Ecology of the Planted Aquarium : A Practical Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist

by Walstad, Diana L.

• ISBN13: 9780967377308
• ISBN10: 0967377307
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-12-01
• Publisher: Echinodorus Pub

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(8)
Chapters of the Book	1	(2)
Introduction	1	(1)
Plants as Water Purifiers	2	(1)
Allelopathy	2	(1)
Bacteria	2	(1)
Sources of Plant Nutrients	2	(1)
Carbon	2	(1)
Plant Nutrition and Ecology	2	(1)
Substrates	3	(1)
The Aerial Advantage	3	(1)
Algae Control	3	(1)
Practical Aquarium Setup and Maintenance	3	(1)
Is The `Balanced Aquarium' Dead?	3	(1)
Characteristics of a Natural, `Low-Tech' Aquarium	4	(1)
pH Remains Stable	4	(1)
Low Maintenance	5	(1)
Fish Behavior is Normal	5	(1)
How Plants Benefit Aquariums	5	(2)
Promoting Plant Growth in the Aquarium	7	(2)
Plants as Water Purifiers	9	(24)
Heavy Metals	9	(11)
Metals in Our Water Supplies	9	(2)
Mechanisms of Heavy Metal Toxicity	11	(1)
Metal Toxicity in Fish	11	(1)
Metal Toxicity in Plants	12	(2)
Factors that Moderate Metal Toxicity	14	(1)
Water hardness and pH	14	(1)
Dissolved Organic Carbon	14	(3)
Artificial Chelators	17	(1)
Variation between Species	17	(1)
Other Factors	18	(1)
Metal Uptake by Plants	18	(2)
Ammonia	20	(1)
Ammonia Toxicity in Fish	20	(1)
Ammonia Toxicity in Plants	20	(1)
Ammonia Uptake by Aquatic Plants	21	(1)
Nitrites	21	(2)
Nitrite Toxicity	22	(1)
Nitrite Uptake by Plants	22	(1)
Using Aquatic Plants in Wastewater Treatment	23	(2)
Plants and Toxic Compounds in Aquariums	25	(8)
Allelopathy	33	(24)
Allelopathy in Aquatic Plants	35	(13)
Phenolics as Allelochemicals in Aquatic Plants	39	(1)
Allelochemical Release from the Plant	40	(1)
The Subtle Nature of Aquatic Plant Allelopathy	41	(1)
Aquatic Plants versus Algae	41	(3)
Aquatic Plants versus Bacteria and Invertebrates	44	(1)
Chemical Warfare between Aquatic Plants	45	(1)
Allelopathy in the Substrate	45	(1)
Allelopathy in the Water	46	(1)
Defensive Chemicals Induced by Infection	47	(1)
Auto-inhibition	48	(1)
Allelopathy in Algae	48	(2)
Allelopathy in the Aquarium	50	(7)
Bacteria	57	(20)
Bacteria Processes	58	(11)
Decomposition by Heterotrophic Bacteria	58	(2)
Decomposition in the Sediment as a CO2 Source	60	(1)
Production of Humic Substances	61	(1)
Nitrification	62	(1)
Denitrification	63	(2)
Nitrite Accumulation	65	(1)
Nitrate Respiration	65	(1)
Incomplete Nitrification	65	(1)
Incomplete DAP and Incomplete Denitrification	66	(1)
Reduction of Iron and Manganese	66	(1)
Hydrogen Sulfide Production	67	(1)
Hydrogen Sulfide Destruction	67	(1)
Fermentation and Methanogenisis	68	(1)
Methane Oxidation	68	(1)
Biofilms	69	(2)
Bacteria Processes in the Aquarium	71	(6)
Sources of Plant Nutrients	77	(14)
Representative Aquarium and Methodology	77	(1)
Fishfood	78	(5)
Chemical Uniformity of Living Things	78	(2)
Fishfood as a Source of Nutrients	80	(1)
Nutrients Go from Fishfood to Aquarium Plants	80	(3)
Soil as a Source of Plant Nutrients	83	(2)
Water as a Source of Plant Nutrients	85	(3)
Water Hardness and the `Hardwater Nutrients'	86	(1)
Water as a Source of Plant Nutrients	86	(2)
Availability of Plant Nutrients in the Aquarium	88	(3)
Carbon	91	(12)
Water Alkalinity, pH, and CO2	91	(2)
Carbon Limits the Growth of Submerged Plants	93	(1)
Carbon's Scarcity in Natural Freshwaters	94	(2)
Plant Strategies to Increase Carbon Uptake	96	(4)
Storage of CO2 as Malate	96	(1)
Fixation of Respired CO2	97	(1)
Bicarbonate Use	97	(1)
Sediment CO2 Uptake	98	(1)
Aerial Leaf	99	(1)
Miscellaneous Strategies	99	(1)
Carbon Sources for Plants	100	(1)
CO2 in the Aquarium	100	(3)
Plant Nutrition and Ecology	103	(20)
Required Nutrients	103	(1)
Competitive Uptake of Nutrients	104	(1)
Nutrient Accumulation and the Critical Concentration	104	(1)
Moderate Water Movement is Best	104	(1)
Sediment Versus Water Uptake of Nutrients	104	(3)
Nutrient Translocation	105	(1)
Plants Prefer Root Uptake of Phosphorus	106	(1)
Plants Prefer Shoot Uptake of Potassium	106	(1)
Aquatic Plants Prefer Leaf Uptake of Ammonium	106	(1)
Nitrogen Nutrition in Aquatic Plants	107	(5)
Aquatic Plants Prefer Ammonium over Nitrates	107	(1)
Nitrogen Source for Best Growth	108	(2)
Ecology and Nitrogen Source Preferences	110	(1)
Plants and Nitrifying Bacteria Compete	111	(1)
Water Hardness and Plant Ecology	112	(6)
Requirements of Hardwater Plants	114	(1)
Requirements of Softwater Plants	115	(3)
Nutrition in the Aquarium	118	(5)
Substrate	123	(20)
Components of Soils and Sediments	123	(2)
Mineral Particles [1,2]	124	(1)
Organic Matter	124	(1)
Precipitated Inorganic Matter	124	(1)
Microorganisms	125	(1)
Characteristics of Soils and Sediments	125	(5)
Nutrient Binding	125	(2)
Anaerobic Nature of Substrates	127	(2)
Oxidized Microzone Keeps Nutrients and Toxins in Sediments	129	(1)
Stability of Sediments and Submerged Soils	129	(1)
Chaos in Freshly Submerged Terrestrial Soils	130	(2)
Terrestrial Soils and Sediments for Growing Aquatic Plants	132	(1)
Problems of Sediments and Submerged Soils	132	(3)
Metal Toxicity	132	(1)
Hydrogen Sulfide(H2S) Toxicity	133	(1)
Organic Matter	133	(1)
Low Redox	134	(1)
Acid Sulfate Soils	134	(1)
Turbidity	134	(1)
Effect of Aquatic Plants on Substrates	135	(2)
Substrates in Aquariums	137	(6)
Selecting Soils	137	(1)
Setting Up Tanks with Soils	138	(1)
Fertilization	138	(1)
Gravel Additives	139	(1)
Substrate Degradation over Time?	139	(4)
The Aerial Advantage	143	(14)
Aerial Advantages	144	(9)
Aerial Growth Uses CO2 More Efficiently	144	(2)
Aerial Growth Uses Light More Efficiently	146	(1)
Emergent Plants Ferment Better	147	(1)
Aerial Growth Aerates the Root Area Better	148	(1)
Root Release of Oxygen by Aquatic Plants	148	(1)
Root O2 Release is More Efficient in Emergent Plants	148	(2)
How Emergent Plants Aerate the Root Area	150	(2)
How Oxygen Benefits Rooted Aquatic Plants	152	(1)
Floating Plants Increase Biological Activity	153	(1)
Aerial Growth in the Aquarium	154	(3)
Algae Control	157	(18)
Common Methods for Controlling Algae	157	(3)
Algaecides, Chlorox, and Antibiotics	157	(1)
Light Reduction	158	(1)
Water Changes	159	(1)
Algae-Eating Fish, Shrimp, and Snails	159	(1)
Phosphate Removal	160	(1)
Competition Between Algae and Plants	160	(5)
Advantages Algae have over Plants	162	(1)
Better Adaptation to Low Light	162	(1)
Algal Adaptation to the Light Spectrum	162	(1)
Better Adaptation to High pH and Alkaline Water	163	(1)
More Efficient Uptake of Nutrients from the Water	164	(1)
Greater Species Distribution	164	(1)
Advantages Plants have over Algae	165	(1)
Factors in Controlling Algae	165	(5)
Emergent Plants	165	(2)
Iron	167	(1)
Iron as the Limiting Nutrient for Algae	167	(1)
How Algae Gets Iron	167	(2)
Iron and Algae Control	169	(1)
Allelopathy	170	(1)
Intensive Care for Algal Takeovers	170	(5)
Practical Aquarium Setup and Maintenance	175	(11)
Typical Pathways for Beginning Hobbyists	175	(1)
Setting up a Basic, `Low-Tech' Aquarium	176	(1)
Major Factors	176	(6)
Fish	176	(2)
Light	178	(1)
Window Light and Sunlight	178	(2)
Fluorescent Light	180	(1)
Plant Selection	181	(1)
Guidelines in Aquarium Keeping	182	(4)
Abbreviations and Conversions	186	(3)
Subject Index	189