Ecology of the Planted Aquarium A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist by Diana L Walstad Echinodorus Publishing, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (U.S.A.)Ecology of the Planted Aquarium A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist by Diana L. Walstad Published by Echinodorus Publishing 2303 Mt Sinai Rd Chapel Hill, NC 27514 All rights reserved. Except for a brief quotation in critical reviews, all reproductions or use of this work is forbidden without written permission from the author or publisher Copyright © 1999 by Echinodorus Publishing First Edition Library of Congress Catalog Number 99-72828 Ecology of Aquarium Plants: a practical manual and scientific treatise for the home aquarist / by Diana L. Walstad Includes table of contents, bibliographical references, and subject index ISBN 0-9673773-0-7 Aquariums (about) Aquariums- handbooks, manuals, ete Aquarium plants Aquatic plants Ecology (in aquariums) when Printed in the United States of AmericaAcknowledgements Below is a list of scientists and professors who have helped me. They have taken the time from their busy schedules to review and comment on parts of the manuscript, Their ideas, comments, and critique have molded and reshaped many of my theories and helped keep the book ‘on track’ Dave Huebert, Department of Botany, University of Manitoba (Canada) Elisabeth Gross, Limnology Institute, University Konstanz (Germany) Laura Serrano, Department of Ecology, University of Sevilla (Spain) Giovanni Aliotta, Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale, Universita Degli Studi di Napoli Federico I (Naples, Italy) Wolfram Ullrich, Institute of Botany, Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (Germany) Dan Weber, NIEHS Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Core Center, University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee) * David Spencer, Plant Biology Section, Aquatic Weed Control Research Laboratory, University of California (Davis) © George Bowes, Department of Botany, University of Florida (Gainesville) Anthony Paradiso, Cystic Fibrosis Center, University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) © Claude E Boyd, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Aubum University (AL) Ireserve my greatest thanks to Neil Frank and Robert Wetzel, both of whom reviewed the entire manuscript. Neil Frank, editor for the Aquatic Gardeners Association (AGA), reviewed the manuscript not once, but twice. His extensive and insightful comments have greatly contributed to improving the book. Also, during my 5-year tenure as Technical Advisor for the AGA, I accumulated many Questions and Answers (Q&As). I have included many of those Q&As in this book and would like to thank the AGA members for their permission to use them. The AGA, a non-commercial organization of enthusiastic aquatic gardeners and aquarium hobbyists, has been a continuous source of ideas and inspiration. To Robert G. Wetzel, Biology Professor and the leading authority on freshwater ecology, I owe special thanks. First, his comprehensive reference work (Limnology) provided a solid scientific framework for critical portions of Ecology of the Planted Aquarium Second, his enthusiastic review of that first manuscript draft and subsequent encouragement since then has helped me believe that this book was worth the trouble.TABLE OF CONTE I. INTRODUCTION. A. CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK 1. Introduction Plants as Water Puntiers Allelopathy Bactena Sources of Plant Nutnents Carbon. Plant Nutrition and Ecology. Substrates... The Aerial Advantage 10. Algae Control 11. Practical Aquarium Setup and Maintenance B. IsTHE BaLaNceD AQUARIUM DEAD?. C. CHARACTERISTICS OF A NATURAL, ‘LOW-TECH’ AQUARIUM. 1. pet Remains Stable 2. Low Maintenance 3. Fish Behavior is Normal D. How PLaNts BENEFIT AQUARIUMS E, PROMOTING PLANT GROWTH IN THE AQUARIUM Ul. PLANTS AS WATER PURIFIERS. A. Heavy Merats 1. Metals in Our Water Supplies 2. Mechanisms of Heavy Metal Toxicity 3. Metal Toxicity in Fish, 4 3 Metal Toxicity in Plants Factors that Moderate Metal Toxicity’ a) Water hardness and pH ») Dissolved Organic Carbon. ©) Artuficial Chelators. 4) Vanation between Species e) Other Factors 6, Metal Uptake by Plants B. AMMONLA... L. Ammonia Toxicity in Fish 2. Ammonia Toxicity in Plants 3. Ammomia Uptake by Aquatic Plants. C. Nrrarres 1. Nitrite Toxiity . Nitrite Uptake by Plants D. “usne [AQUATIC PLANTS iN WASTEWATER TREATMENT E. PLANTS AND TOXIC COMPOUNDS IN AQUARIUMS. IL. ALLELOPATHY A. ALLELOPATHY IN AQUATIC PLANTS... 1. Phenolics as Ailelochemicals in Aquatic Plants... 2, Allelochemical Release from the Plant 3. The SubUe Nature of Aquatic Plant Allelopathy 35 39 40 41B c V. SOURCES OF PLANT NUTRIENTS... A B m VI. gow 4. Aquatic Plants versus Algae Aquatic Plants versus Bacteria and Invertebrates. 6. Chemical Warfare between Aquatic Plants a.) Allelopathy in the Substrate »,) Allelopathy in the Water 7. Defensive Chemicals Induced by Infection 8, Auto-inhibition ALLELOPATHY (N ALGAE. ALLELOPATHY IN THE AQUARIUM BACTERIA. BACTERIA PROCESSES. 1, Decomposition by Heterotrophic Bacteria... a.) Decomposition in the Sediment as a CO Source ».) Production of Humic Substances 2. Nitification. Denitrification 4. Nitrite Accumulation 4.) Nitrate Respiration. »,) Incomplete Nitrification «.) incomplete DAP and Incomplete Denitrification Reduction of Iron and Manganese Hydrogen Sulfide Production Hydrogen Sulfide Destruction Fermentation and Methanogenisis. Methane Oxidation ove BiorILMs BACTERIA PROCESSES IN THE AQUARIUM REPRESENTATIVE AQUARIUM AND METHODOLOGY FISHFOOD en 1. Chemical Uniformity of Living Things 2. Fishfood as a Source of Nutrients. 3, Nutrients Go from Fishfood to Aquarium Plants Som. aS A SOURCE OF PLANT NUTRIENTS WATER aS 4 SOURCE OF PLANT NUTRIENTS L. Water Hardness and the ‘Hardwater Nutrients’ 2, Water as a Source of Plant Nutrients "AVAILABILITY OF PLANT NUTRIENTS INTHE AQUARIUM CARBON .. WATER ALKALINITY, PH, aNDCO> . CARBON Limits THE GROWTH OF SUBMERGED PLANTS. CARBON’S SCARCITY IN NATURAL FRESHWATERS. PLANT STRATEGIES TO INCREASE CARBON UPTAKE. 1. Storage of CO as Malate 2. Fixation of Respired CO, 3. Bicarbonate Use. 4. Sediment CO Uptake al 44 45 4s 47 48 50 58. 38 62 63 65 65 65 67 67 68 68 69 n 77 78 78 80 3 85 86 88 OL 93 94 96 7 7 38E. F. VII. PLANT NUTRITION AND ECOLOGY moomp VILL SUBSTRATE....... moo 5. Aerial Leaf. 6. Miscellaneous Strategies ‘CARBON SOURCES FOR PLANTS. (Cp IN THE AQUARIUM REQUIRED NUTRIENTS Comperrnive UPTAKE OF NUTRIENTS NUTRIENT ACCUMULATION AND THE CRITICAL CONCENTRATION. MobeRaTe WATER MOVEMENT IS BEST. ‘SEDIMENT VERSUS WATER UPTAKE OF NUTRIENTS Nutrient Translocation. Plants Prefer Root Uptake of Phosphorus Plants Prefer Shoot Uptake of Potassium. Aquatic Plants Prefer Leaf Uptake of Ammonium, NITROGEN NUTRITION IN AQUATIC PLANTS ‘Aquatic Plants Prefer Ammonium over Nitrates. Nitrogen Source for Best Growth Ecology and Nitrogen Source Preferences Plants and Nitrifying Bacteria Compete... WATER HARDNESS AND PLANT ECOLOGY. 1 Requirements of Hardwater Plants 2. Requirements of Softwater Plants. NUTRITION IN THE AQUARIUM fone COMPONENTS OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS Mineral Particles [1,2] Organic Matter Precipitated Inorganic Matter. Microorganism... so CHARACTERISTICS OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS Nutrient Binding, Anaerobic Nature of Substrates Oxidized Microzone Keeps Nutrients and Toxins in Sediments Stability of Sediments and Submerged Soils, CHAOS IN FRESHLY SUBMERGED TERRESTRIAL SOILS ‘TERRESTRIAL SOILS AND SEDIMENTS FOR GROWING AQUATIC PLANTS. PROBLEMS OF SEDIMENTS AND SUBMERGED Sols, Metal Toxicity... Hydrogen Sulfide (HS) Torey Organic Matter - Low Redox Acid Sulfate Soils Turbidity. EFFECTOF AQUATIC PLANTS ON SUBSTRATES ‘SUBSTRATES IN AQUARIUMS Selecting Soils Setting Up Tanks with Soils. Fertilization ese Gravel Additives. Substrate Degradation over Time? FURS 99 99, 100 100 103 toa toa 108 104 105 106 106 106 107 107 108 10 ALL 2 us 13 18 123 124 14 124 125 125 125 127 129 129 130 132 132 132 133 133, 134 134 AS 135 137 137 138 138 2139 Bg