 |
| Quest About Us Articles Plants Gallery Tech Resources Outreach Home |
|
2003: 2002: 2001: 2000:
|
Q U E S T 3/14/02 Newsletter of the Madison Aquatic Gardeners Club http://www.ivwebworks.com/mag/index.html John Glaeser [email protected]> 233-5182 Trivia: Of the approximately 230,000 flowering plants in the world, which is the smallest? The floating plant called Wolffia. They are tiny green balls and some species are so diminutive, 5000 can fit in a thimble! They grow real fast. I understand it is considered an eatable vegetable in some regions of Asia. I have some Wolffia to hand out, at the meeting. If you want to know more about this tiny plant, try the "Ask Jeeves" search engine. This outfit does good work. Wineglass Aquaria: At the meeting, examine this tiny aquaria with nine different plants: Eleocharis acicularis, Dwarf Hairgrass Hydrocotyle verticillata, Pennywort Microsorium pteropus, Java Fern Lemna minor, Duckweed, Limnobium spongia, Frogbit Phyllanthus fluitans Riccia fluitans Vesicularia dubyana, Java Moss Wolffia spp. 1 - Ram's-horn snail 1 - Malayan snail 2 - Platy fish, juvenile Coral Iron: In the TAG magazine of July - August 1993, Diana Walstad has an article titled, "Iron: The Limiting Nutrient for Algae?" She included the following footnote: "Marine scientists have proposed that iron fertilization of large ocean areas would increase world algae growth to such an extent that global warming could be effectively counteracted. Increased fixation of CO2 by Marine phytoplankton would serve as an enormous drain on atmospheric CO2 levels, the increased levels of which are believed to be responsible for the earth's global warming. An entire issue (volume 36, number 9,1991) of the respected scientific journal, Limnology and Oceanography was devoted to this subject" How about a salmon/algae meatloaf sandwich with cranberry juice? The cranberry plant is a bog/aquatic plant. Cranberry plant in an aquarium? Chlorosis: A term referring to varying degrees of bleaching or yellowing of normally green leaf tissue caused by partial failure of chlorophyll development, a condition that can be caused by deficits of different nutrients. Iron deficiency symptoms are similar in appearance to the symptoms of deficiencies of Nitrogen, Manganese or Zinc. However, Iron deficiencies appear on new leaves, where Nitrogen appear on older leaves. The interveinal chlorosis caused by lack of manganese has a"Christmas tree" pattern. I understand lack of copper can cause some form of chlorosis, as well. What's With the Water? Awhile back I'd bump into Phil, now and then at the store and he always had the same story: Algae problems and difficulty growing plants. No amount of talk or advice seemed to be helping. He used to add CO2, but not any more. I asked him to bring in some water samples. Good bet we would find limiting growth factors. He lives up north in Ladysmith, an area noted for soft water. He thought he had poor water, so he got an RO system to provide "pure water". Here are his three samples.
TAP WATER: pH7.5; GH = 76 mg/L or GH4.24; KH = 100 mg/L or KH5.59; N = 8 mg/L ; P = 2 mg/L Note: Phil's tap water is soft and has measurable Phosphate and Nitrate, probably from agricultural run off. Adding iron would make this great water for aquarium plants. 55 GAL. MOSTLY RO WATER: pH6.2; GH = 30 mg/L or GH1.7; KH =1 mg/L or KH 0.0558; N = 23 mg/L; P = 2.00 mg/L; Fe = 0.01 mg/L Note: A good fish load with Discus but the plants wouldn't grow. Lots of blue-green algae slime (Cyanobacter). Low KH means no buffer and low pH. Number should be KH5-6. GH is too low. Plants need calcium that come from most tap water. Number should be at least GH4-5. N and P in this situation is too high. Iron is zip. Plants need iron! 55 GAL. 1/4 Tap and 3/4 RO: pH 6.6; GH = 50 mg/L or GH2.79; KH = 30 mg/L or KH 1.47; N = 20 mg/L; P = 1.5 mg/L; Fe = 0.02 mg/L Note: Good fish load, some plants growing, but loaded with huge amounts of black string algae. N and P fine. GH, KH and iron extremely low. With these limiting factors plants can't be robust; algae can have a field day. Now Phil is using 1/2 RO and 1/2 tap and is adding iron and calcium. In a couple of weeks we can test the water again and talk plants. Good luck Phil. How are things with the Birge atrium tank and greenhouse venues? Being out of the loop for two weeks recovering from a mini-stroke, meant aqua projects went "over the hill". Nutrients ran out, filters got clogged and plants suffered. The grand Aponogeton Madagascariensis Lace Plant that was putting out a new flower weekly, became a disaster. Most of the leaves were in the process of rotting and algae was rampant. However, things are looking up after an 80% water change, filter cleaning, filament algae harvesting, removing 10 large compromised leaves and adding liquid nutrients. In less than a week a new and gorgeous 7" long leaf and a robust 9" long flower stem appeared. And, no algaeŠŠ. Happiness! Hanging around the atrium aquarium for a block of three hours pulling weeds is a sure guarantee someone will stop by and ask questions. Last week, physics student Marcin Jakubowsiki [email protected] and I got into an expanded orientation on planted aquaria discipline. He has a goal of applying physics to solving problems of environment/ecosystems. "Help, this is way over my head"! Since his immediate interest is getting into some aquarium systems modeling, I'm pointing him to Walstad's Ecology of the Planted Aquarium and Adey, Walter H. and Loveland, Karen, 1998, Dynamic Aquaria, Building Living Ecosystems. Marcin was struck by the idea of an "aquascape" as living art. Hmm, as we know well, if one lets things go, it is no longer art, but chaos. See you at the next Madison Aquatic Gardeners Club meeting, Wednesday Evening, March 20, 2002, 6:30/7:00 to 9:00, Olbrich Botanical Garden. (Master gardener Annie Stuart, who knows her way around the kitchen as well, is bringing some of her special apple strudel).
|