naman;25212 said:
ADA never claimed PS will give any improvement in growth rates.
“Power Sand is composed of porous volcanic stones, to secure proper water circulation, and of organic materials including fertile peat, to provide rich nutrients for aquatic plant roots. Ideal conditions for bacterial activity and development of plant roots are created and maintained for long periods with Power Sand.”
Yea, but what the heck does all that baloney mean to you?
Providing rich nutrients for for roots?
Why do that unless it would show enhanced growth?
"Development of roots and bacteral activity."
That means better growth.
Now if it's a subtle thing, and it can only be seen over long time frames, well then..............by that definition it's
not a significant impact on growth.
Now some argue that is "good" and helps the tank, I say that is baloney.
That's the same argument that Heater cable folks have been claiming for over 2 decades and it's all poppycock.
These same folks claim there's "so much we do not yet understand" (including the ones who come with these marketing items) about "life" as support for their use.
Now I do not think you have met Amano, I have and I can tell you, he's hardly the type for research but he's certainly the salesman.marketing type.
Few other aquarist that have met him would disagree either.
Nice guy, good humor etc.....but you will not get a straight answer.
They also claim PS has not only peat:
“Organic matter in Power Sand or other bottom fertilizers…”
+ “and of organic materials including fertile peat”.
As for this “organics”, I thought it could be done in much easier way – microscopy, check for particulate, for similar additives etc, not spectral analyses and so on...
The same as we can open the bag with “super miracle substrate additive” and say: hey, this is earthworm castings and some sand…
Or micros usually just Fritted trace elements.
To do this we need not only sumples but knowlege, other sumples, some lab equipment...
I guess you never used spectral analyses to define pumice and peat in PS.
You do not need NASA or FBI lab to see erthworm castings in fertilizers, right?
As for Mycorrhizal fungi, it would be interesting to know is it in PS and AS or no.
naman
They might have an inoculum for the fungi, it's cheap etc, perhaps some dry bacterial starters and the test screening you suggest, it is much wiser and more practical.
However, I've already looked.........
You can see the osomocoat like balls in there, you can see the peat, you can measure in a simple jar DI water test( say 100mls of water and 1 gram of PS, let soak for 1 day and then 1 week, then 1 month, take subsamples and measure for NO3, NH4 and PO4)
I do have a very nice microscope and it has a digital camera I can use, I use it mostly for algae. I suppose I could do that as well.
I just do not think, nor is there really any evidence that PS is some big mystery.
However, it's not too much trouble to look either
Regards,
Tom Barr