This review surveyed several researcher's works to give a more balanced view to this treatment and why it works.

http://www.barleyworld.org/barleystr...al%20Final.pdf

The possible other points, the type of phenolics, the temperature, microbe's role, carbon limitations, and many other factors pait quite a different picture to all the grandeous claims made by the proponents of Barley Straw extract etc.

Give it a read, it's not too techy and is straight forward.

Regards,
Tom Barr

I didn't recieve that much attention when I posted it a year ago on APD:
http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plant.../msg00278.html
8)

So it can be used as a carbon source like Excel?

The carbon in Excel is much more the DIC, not the DOC sources, it's sort of in between.

But the Excel is inorganic in it's pathway(assimilation) vs this, which organic and then decomposes.

So no.

You can add any carbon source like soil, mulm, etc as a carbon source, dead plant material etc to relive the bacterial loop's carbon limitation.

Seems strange that there would be a carbon limitation for bacteria, but they need their carbs to eat just like people.

New tanks are often lacking in organic carbon, so I suggest to add mulm and peat, both sources of carbon as well as the bacteria.
Various additives to substrates etc seem to really ignore this.
Adding a little soil or mulm really can help.

Note: this is not the same as adding CO2.


Regards,
Tom Barr

Ahh.. That explained everything. Thanks Tom!