[Ecology of the planted aquarium 01] • Ecology of the Planted Aquarium by Walstad, Diana Louise -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Acknowledgements Table of Contents I. Introduction

A. Chapters of the Book

1. Introduction 2. Plants as Water Purifiers 3. Allelopathy 4. Bacteria 5. Sources of Plant Nutrients 6. Carbon 7. Plant Nutrition and Ecology 8. Substrates 9. The Aerial Advantage 10. Algae Control 11. Practical Aquarium Setup and Maintenance

B. is the ‘Balanced Aquarium’ Dead? C. Characteristics of a Natural, ‘Low-tech’ Aquarium

1. pH Remains Stable 2. Low Maintenance 3. Fish Behavior is Normal

D. How Plants Benefit Aquariums E. Promoting Plant Growth in the Aquarium

II. Plants as Water Purifiers

A. Heavy Metals

1. Metals in Our Water Supplies 2. Mechanisms of Heavy Metal Toxicity 3. Metal Toxicity in Fish 4. Metal Toxicity in Plants 5. Factors that Moderate Metal Toxicity

a) Water hardness and pH b) Dissolved Organic Carbon c) Artificial Chelators d) Variation between Species e) Other Factors

6. Metal Uptake by Plants

B. Ammonia

1. Ammonia Toxicity in Fish 2. Ammonia Toxicity in Plants 3. Ammonia Uptake by Aquatic Plants

C. Nitrites

1. Nitrite Toxicity 2. Nitrite Uptake by Plants

D. Using Aquatic Plants in Wastewater Treatment E. Plants and Toxic Compounds in Aquariums

III. Allelopathy

A. Allelopathy in Aquatic Plants

1. Phenolics as Allelochemicals in Aquatic Plants 2. Allelochemical Release from the Plant 3. The Subtle Nature of Aquatic Plant Allelopathy 4. Aquatic Plants versus Algae 5. Aquatic Plants versus Bacteria and Invertebrates 6. Chemical Warfare between Aquatic Plants

a.) Allelopathy in the Substrate b.) Allelopathy in the Water

7. Defensive Chemicals Induced by Infection 8. Auto-inhibition

B. Allelopathy in Algae C. Allelopathy in the Aquarium

IV. Bacteria

A. Bacteria Processes

1. Decomposition by Heterotrophic Bacteria

a) Decomposition in the Sediment as a CO2 Source b) Production of Humic Substances (HS)

2. Nitrification 3. Denitrification 4. Nitrite Accumulation

a) Nitrate Respiration b) Incomplete Nitrification c) Incomplete DAP and Incomplete Denitrification

5. Reduction of Iron and Manganese 6. Hydrogen Sulfide Production 7. Hydrogen Sulfide Destruction 8. Fermentation and Methanogenisis 9. Methane Oxidation

B. Biofilms C. Bacteria Processes in the Aquarium

V. Sources of Plant Nutrients

A. Representative Aquarium and Methodology B. Fishfood

1. Chemical Uniformity of Living Things 2. Fishfood as a Source of Nutrients 3. Nutrients Go from Fishfood to Plants

C. Soil as a Source of Plant Nutrients D. Water as a Source of Plant Nutrients

1. Water Hardness and the ‘Hardwater Nutrients’ 2. Water as a Source of Plant Nutrients

E. Availability of Plant Nutrients in the Aquarium

VI. Carbon

A. Water Alkalinity, pH, and CO2 B. Carbon Limits the Growth of Submerged Plants C. Carbon’s Scarcity in Natural Freshwaters D. Plant Strategies to Increase Carbon Uptake

1. Storage of CO2 as Malate 2. Fixation of Respired CO2 3. Bicarbonate Use 4. Sediment CO2 Uptake 5. Aerial Leaf 6. Miscellaneous Strategies

E. Carbon Sources for Plants F. CO2 in the Aquarium

VII. Plant Nutrition and Ecology

A. Required Nutrients B. Competitive Uptake of Nutrients C. Nutrient Accumulation and the Critical Concentration D. Moderate Water Movement is Best E. Sediment Versus Water Uptake of Nutrients

1. Nutrient Translocation 2. Plants Prefer Root Uptake of Phosphorus 3. Plants Prefer Shoot Uptake of Potassium 4. Aquatic Plants Prefer Leaf Uptake of Ammonium

F. Nitrogen Nutrition in Aquatic Plants

1. Aquatic Plants Prefer Ammonium over Nitrates 2. Nitrogen Source for Best Growth 3. Ecology and Nitrogen Source Preferences 4. Plants and Nitrifying Bacteria Compete

G. Water Hardness and Plant Ecology

1. Requirements of Hardwater Plants 2. Requirements of Softwater Plants

H. Nutrition in the Aquarium

VIII. Substrate

A. Components of Soils and Sediments

1. Mineral Particles 2. Organic Matter 3. Precipitated Inorganic Matter 4. Microorganisms

B. Characteristics of Soils and Sediments

1. Nutrient Binding 2. Anaerobic Nature of Substrates 3. Oxidized Microzone Keeps Nutrients and Toxins in Sediments 4. Stability of Sediments and Submerged Soils

C. Chaos in Freshly Submerged Terrestrial Soils D. Terrestrial Soils and Sediments for Growing Aquatic Plants E. Problems of Sediments and Submerged Soils

1. Metal Toxicity 2. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Toxicity 3. Organic Matter 4. Low Redox 5. Acid Sulfate Soils 6. Turbidity

F. Effect of Aquatic Plants on Substrates G. Substrates in Aquariums

1. Selecting Soils 2. Setting Up Tanks with Soils 3. Fertilization 4. Gravel Additives 5. Substrate Degradation over Time?

IX. The Aerial Advantage

A. Aerial Advantages

1. Aerial Growth Uses CO2 More Efficiently 2. Aerial Growth Uses Light More Efficiently 3. Emergent Plants Ferment Better 4. Aerial Growth Aerates the Root Area Better

a) Root Release of Oxygen by Aquatic Plants b) Root O2 Release is More Efficient in Emergent Plants c) How Emergent Plants Aerate the Root Area d) How Oxygen Benefits Rooted Aquatic Plants

B. Floating Plants Increase Biological Activity C. Aerial Growth in the Aquarium

X. Algae Control

A. Common Methods for Controlling Algae

1. Algaecides, Chlorox, and Antibiotics 2. Light Reduction 3. Water Changes 4. Algae-Eating Fish, Shrimp, and Snails 5. Phosphate Removal

B. Competition Between Algae and Plants

1. Advantages Algae have over Plants

a) Better Adaptation to Low Light b) Algal Adaptation to the Light Spectrum c) Better Adaptation to High pH and Alkaline Water d) More Efficient Uptake of Nutrients from the Water e) Greater Species Distribution

2. Advantages Plants have over Algae

C. factors in controlling algae

1. Emergent Plants

2. Iron

a) Iron as the Limiting Nutrient for Algae b) How Algae Gets Iron c) Iron and Algae Control

3. Allelopathy

D. Intensive Care for Algal Takeovers

XI. Practical Aquarium Setup and Maintenance

A. Typical Pathways for Beginning Hobbyists B. Setting up a Basic, ‘Low-Tech’ Aquarium C. Major Factors

1. Fish 2. Light

a) Daylength b) Fluorescent Light

3. Plant Selection

D. Other Factors in Aquarium Keeping

Abbreviations and Conversions Subject Index

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