Tourmaline

Tom Barr

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Jan 23, 2005
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Some clown came in raving about how everyone should buy this stuff the couple of days ago.

http://www.root-cn.com/Tourmaline_sand.html

Magically activates water........bioelectric.........

I'm not sure, but it seems too similar to the ADA tourmaline stuff.

Here's the ADA stuff:
"Tourmaline is a mineral compound of iron, aluminium, sodium, boron, lithium and magnesium which are gradually dissolved, enriching water of important elements. Tourmaline BC is an electrostatic mineral that increases roots plant nutrition. In particular Glossostigma Elatinoides grows 50% more than its normal development."

Hummm, same darn minerals mixed together, sounds like snake oil, taste like snake oil............tourmaline is insoluble, so how does it dissolve again? Same chemical composition of minerals at the above product also.

50 % more Gloss?
God, I hope not.
If it did grow a plant 50% more with nothing else added, we'd cure World hunger. At least the Dupla heating cable idea had real electricity

This appears to be the same stuff.
Penac, ECA(chelated iron and some tannins), Phyto git(phyto bacterial inhibitors), why do we need plant derived anti microbials in a tank again?
Plant dieases? Never seen one to date other than some fungi, but never in a tank or ornamental plant.

Hormones, try Super Thrive, cost 3$ for 250mls at a hardware store and is likely a better mix.

Bacter well, mulm is live, not dormant bacteria and is ready to go.
Super clear, there are a dozen or more ploy flocculents, alum(Alumininum sulfate) etc available but simply keep good conditions, high CO2 etc takes care of that.

I love ADA soil, tanks, color temp of the lights, some of the nice glass ware, lighting etc, but some of this stuff in the chemical fert dept is way out there.

Penac is an entire wasted thread alone.

Anyone wanna buy some Hydrilla pills? :p

All I need to do is put my label on the bottles of Tom's secret bioelectric sand base, Super Hormones, Mulmapalooza, .........
Enzyme activators that enhance plant uptake and provide biological harmony.....

Well, I just set up 2 more tanks with ADA soil today. So without all the other junk, I'm doing pretty well for some reason (how can this be?).

Seems like the heating cable stuff Dupla tried to sell people, although a little less costly this time.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

aquabillpers

Lifetime Charter Member
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Jan 24, 2005
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Re: Tourmaline

Tom,

What is there about the ADA soils that causes plants to grow better? Does it eliminate the need for water column dosing? What changes does it make to the water column? How long does it last?

Thanks.

Bill