Re: Sand on the bottom..........

"Richard ***ton" <richard@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:ffjufe$fjc$2@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> In article <feeihe$osm$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> Reel McKoi <dorundayREMOVE@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>>"Jeffrey St. Clair, Ph.D." <info@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
>>message news:470a92d7$0$11056$4c368faf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> Are you referring to play type sand?
>>
>>No, not the play sand. It's too fine.
>>
>
> Works ok for me:
>
> http://images.aquaria.net/tanks/rjs/tk-1/2000/Mar26/
>
>>I was afraid it would go anaerobic from fine mulm if I used just sand or
a
>>sand mix and didn't or couldn't vac it.
>
> I count on it being anaerobic at the bottom of 4-5" of sand. I put a
half 
> inch
> layer of manure under there plus some washers and steel wool. Under 
> anaerobic
> conditions the iron is reduced to a state usable by plants.
>
> I've found roots just utterly tangled around washes like they were
sucking
> the iron right of if like a life-saver (UK: polo mint).
>
> I also notife on crypt roots that the top 2-3" of root will be white
> while the bottom half will look like it has rust on it. Which is pretty
> much whats happening.
>
> I dunno if you folks have ever pulled plants in nature but aquatic
> substrates are frequently anaerobic.
>
> I've kept shrimp in these tanks long term, which meand no ammonia
> and no metal ions getting into the water column. Either even in the
> smallest amounts would kill shrimp in short order.
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I don't think that would work too well in an aquariumn containing fish. 
What fish are in your aquariums?
-- 

RM....
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