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Q U E S T Newsletter of the Madison Aquatic Gardeners Club, 11/11/02 From: John Glaeser 233-5182 NEXT MEETING: Thursday evening, November 21. Science House,1645 Linden Drive on the UW Campus. (good parking). A G E N D A 6:30 – 7:00 Snack on pizza, fruit, cookies, sodas. Chat with friends. Check out library materials. 7:00 – 7:30 Welcome guests. Q&A session. Share your planted aquaria experiences. 7:30 – 8:00 Review of 8Tank aquarium plant growing experiment. 8:00 – 8:15 Break 8:15 – 9:00 Main feature: ALGAE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. Bring in samples of your tank algae. Let’s see how stunningly gorgeous they look (even though we hate the stuff). Can we make a positive ID? Reminder: Bring in your surplus plants for the exchange table. If you’d like to have your aquarium water tested for iron, nitrate, hardness, alkalinity and Phosphate, bring in a peanut butter jar size container with your name attached. I need that much to make a complete test. January Meeting: Bring your suggestions for a day and date for our January meeting. (No meeting in December). AGA Convention: Is history. Chuck Gadd, one of the presenters, shares his impressions of the event . Check out this one. I have one comment, “Why in the world did I not go to this”! Here is a quote referring to one section of Claus Christensen’s session, where he recounted his field trip observations of plants they encountered in Brazil. “Instead of tea-tinted soft water, this was crystal-clear water, with a KH of about 18 degrees, and a GH at least that high. Most of the substrate was PURE calcium carbonate. A bright white bottom. The plant growth was unbelievable. The plants were all the usual South-American plants. The ones that we are often told are "soft water" plants. Claus made the point that those plants that are typically considered "soft water" plants are simply those that do a reasonable job of surviving and growing in very soft water. These same plants, in rich hard water, grow MUCH better. There were massive swords, huge fields of stargrass, a few species of Ambulia, basically anything that could grow in South America was found there in the very hard water. Claus showed a slide with some water sample analysis numbers, and even though the plants were growing wonderfully without any signs of deficiency, there was ZERO measurable iron in the water. And since the substrate was calcium carbonate, it seems unlikely that the plants are getting any iron from there.” SUMMARY October Meeting Attending were Tim Brown, Linda Horvath, Jan Hoffman, Dave & Nathan Watson, Mark Adams, Alexandra Minn, David Reese, Gordon Hartmann, Dave Stalowski, John Glaeser. And joining us for the first time: Jerry Weiland, Gerda Harms, Dirk Kruger, Linda and Brian Deith and Joyce Brown. Welcome all. During the past couple of years Joyce took in a meeting or two. Good seeing you again an realize you are a pretty busy person. 8 Tank Experiment: Quickie set-up summary….(One line of four tanks under cool/white lighting and four under Gro Lux type bulbs. Each line has two tanks in hard water and two with soft. Each line has one hard water tank and one soft water with straight gravel substrate. Each line has one hard water tank and one soft water having gravel with some soil on the very bottom). All 5 1/2 gallon tanks had nearly approximate representations of Ludwigia and Tennellus plants). So, what’s happening here? Lots! On September 26, we planted the tanks with robust plants. Subsequent reviews on 10/5-6, 10/12, 10/21- 23 and 11/ 9 revealed distinct patterns of change. Each tank presented varying degrees of algae affliction and tissue stress along with loss. Though there may be several different alga involved, the outstand one is characterized as soft, fuzzy and light green. Colonizing on leaves as well as suspending in the water column as loosely coherent clouds, some floating to the top and producing mounds of oxygen bubbles held in place with slime. As time progressed, one tank had no algae worth noting (T4.GRO.SOFT.GRAVEL/SOIL). (T3.GROW.SOFT.GRAVEL) is in bad shape with algae totally smothering the plants. Between these extremes exist differing degrees of algae and tissue loss. We will review these observation during the November meeting. Latest project check shows a most strange turn. Most of the clinging alga has disengaged from the plant tissues which now appear clean. Now, each tank started with two snails. Apparently they have been busy. In many instances the alga has disappeared and the substrate shows an accumulation of dark green snail waste segments. This is getting to be a long post. If you bale out, I’ll understand. If you want to hang in here a bit more, here is the evaluation profile of 10/2602: Tank (1) GRO.HARD.GRAVEL: Overall Impression = 6 (poor) (Algae, Tissue decay, Ludwigia., E. tennellus) Fuzzy algae is pervasive throughout the tank. It appears on leaves, tank walls and substrate, floating and colonizing as floating patches producing mounds of oxygen bubbles held in place by slime. Bubbles range from 0.5 – 2mm. Ludwigia : Smallish leaves, are largely intact with only a few leaves disconnected and floating. Tennellus: Leaves largely intact but not showing much new growth. The plants are pretty much covered with fine fuzzy algae. Other Conditions: Water looks slightly cloudy and the glass has a very fine coating of alga. Tank (2) GRO.HARD.GRAVEL/SOIL: Overall Impression = 5 (poor) (Algae, Tissue decay, Ludwigia., E. tennellus) Pervasive algae. Less so than Tank (1). Water is less cloudy, and algae on the walls and gravel is less, also. Eight clumps of fuzzy agla have disconnected from the Ludwigia leaves and are floating in the water column. Some are on the surface and creating mounds of oxygen/slime oxygen bubbles. One of these clouds is 5 X 8 cm, with bubbles ranging from 0.1- 0.5 cm. Ludwigia: Strong looking, with clean growth tips. However, one plant at the far side position, has fuzzy algae throughout, bottom to top. Tennellus: Looks strong, though stressed. Some tissues drop out and soft algae. Tank (3) GRO.SOFT.GRAVEL: Overall Impression = 8 (worst)* (Algae, Tissue decay, Ludwigia., E. tennellus) Very bad condition. All plants are choked with masses of clinging grey algae colonies. Ludwigia: Plants have disintegrated. Tennellus: Decaying, and being smothered with algae. Leaf tissue drop out and decay is prevalent. Other: Very little algae on the gravel. Tank (4) GRO.SOFT.GRAVEL/SOIL: Overall Impression = 1 (Best) (Algae, Tissue decay, Ludwigia., E. tennellus) 95% Algae free. Clearest water, no algae on glass and only an incidental trace of algae. Ludwigia: Strong, good color and only one leaf disconnected and floating. Tennellus: About on half of the group is showing tissue drop out/chlorophyll loss. While the rest are intact. Tank (5) CW.HARD.GRAVEL: Overall Impression = 7 (Poor, next to worst) (Algae, Tissue decay, Ludwigia., E. tennellus) This tank is struggling: Algae on the glass, substrate algae, tufts of fuzz clouds disconnecting from the plants that seem to remain intact. Ludwigia: Though the plants are being choked with algae, strong, new plants are coming from growth stems below the gravel surface. Tennellus: All are covered with algae Tank (6) CW.HARD.GRAVEL/SOIL: Overall Impression = 3 (Fairly good shape) (Algae, Tissue decay, Ludwigia., E. tennellus) Minor evidence of algae, with a few disengaged floating leaves hosting algae. No algae on tank walls and slight evidence on gravel. Ludwigia: 4 stems are relatively algae free. 2 stems have heavy algae growth near the top. Strong new growth appearing around base of plants. Tennellus: 2 plants are almost dead. Tissue has decayed, However, new growth is sprouting from the crowns. Remaining specimens are moderately intact, though showing signs of nutrient deficiency, tissue drop out. Tank (7) CW.SOFT.GRAVEl: Overall Impression = 4 (Poor) (Algae, Tissue decay, Ludwigia., E. tennellus) Algae fuzz forming on the tank walls, colonizing on the gravel and primarily clinging to Ludwigia plants. Some algae fuzz clouds detaching from leaves hang suspended in the water column, some float to the surface and generate oxygen bubbles One such cloud anchored on the far end is about 6 cm long and 1.5 cm wide sporting oxygen bubble of varying sizes, the largest being 0.5cm. Tennellus: Some leaves are breaking up, some have decayed. Tank (8) CW.SOFT.GRAVEL/SOIL: Overall Impression = 2 (Pretty good) Clean looking tank hosting a minimum amount of fuzzy algae located near the substrate. Ludwigia: Leaves look clean. At mid point of the length of one stem, decay set in resulting in the plant to separate. The top half floated and the bottom remained intact. A second plant shows this same development. It has not separated, yet. The top section is sprouting roots at the point of near detachment. The other plants are intact and quite free of algae. Five Ludwigia leaves have separated and are floating. Tennellus: All plants are intact. Some leave are showing nutrient deficiency as seen by drop outs of tissue. Some signs of new grow coming from the plant base.
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