Quick Thoughts

Reading this very interesting post on Aquatic Plant Central, in addition to my on-going thread have opened my eyes to all sorts of things. I'd like to think I'm starting to come to some kind of consensus on how to run a tank, but as you know, I am quite fickle, as well.

Here's what I would like to do, then:

• Get my nitrates down to hover ~10-20 ppm (can be higher for my harder water)
  
• Drop phosphates to ~1-2 ppm (must avoid high phosphate, low nitrate condition which will lead to algae outbreak)
  
• Continue to dose micros every day; shortages are trouble and iron, for instance, is quickly made unavailable by forming compounds with other stuff in the water
  
• Dose potassium consistently; dose nitrates iff fish load is inadequate
  
• Ensure sufficient Mg levels (available in Plantex, but may need supplementation with MgSO4) to prevent stunted growth; try to maintain ~4:1 Ca:Mg ratio
  
• Maintain CO2 at consistently high levels
  
• Limit water changes in order to get/keep kH levels low(er)
  

The main objective here is to improve plant growth, but I'm also hoping the cories benefit from the less frequent water changes. I'm already seeing barbel reduction and a little raggedness in some fins. Depressing....

Hard Water, Tough Cookies

I'm a little frustrated that my algae is about as bad as it has been in a while. I probably shouldn't complain, because I can remember the whole situation being a lot worse, but I'm not used to having my amazon and temple leaves caked with what I only know to call green spot algae. It might be something else, but it is creating a hard, dark green coating on the leaves more aggressively that I've seen in a while. My phosphates are still sky high, so maybe they aren't mixing well with the calcium carbonate.

Speaking of which, I managed to find a SAWS report on the tap water I'm using, and sure enough, it is quite hard. Total hardness is listed on average at 233 ppm, and the total dissolved solids (TDS) is nearly 300 ppm! Curiously, it lists the pH range from 7.5-8.0; while I've noticed it to be fairly consistently 8.0, I observe it coming out of the tap at 7.0 due to high concentrations of what is presumably dissolved CO2 (what else changed my drop checker?).

Anyway, all of this, combined with the return of the white film on the amazon (although, suspiciously, it is not as easy to wipe off) prompted me to post on Aquatic Plant Central to see if other hard-water victims had any remedies. I will patiently wait for replies/suggestions.

Every Given Sunday

One of the many great things about the NFL being back is that I have a consistent demarcation for my weekly water changes. Much to my surprise, my drop checker turned green, even a little yellow after refilling with water. I decided I had better check my parameters, to figure out what prompted the difference; the pH was 7.0-7.2, and the kH was 14 degrees.

Using the CO2 calculator, this corresponds to 26.5-42 ppm CO2. I'll call it 33 ppm, corresponding to a pH of 7.1. This is curious to me, because obviously, the CO2 rise is due to the fresh water, not the CO2 running, but I read somewhere that water suppliers try to avoid this because dissolved CO2 can be corrosive. On the other hand, maybe they just want to get the water to a neutral pH, and because it is so hard, it has to have dissolved CO2 in it. I suppose then, I shouldn't be that surprised, because I had measured the pH of the tap water rising ~1.0 when left to sit out (from 7.0 to 8.0).

I will take this to mean that the minor correction I made earlier in the week (diluting the drop checker solution with a bit of distilled water) wasn't totally out of line, and may have even gotten me to the proper Kh!

More Tom-Barr!

Okay, just a quick mention from the man with the (EI) plan:

I like Tropica master grow vs CMS+B [sic].
The chelator last longer in Tropica, CMS+B [sic] uses ETRA, which does not last long, especially in harder(KH) water.

I have hard water! Maybe I need to try dosing the Plantex every day in order to make sure the iron remains accessible.

In the meantime, I asked the wise ones on Aquatic Plant Central in order to see if they could help me along. Here's hoping their experience and generosity will help!

Also, I should mention it before I forget, but while reading, I discovered that my red, broad-leafed plant is likely Alternanthera reineckii. Other people also have problems with it stunting occasionally (in hard water).

Finally, Ludwigia repens appears to be what I've cut back and am growing from beneath my amazon sword.

Labor Day Research

The algae on my red-leafed plant has prompted me to do some homework on my day off. Since I measured phosphates at 10 ppm (granted, I've been aggressive with them to keep down green spot algae, although I haven't eliminated green dust algae, but fortunately, it's non-toxic), I've done a 180 (I'm very fickle, which is probably not good), and decided to keep up the regular water changes for now. Let's try strict adherence to the EI method again, and see if that doesn't help out (keeping CO2 up, as well).

Anyway, while digging up on the internet for nutrient toxicity information (I was generally worried because of the high phosphates) I was very very impressed by this article on Tom Barr's website where he details the results of a report that outline deficiency and toxicity for a variety of nutrients. I'll quote it here in case it is taken down at some point (non-italicized words are Tom Barr's commentary).

Deficiency Symptoms for the Essential Elements in ppm
Element Symptoms

Nitrogen: Stunted growth, foliage becomes yellow (chlorotic) starting in older leaves. Some crops (corn, tomatoes) may show a reddish color instead of yellow.

Phosphorus: Plants are dwarfed with thin stems and small leaves. Anthocyanin pigments may accumulate giving plants a purplish color occurring first in older leaves.

Potassium: Older leaves develop marginal browning which can extend into the leaves, and forward curling of leaves.

Calcium: Shoot tips yellow and die back, young shoots have abnormal growth with eventual die-back. New leaves affected first with distorted leaf growth; roots tips die back leaving short stubby roots with black spots.

Magnesium: Interveinal chlorosis developing first on the older leaves. Withering of old leaves.

Sulfur: Yellowing (chlorosis) of leaves usually beginning in new leaves. Yellowing becomes off-tan in many crops.

Iron: Interveinal chlorosis beginning on younger leaves.

Manganese: Interveinal chlorosis on leaves near the tip of the plant. Leaves may develop necrotic lesions and drop.

Boron: Die-back of shoot and root tips, stunted growth. Internal tissues may discolor or become hollow in cauliflower and beets. Leaf symptoms include curling, brittleness, wilting, chlorotic spots.

Zinc: Shortened internodes, young leaves are small, may show interveinal chlorosis.

Molybdenum: Interveinal chlorosis beginning on older leaves moving up to younger leaves.

Toxicity Symptoms for the Essential Elements

Nitrogen: Foliage is heavy with many dark green leaves, few flowers and fruits.

Phosphorus: Rarely occurs, no symptoms noted. May lead to a deficiency of nitrogen, potassium, zinc or copper.

Potassium: Rarely occurs, expressed as magnesium deficiency.
Please note this reference, it was impossible(not today though) for me to finda good toxicity character for high K other than salinity type of stress factors.

Sulfur: Reduction in leaf size, leaves may show interveinal yellowing.

Calcium: Symptoms usually expressed as deficiency of potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, or boron.
See this as it's a very popular suspect on the various forms and boards and is typically wrong!

Magnesium: Poor growth.
Note, no stunting of growth tip suggested here.

Iron: Dark green foliage may develop manganese or zinc deficiency.

Manganese: Chlorotic leaves with uneven chlorophyll distribution and dark brown spots.

Chlorine: Burning of leaf margins becoming necrotic in time, reduced leaf size.

Boron: Younger leaves deformed, yellowing or necrosis of leaves beginning at leaf tip.

Zinc: May result in iron deficiency.

Copper: Reduced growth, may lead to iron deficiency.

Molybdenum: Rarely occurs, leaves of tomatoes turn yellow.

Adapted from Resh, H.M. 1983. Hydroponic Food Production, 2nd Edition. Woodbridge Press Publishing Co., Santa Barbara, Ca. pp. 335. and Bergman, Ernest L. 1985. Nutrient Solution Culture of Plants. The Pennsylvania State Univ. College of Agriculture, Extension Service Hort. Mineo Series II:160. pp. 21.

Literature Cited
1. Arnon, D.I. and P.R. Stout. 1939. The essentiality of certain elements in minute quantity for plants with special reference to copper. Plant Physio. 14:371-375.
2. Cooper, A.J. 1973. Root temperatures and plant growth. IN: Res. Rev. 4, Commonwealth Bureau of Horticulture and Plantation crops. Commonwealth Agriculture Bureau, England.
3. Bergman, E.L. 1985. Nutrient Solution Culture of Plants. The Pennsylvania State University College of Agriculture, Extension Service Hort. Mimeo Series II:160. pp.21.
4. Hartman, H.T., W.J. Flocker and A.M. Kofranck. 1981. Plant Science Growth, Development and Utilization of Cultivated Plants. Prentice-Hall, Inc. pp. 676.
5. Ingratta, F.J., T.J. Blom and W.A. Straver. 1985. Canada:current research and developments, p. 95-102. IN: A.J. Savage (ed.). Hydroponics Worldwide State of the Art in Soilless Crop Production. International Center for Special Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii.
6. Jackson, M.B. 1980. Aeration in the nutrient film technique of glasshouse crop production and the importance of oxygen, ethylene and carbon dioxide. Acta Hort., 98:61-78.
7. Janick J. 1979. Horticulture Science. W.H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco. pp.608.
8. Joiner, J.N. 1983. Nutrition and fertilization of ornamental greenhouse crops, pp. 380-403. J. Janick (ed.).IN: Horticultural Reviews, Vol. 5, AVI Pub. Co., Inc. Westport, CT.
9. Jones, J. B. Jr. 1983. A Guide for the Hydroponic and Soilless Culture Grower. Timber Press, Beaverton Oregon. pp. 124.
10. Lorenz, O.A. and D.N. Maynard. 1980. Knott's handbook for vegetable growers, 2nd Edition, A. Wiley-Interscience Pub. John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY. p. 390.
11. Mastalerz, J.W. 1977. The Greenhouse Environment. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 629.
12. Noggle, G. R. and G. J. Fritz. 1983. Introductory Plant Physiology, 2nd Edition. Prentice-Hall Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. pp. 625.
13. Resh, H. M. 1983. Hydroponic Food Production, 2nd Edition. Woodbridge Press Publishing Co., Santa Barbara, CA. pp 335.
14. Salisbury, F.B. and C. Ross. 1969. Plant Physiology. Wadsworth, Belmont, CA. P. 422.
15. Varley, J. and S. Burvage. 1981. New solution for lettuce. Grower April:19-22.
16. Wareing P.F. and I.D.J. Phillips. 1970. The Control of Growth and Differentiation in Plants. Pergamon Press, Ltd., New York. pp.303.
17. Westwood, M.N. 1978. Temperate Zone Pomology. W.H. Freeman and Co. pp. 428.
18. Wittwer, S.H. and S. Honma. 1979. Greenhouse Tomatoes, Lettuce and Cucumbers. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. pp. 225.

So perhaps I need to stop worrying about toxicity so much...

New Tenants

I finally pulled the trigger (if unwisely) on the final occupants for the 30-gallon. I read on the Fintique website that they had salt and pepper cories for sale. I was excited, because I thought I could get a lot to shoal together, since apparently they don't get that big.

Unfortunately, there were none available when I got there. There were albino, and "green" cories, however, and the guy I was working with assured me that they stayed small as well. I should have listened to the voice of doubt inside my head, but instead I asked for eight, which I felt would be an adequate-sized shoal.

Sure enough, when I got to the front, and one of the people who actually knew what he was talking about told me that I had aeneus or bronze cories, and he confirmed my suspicion that they would get quite big. Unfortunately, they were already bagged and paid for, so I took them home and am going to hope for the best. I guess if I keep them happy and healthy enough to outgrown the tank, I'll have done pretty good, and I can figure out what to do at that point. It's still annoying though, since the website indicated they had the salt and pepper cories, and I think those would have done great to top off the bioload in my tank. Right now, I'm already over, and it's only going to get worse as stuff grows up. I'll try to monitor nitrates in the near term to see if the fish load is enough to feed the plants without ferts without increasing out of control.

Speaking of water conditions, I'm really not happy with how my plants have done this last week since my last water change. Compounding my frustration is the fact that things were going so well before the water change. I'm kind of worried it's just too hard, although there's no way for me to know what's going on exactly. I'll see if I can get away with fewer or smaller water changes without harming the fish health -- I wouldn't be super-concerned if those rasboras hadn't seem to appreciate that water change so much when I first got them. Frankly, I don't know what to think...

I also got a zodiac loach, also known as a batik loach that I thought would be a nice addition. They can be territorial with members of their own species, so I thought it would be a perfect loner additional (actually, my only loner now that I think about it). I think loaches are really neat, so I'm excited to see how he does. So far, he's alternated between reclusive and spasmodic, so I'm hoping he settles in soon and stays healthy.

When I added the cories, they were also quite spastic and attracted the attention (and ire) of both the curviceps. In fact, they did quite a bit of stalking and nipping to start out with. The cories also seemed to stress the rasbora school, and the otos were being bothered by the back-and-forth and up-and-down swimming of the cories, disturbing them wherever they settled down.

Eventually, though, I think everyone felt everyone else out sufficiently, the cories calmed down a little bit, and the curviceps dialed down the aggression, if not the intimidation. In retrospect, I may have been the most stressed out of all of us. Here's hoping I finally have some luck with cories!

I almost forgot: The bamboo shrimp has shed its exoskeleton again! I'm going to interpret this as a good thing, because he's growing so fast. That is my hope. I'm just surprised he doesn't bother to hide after shedding; he's presumably pretty vulnerable.