levels of substrate nutrient concentrations.
A plant can adapt well to many variables, they adapt and this also fits the observation/s.

NH4 can be added to verify this.

Soil that has been soaked well prior, boiled etc, is well oxidized. This removes most of the liable NH4. Slow decomposition of organic N into NH4 slowly releases NH4 at non algae spore germiniating levels.
Embedding NH4 into clay at low levels also does a similar thing but without bacteria, rather, the root hairs penetrate the clay.

Regards,
Tom Barr

ChrisC

Wow, Tom Barr and Diana Walstad on one forum. I'm honoured!

Thanks,
Chris

pesciolino

Hallo,
i'm an aquarist from Italy and i have good experience with low and high-tech aquaria. I enjoy "Ecology of the planted aquaria" (italian version) and Ilove it. I think european and american aquaria are very different and I have some doubt. I would like very much to make some questions to Diana Walstad:
1) In Italy we don't have distinction between pot-soil and garden-soil, but we have "universal soil" - it contains: High % of peat(>50%) and organic matter and few clay (we have also special soil like cactus-soil, geranium-soil grass-soil...). Is it good for natural aquaria? I have good results with it.
2) Many fishes love and need fine sand, can organic soil became too anaerobic under it? under the sand is to use clay or/and black peat better?
3) In Europe there are many different kinds of lamps. I use succesfully full spectrum cool-white (osram/Philips 4000K de luxe). It,s less blue than "vita-lite"(6500k) but it includes all the colors of sunlight. What do you think abaut it?
4)Finally I think that hard-water and soft-water plants can live well together in hard water but with few bicarbonate,(without CO2 addition).
Thank you very much,I think I will have other questions.

P.S. I'm sorry for my english!

flagg

There's an italian version?! Cool! Our own Diana Walstand, an international celebrity!

Sounds like your soil contains a little more peat moss than most soils I've encountered here. The cactus soil is very good. It probably contains bone-meal or other such additives that will provide hardwater nutrients for the plants.

You'll find that most people here use a variety of lights. I personally (and, mind you I'm not Diana) haven't seen the Philips 4000K you describe but it sounds perfectly adequate. I've changed all my single-tube fixtures to cool white. Those tanks also get sunlight so there's no need for a full spectrum bulb as that is provided by the sun. My double fixture has a full spectrum bulb and a cool white. I get very good growth in all tanks.

Both hard water and soft water plants will do well in hard water. However, hard water plants will not do as well in soft water.

Well, I know your questions were meant for Diana, but I hope you don't mind me answering. I'm sure she'll chip in with her thoughts too!

-ricardo

PS No need to apologize for your English, it's a lot better than my Italian!

Rattail

I'd also like to hear about the soil...?

dennisfermin

I love the simplicity and cost efect. sound of the soil subtrate method. I did test my first soil sample and unfortunately it did cause the ph to drop and as well as the buffering capacity. I was just wondering if this is common or are there many soils that will not effect the ph? My soil did contain peat which I have heard does effect the ph, but I've heard it's also good for plants, any thoughts on the matter? Thank you for you help!
Dennis

dawntwister

According to rs79 anaerobic conditions the iron reduces to a form usable by plants. As long as it's *locked in* by enough fine beach sand. Thus sometimes pulling up plants you also pull up some nasty stuff than can kill fish. Info found at other thread. Just wanted to make those whom use sand beware of problems others have had when transplanting plants.

gr8nguyen1

si was reading diane's book and it was also mentioned in this thread several times. why must the soil layer only be 1-1.5 inches? why can't the soil and the gravel top layer be 2 inches or more?

dwalstad

[quote=gr8nguyen1;480247]si was reading diane's book and it was also mentioned in this thread several times. why must the soil layer only be 1-1.5 inches? QUOTE]

If the soil layer is too deep, it can easily become severely anaerobic and kill plant roots. Plants grow poorly and you get algae.

Keep the soil layer 1 inch and cover with only as much gravel or sand as you need to hold the soil down. The gravel cover should not be more than 1 inch.