Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1998 13:49:45 -0500 From: "Thomas J. Legbandt" <tjlandassoc@pipeline.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg4106$foo@default> Subject: RRe: Aquarium water on CPs
> >I have a small 10 gallon fresh water aquarium and was curious if there
> >would be any harm in using that water to water CPs. The water in the
> >aquarium would be the easiest way at this time to get non tap water, the
> >next being distilled water bought at the grocery store.
>
> Many fish significantly change the pH of the water that they live in,
> which may harm CPs.
What is the REAL information content here? (none?.....or is it almost
none?) The important information would be the optimum pH range followed
by the maximum tolerable pH range. Does anyone out there have REAL
information to provide? Obviously the ranges could be different for the
different Cp genera, as the various genera (D, S, P, U, etc.) are not
closely related and have evolved in diverse habitats.
I live in Schenectady, NY, where the water is taken from an alluvial
aquifer at pH 7.8.....and fairly high in dissolved salts (80-120 ppm).
New additional pond water is treated with a commercial chloramine
detoxifier. In order to minimize algae growth, I add a very tiny amount
of aluminum sulfate from time to time which will precipitate aluminum
phosphate and rid the water of phosphate in excess of the solubility
constant of aluminum phosphate. I water my orchids and VFT's with pond
water from my indoor 200 gallon bedroom marsh. They grow as islands
with the moss surface about 4 to 5 inches above the water level. So
far, they are growing well. They are in a humid environment without
glass walls. The pond water is passed through a 30 gallon biological
filter with aerator inlet, where any amines produced by the decomposing
fish waste is oxidized to nitrates. Both levels are not detectable by
usual aquarium test kits. Bacteria are obtained from a commercial
source (StressZyme). The pH of the aquarium is 7.4, probably buffered
by dissolved mineral carbonates but lowered slightly by the carbon
dioxide dissolved from the air.
Orchids love acid growing mixes too, but unquestionably benefit from
dissolved carbonates. In their habitat, Phalenopsis cling to exposed
and leached reef deposits (calcium carbonate) and the dissolved carbon
dioxide levels decrease the pH and slowly dissolve the rock. Since much
of the Carolinas (home to the VFT and S.) is limestone and shale with
most of the sand being either oolite or aragonite (calcium carbonate)
and not silica, I wonder if the natural surface acidification from
rotting plants and the dissolved air gasses produce a similarly
controlled environment. If so, the growing of Cps in pots on a sill
versus a synthetic swamp may permit quite varied water 'quality'.
Comments? Experience? Challenges? On-Line publications?
Has anyone ever tried to poll about growing data? Has anyone ever heard
of a study in this regard?
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