RE: [AGA Member] CO2 concentration in Hard water

["Jim Michaels" <marnjim@erols.com>]

> OK, so the other question, can plants do OK in harder or softer water:  I
> know that at the soft end of the scale, eventually they can't get the
> micronutrients (calcium, magnesium) supplied.  I have had this happen
> once, and it wasn't pretty.  I wish I'd gotten pictures of it -- all-white
> leaves.

> At the other end, I dunno. I would absolutely *love* to know the answer to
> this too, because it would mean that one could keep, say, Lake Tanganyika
> cichlids in a beautiful planted tank (I read in Kasselmann there's about 5
> species of plants there).  But I never want to risk using the high light
> and CO2 on a tanganyika tank.  Hmm, maybe time to start now.

Most people forget that aquatic plants behave exactly the same as
terrestrials
in their response to nutirents.  That is, there is a continuum from nutrient
deficiency to nutrient toxicity.  Unfortunately, the problem lies in the
fact
that many plants exhibit similar symptoms to various nutrient levels.

For simplicity sake, most plants exhibit the following symptoms;

Nutrient deficiency - stunted growth, poor coloration, and reduced
flower/fruit
production.
Nutrient sufficiency - optimal growth, coloration, and flower/fruit
production.
Luxury consumption - excessive weak growth, excessive coloration (many
plants
appearing green almost to the point of having black leaves), excessive poor
quality flower/fruit production.
Nutrient toxicity - stunted growth often resulting in a crippled appearance,
poor coloration,and reduced flower/fruit production. (Many of the same
symptoms
as nutrient deficiency)

Since the macro and micro nutrients interact in a chemical balance,
excessive
levels of one micro nutrient can also cause a defficiency in others due to
it's
increased ability to cross the cell membrane in the ionic state and replace
other
more weakly charged nutrients.  Therefore causing similar misleading
symptoms.
Aluminium is a prime example in replacing other micro nutrients, resulting
in
toxicity.

Unfortunately, we in the terrestrial horticultural industry have an unfair
advantage in many, many years of research in plant physiology, plant
nutrition,
and the like, as well as the common practice of taking tissue samples to
determine nutrient levels in a production crop like Christmas poinsettias.
Through the use of tissue samples, we can mix up the correct nutrient
solutions
to push maximum growth in minimal time and push the envelope without
actually
crossing over into luxury consumption which would be an unnecessary expense
in
wasted fertilizer.

Sadly, aquatic plants haven't reached this state of economic importance to
justify the research and equipment expenses.

Cheers.
--Jim


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