Some have suggested adding Vitamins is a good idea for aquatic plant tanks:
This article may change your mind:

http://wwww.aslo.org/lo/toc/vol_35/issue_1/0100.pdf


Regards,
Tom Barr

"In nature, vitamin concentrations
have been significantly correlated with algal
biomass, 14C-uptake rate, phytoplankton
succession, and initiation of algal blooms
(Menzel and Spaeth 1962; Kurata et al. 1976;
Parker 1977)."

That's enough to convince me!

-Mike B-

Correlation does not = cause however.
Just suggested that it may not be the peachy notion that many have assumed when adding Vitamins to FW planted tanks to help the plants.

Like most things we add, algae like the stuff as well.
Does it induce new spore germination with FW plants there as well?

Perhaps, interesting nonetheless.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Great Reference ! As I recall the mixtures we used to cultivate Caulerpas back in the mid 80's were heavily laden W/ B vitamins, and yes it often boosted micro algaes as well. For some reason I'd never drawn the obvious conclusion for FW applications. I'd like to see some more specific research in this area.

If a critical Vit. B12 conc. for Clado was found below which there was reduced to no growth at all why should macrophytes be any different?

As I understand most algae need Vitamin B12. Where do Vitamins come from in aquariums if not added from an outside source?

Best regards,
Detlef

Plants make the vitamins, some algae, not all, do not.

Unless there's a specific study showing that a specific plant requires/helps growth in some way with say Vit B12, it's speculation, guessing and a manipulation of the supporting research to sell snake oil.

And I have a bone to pick with such shady marketing.


Regards,
Tom Barr

I didn't see this addressed in the thread, or if it was, I missed it. Since plants seem to have a greater ability to uptake nutrients in the water column over algae, would the same principal hold true in regards to vitamins?
Per Tom Barr, it appears that some plants manufacture specific vitamins, but this isn't a topic I've seen a lot of information on (of course, I haven't known to look either). What vitamins do plants require and in what concentrations (macro or micro)?

Cheers,
Kevin

Vitamins are chemicals that humans benefit from getting a sufficient quantity of in our diets. The primary sources for those vitamins is plants (fruits and vegetables). A very few, as I recall, are obtained from meats.

So, vitamins are produced by plants, and we take advantage of that with our diet.

Farmers grow plants to make a living. They are ready, willing and able to spend money to increase their crop production, and they use a variety of fertilizers for that purpose. But, they don't use vitamins.

It is hard to imagine aquatic plants being so different from terrrestrial plants that they alone benefit greatly from adding vitamins to their environment, the water. So, it is going to take a lot of very persuasive evidence before I will believe that there are vitamins that I can add to my aquarium that will benefit my plants.

Good point, Hoppy.

mike b

Perhaps.
Plants and larger organisms can take up more, but they need more of it to do that.

At very low concentrations, the smaller size has the advantage.
This is true for all nutrients and uptake.

I think it's mostly hogwash as it related to us and our tanks and is used illictedly to sell crap to hobbyists without any direct support.

But that's not stopped them before, or folks who do not have any critical thinking ability and simply see some article, misinterpret it, then want to sell it to you.

So it might be deception, but it's more likely ignorance
Note, this does not mean that there is not something to it, but I'd be pretty skeptical.


Regards,
Tom Barr