redox levels
 

Can someone please explain to me exactly what redox is and how it relates to
plants?

thanks.

redox levels
 

SlimFlem wrote:
Can someone please explain to me exactly what redox is and how it relates to
plants?

It's been a *long* time since I took inorganic chemistry, but I'll try. :)
In a redox chemical reaction there is an exchange of electrons between the
REDucing and the OXidating agents. One of the elements, for example Iron
goes from having a +2 charge to having a +3 charge. Conversely, something has
to absorb that extra electron to balance out the overall charge.
But I have no idea how this relates to aquatic plant keeping. :)


--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

redox levels
 

"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message
...

Can someone please explain to me exactly what redox is and how it relates
to
plants?

In a redox chemical reaction there is an exchange of electrons...

But I have no idea how this relates to aquatic plant keeping. :)

I'm not a chemist either, but as I remember, redox potential has a lot to do
with plant biochemistry.
There is such a term as "redox potential of aquarium water (substrate?)"
which concerns the rate of oxydation - the more unoxidyzed organic residues
are in the tank (the "older" the tank is), the less redox it has.
Different plants (not only higher ones, algae also) prefer different levels
of redox. For example, most fast growing stem plants prefer high levels,
echinodoruses - medium, cryptocorines - low. For algae this continuity looks
like following: blue green red brown. That is the order in which this
ones would flourish in the tank whilst it becomes "older", of course if the
tank owner won't interfere the natural processes with continuous water
changes, substrate syphoning and fertilization.
--
~SP~

redox levels
 

"Sergey Politaev" wrote in message

Different plants (not only higher ones, algae also) prefer different levels
of redox. For example, most fast growing stem plants prefer high levels,
echinodoruses - medium, cryptocorines - low. For algae this continuity looks
like following: blue green red brown. That is the order in which this
ones would flourish in the tank whilst it becomes "older", of course if the
tank owner won't interfere the natural processes with continuous water
changes, substrate syphoning and fertilization.

Do you happen to have this reference on preference for both the plants
and the algae and redox?
Regards,
Tom Barr

redox levels
 

Xref: 127.0.0.1 rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants:68205

" wrote in message
om...

Do you happen to have this reference on preference for both the plants
and the algae and redox?

I've www shortcut just for algae:
http://www.thekrib.com/Chemistry/redox.html
Although the data concernes sal****er habitat, I think it'd be right for
freshwater also, as metabolic activities inside different algae types have a
lot in common, and on the contrary biochemistry of cyanophyta, phaeophyta,
rhodophyta etc. has some principal definite differences independently of
salinity.
As for the families of higher plants I have only printed materials, for
example "Aquarium and water plants" by Cyrling M. (ISBN 5-286-00908-5), and
only in russian.
--
~SP~
People will accept your ideas much more readily
if you tell them that Benjamin Franklin said it first.