I think that’s still related to the roots, capable of selecting and better handling of nutrients. That’d be my first logical explanation. Maybe roots are “self-balancing” in such a way to optimize growth, hence more overall healthy growth?
As usual, fascinating update Vin.
Still trying to wrap my head around what is going on in there.
Maybe I missed it, but what is the lighting like in this tank (PAR, duration)??
And have you ever tested the water column? I would be curious to see what those levels are.
That slime algae had been my issue with osmocote too.
I do want to understand why you think it’s because the osmocote balls got exposed?
From what I understand, soil will bind as much as it can in its limited CEC zones, everything else in presence of water will leach out. Unless osmocote is releasing very little, which is getting consumed just as fast so not much is leached in water.
it gets similar looking to polycarpa, which your guys in GWAPA have plenty of.
Funny Joe that was going to be my next question. Would any of this carry over to inert substrates?I think the other stuff in the sub is having more of an effect than you think, or than the O+ actually is. Ive started out a few tanks with gobs of O+, not quite as much as here but still a lot. And its never allowed me to skimp on the water column. Nor has it ever saved a plant that was struggling without it. Definitely not any stem varieties. Lagenandras and sword plants are the only ones Ive ever seen it make a noticeable difference with. Also never seen a correlation with bga.
I also suspect O+ doesnt last very long submerged in our aquariums, month or two at best. Might last a little longer in fine sand than say course gravel that gets more water exchange.
So I think a big part of what you're seeing is from the dirt etc, rather than the O+
Obviously a lot of speculation here though
Vin question for you.
If you were setting up a dutch type tank today (or any high tech planted), say something similar to the mix in Burr's tank, would you go with this method??
I think the other stuff in the sub is having more of an effect than you think, or than the O+ actually is. Ive started out a few tanks with gobs of O+, not quite as much as here but still a lot. And its never allowed me to skimp on the water column. Nor has it ever saved a plant that was struggling without it. Definitely not any stem varieties. Lagenandras and sword plants are the only ones Ive ever seen it make a noticeable difference with. Also never seen a correlation with bga.
I also suspect O+ doesnt last very long submerged in our aquariums, month or two at best. Might last a little longer in fine sand than say course gravel that gets more water exchange.
So I think a big part of what you're seeing is from the dirt etc, rather than the O+
Obviously a lot of speculation here though
But regardless, I do love this experiment. Not sure what it means, but sure is interesting.
Clay...avoid if you can. I made the mistake of adding a few pounds of red Mexican pottery clay that I bought from Amazon.com. It was fine as long as I did not uproot anything. But I made the mistake of planting some Lagenandra toxicaria in the Osmocote + clay tank. The damn plants got too big and I had to yank them. Out came lots of Fluval stratum clay beads, a giant pinkish brown cloud of Mexican pottery clay, and countless balls of O+. Oh well. I did two back to back 90% water changes. Things seem to have settled down a bit.
Hey Gregg - for a Dutch style tank, no, I would not repeat the Osmocote approach because Dutch style tanks require a LOT of uprooting which will eventually release the sequestered nutrients from deep in the substrate into the water column. And once the water column is as rich as the substrate, after all, i have at least a pound of Oscmocote and a few pounds of other nutrients down there, you may begin having algae and tip stunting and necrosis in Lythraceae.
This approach is fantastic for low-labor-input, set-it-and-forget-it type tanks, be they high tech or not. My guess is that the tank will sustain itself for a year or so. After that, I will have to spend a few hours completely re-doing the tank. It'll take half of a Saturday. But you're good for the rest of the year on very little ferts and water changes. Also, better if you have plants you can mow, prune, trim, rather than uproot.
Once I am done killing in the Kill Tanks, I will set them all up like this for farming or species maintenance (odd species that I found or collected that no one else does or wants...but I don't want it lost to the hobby.) because I am able to grow the pickiest plants with this approach. In hard, alkaline tap water, no less. I am not kidding when I say this is the most successful tank I have ever had. And I started keeping plants in 1987. Yes, I am 94 years old.
So, yes, I will definitely be setting up more tanks like this.
Having said that, I set up a new tank a few weeks ago. Another 180 gal cichlid tank that I've converted to plants. It is 100% BDBS with nothing else in the substrate. Tap water. Very light ferts, low to medium CO2, medium light. I'm adding roughly 2-0.2-1.5 (NPK) every other day and Seachem Comp & Iron per label instruction. Lythraceae are doing well. Ammannia gracilis stems are thick as fingers with 6" leaves and A. crassicaulis is not stunting.
If i were to re-attempt a true Dutch tank, I would go with BDSM...wait, no, BDBS with strategically placed root tabs + very light water column ferts. Or secondarily with fresh Aquasoil + again, very light water column ferts.
Tom has tried for a long time to convince the Dutch masters to switch to Aquasoil type substrates. They all politely nod their heads. Yet, none of them do. They all hear out Tom, but when push comes to shove, they all stick with inert gravel with clay balls or root tabs shoved under hungry plants. Having said that, they've all entered the new century and have embraced high tech CO2 fertilization (albeit at lower levels than Americans are told to), adding KNO3 and KH2PO4 at roughly 25% EI strength. So, they are not science or tech averse. They simply pick and choose what works for them. And clay soils have not been embraced. If you go to Asia, virtually every plant tank is run on active clay soils.
So, to answer your question, no, not for Dutch style tanks. But, yes, definitely for farm tanks or if I want a guaranteed growth environment.
lol I warned you man
will there be a separate thread for the 180 vin?