Humic and fulvic acid

**Gnomecatcher** · 03-25-2012, 05:21 PM

Frankly, I am a little skeptical and think that this may be just another snake oil, but might as well ask around. Does anyone have any experience with using this in their shrimp tanks? (ie: under the substrate, dosing into the water column, etc) I heave heard some companies *claim* this is somehow beneficial to shrimps, but I don't know the biochemical reason behind it, nor have I heard of anyone's experience with it.

I am also curious if anyone has used bentonite/montmorillonite dosed into the water column or under the substrate, and if that was at all beneficial to shrimps. Supposedly this is a calcium additive and/or water clarifying agent, but again...skeptical!

**Tom Barr** · 03-25-2012, 07:10 PM

Hooky stuff has been around since I was a kid, fish tonic, now a shrimp tonic.

Tannins are a wide range class but they do offer some benefits, but you can get it from driftwood ADA AS, peat etc.
No need to pay 5$ for a little bottle of liquid.

The 2 clays you mention are called unscented kitty litter

I think I'll let you decide from here.

**Gnomecatcher** · 03-25-2012, 07:26 PM

Huh. Imagine that.

On the subject of plants, do humic acids have any effect on plant growth? I have heard that somehow the soluble forms of humus help with nutrient uptake. Maybe I should take advantage of my school's online library database and do some research of my own instead of relying on everyone else for information. Har har.

I just remembered that when I read your article on Non Co2 methods that you sugested putting leonardite under the sediment. That has humic acid...

**Tom Barr** · 03-26-2012, 04:14 AM

They have no direct effect on plant growth, they block light in natural systems and block the red fraction, so they hinder growth in natural systems, they can act as chelators for metals however, and this "helps".
Light or more access to traces? Well, that is dependent on which is more limiting/larger factor in any specific system.

There is a review academic book, the Ecology of Humic Substances in Freshwaters. Might be worthwhile to look at it. I have my book here

**Gnomecatcher** · 03-26-2012, 04:49 AM

Oh, blackwater effect! So instead of adding tannins, you could just increase the trace concentration to increase the plant's rate of uptake (provided you do not have so many dissolved nutrients that you inhibit uptake). Silly me, I feel like all the questions I ask are common sense.

$200 on Amazon? Why on earth did you buy such a thing? Unless you didn't buy it...

**Tom Barr** · 03-28-2012, 04:57 AM

I got it for much less.

**Robert H** · 04-07-2012, 09:12 PM

Chris Brown is doing experiements with a humus based substrate and adding other ingredients to increase both humic and fulvic acids in the substrate and for better plant growth. Humus is used quite a bit in terrestrial gardening to acidify the soil and provide CEC. It also contains nitrogen but is void of all mineral nutrients. His article is here: http://www.aquabotanic.com/?p=1833

The humic acids would not contain nitrogen, and I suppose would benefit soft water shrimp that like acidic water.