[plantbrain]

The thing I've notice in my tanks is that plants compete for resources and end up growing at different rates. I don't know if this has to do with one plant being healthier than another, or if one is 'stronger' than the other. For example, my glosso slows down when my Rotala gets real thick. I would think any phosphate that gets dosed is absorbed by the Rotala, and not much is left for the glosso. When the Rotala gets a hair cut, the glosso picks up speed and gets out of control. Anyone experience this or have input on wether this is really happening?

Sure if things are resource limited or you run things lean.
If things are excess, this does not occur.

This is why I do not see alleopathic issues, rather, nutrient competition between plants when resources are limiting.

I suggest high levels of NO3, PO4, K, Traces for this reason.

Then there is no teter totting. You can do this with or without substrate ferts and this occurs. I used nothing in the substrate for many years, RFUG's as well. Then you can see this easily.

This is the old story that folks use to complain about in the past, they'd say such and such plant is hard or difficult while I never had a problem.
They'd come over and sure enough my plants were thriving. They knew I had nothing in the substrate.

Plants take their nutrients from the water column first, then go after the substrate if they cannot meet their demands from the water column.
You can supply the nutrients either place, but make sure there's enough overall.

Switching/bouncing back and forth also makes things difficult for the plants. Try to be consistent with the water column dosing.

Phil, try less light. 1.5-2w/gal.

Pineapple,
I've done plenty with hormones, gibs are the only hormone I've found that influences aquatic plants. It only helps once basically. Dr Kane is the best person and good friend of mine at UF on this. We discussed that several times and Dr Guy, my plant Metabolism prof. I've also simply tried it. I've never seen any effect except with gibs.
I also have no idea what is meant by "disease", I've never seen anything I would label that in aquatic plants, I suppose algae maybe......

Flourite has little in it at the start. I add peat, I add mulm. These things are in it later.

ADA may have other things beside these. That's somthing I'll be doing for ADG later in a controlled study along with some other substrates.

But......if you provide non limiting conditions in the water column, I've done this long time and kniow precisely what you are seeing , I can tell you the cause=effect will not be there, I know these plants well.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com

 

[plantbrain]

Tom, then is it just a myth that Crypts and Swords need a rich substrate to thrive? But isn't it true that it is better to have Fe available in both the substrate and water column?

Yep.
I think the roots simply have a high demand for Mn/Fe and it's easier to get them there rather than transport from the leaves to the substrate.
I'm not _entirely sure_ why, but I'll give it some thought and discuss this in depth later when I run the Fe/Mn article in BarrReport. I will cover these in great detail.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[plantbrain]

24/7

You can "pulse" nutrients also, this will add "just enough" but with higher light, that becomes more difficult to add the precise amount. It take experience to hit that level, oplkants can store nutrients and use them later, so they do not "need" 24/7 concentrations but there's nothing wrong with that and does not contribute to algae over the long term even without any herbviores present at high light etc.

Jeff, which fish seem to have issues?

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[plantbrain]

You can, you can also use much less and dose 0.2ppm per day and likely get similar results in terms of plant growth.
Excess about .2ppm per day is just that, excess, but it'll take a life time to use up the 3 lbs of KH2PO4 I have so I really don't care, I'm more worried about running out than the excess issue.

Just enough is good for those knowing their tanks and is fun in many respects. But as far as algae is concerned, just enough for plants is a ton for the algae. Coloration, lighting, plant appearance and rate of growth are key issues when approaching that issue, not algae.

Regards,
Tom Barr