using blackwater extract for fertilizer

[plantbrain]

i wish we could figure out what excel is made out of, we could save some cash

Ingredients are listed. Add CO2, that is about 3x better than adding excel.
Quite cheap I think you will find.

Tannins produce no better growth than without them in aquatic plants.
Organic carbon vs CO2 are two entirely different things/topics, nutrients.
Organic carbon needs bacteria to break it down, then it will release CO2, but the bacteria remove the O2 to do this so it's a drain on the O2 in the tank.

The small amount and rate of CO2 produced this way is relatively minor compared to the amount of CO2 from the air above or the CO2 gas etc.
Otherwise there is a huge O2 drain on the tank.

Tannins are very tough to decompose and this process proceeds slowly.
You can add a sugar pill and do the same thing.

They can add vitamins, etc in there but you can buy a small bottle of Super Thrive and add a few drops and get more out of it for less$.

It's not really much of fertilizer if they can even really call it that.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[lousybreed]

I am just throwing this idea out, I never intended to substitute blackwater extract for real ferts and CO2.....

 

[Robert H]

Well if Kent is adding iron to it, then that would be beneficial, but most of the ingridients are peat and bark tannins. It has other benefits. It softens the water, lowers the pH.... this benefits the fish if they are from that type of enviorment. It can induce spawning or in some species affect the sex of the fry. It also benefits plants to some extent if they are species that like acidic water, but using an extract is only temporary. It disappears in a few days. For a long lasting affect you would need to use a fairly large amount on a regular basis. You can get the same affect by putting peat moss in a filter bag inside your aquarium. Downside is if you are adding C02, the softer your water is, the less buffer you have for the C02. You can also use wood that turns your water a tea color. Same thing.

 

[opiesilver]

I think that Almond leaves are supposed to work pretty well for that effect as well.

 

[lousybreed]

Well if Kent is adding iron to it, then that would be beneficial, but most of the ingridients are peat and bark tannins. It has other benefits. It softens the water, lowers the pH.... this benefits the fish if they are from that type of enviorment. It can induce spawning or in some species affect the sex of the fry. It also benefits plants to some extent if they are species that like acidic water, but using an extract is only temporary. It disappears in a few days. For a long lasting affect you would need to use a fairly large amount on a regular basis. You can get the same affect by putting peat moss in a filter bag inside your aquarium. Downside is if you are adding C02, the softer your water is, the less buffer you have for the C02. You can also use wood that turns your water a tea color. Same thing.

excellently put, when ever i dump that stuff into my aquarium my rams spawn the next day. It must have something that makes them get in the mood. The plants also benefit from the peat. In northern wisconsin there are tons of tamarack swamps and the water looks like coffee. no plants grow in it because of light penetration but you should see the huge lily pads. There is defenitly something in it. When tamarack swamp streams empty into lakes with clearer water the plant growth is turbocharged. I am not going on anything scientific but it is what it is......Something in those waters makes plants happy and the fish beastly.