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Vibrant Effect On Chaetomorpha Growth
I conducted an exploratory experiment, exposing two samples of Chaetomorpha to the recommended dose of Vibrant in aquarium water (6 ppm NO3; 0.4 ppm PO4) for three days. Two other samples were grown in just aquarium water as controls. Medium was replaced daily. At the end of this time, one control sample and one Vibrant treated sample were placed in the same container, separated by a plastic mesh divider. The other control and treated samples were kept in separate containers. All samples were grown in just aquarium water. The plot below is the trend in Chaetomorpha relative mass (mass/initial mass) for duration of the experiment.
The effect of Vibrant on alga growth is apparent after the second day of treatment and growth suppression continued after the Vibrant treated alga samples were moved to aquarium water. The Vibrant treated samples also began to fragment between days 4 and 5. Interestingly, small patches of hair algae growing on the Chaetomorpha appeared to grow unabated during and after the Vibrant exposure. The mixed Chaetomorpha samples seemed to have an influence on each other. The simplest but unproven explanation is that the adsorbed Vibrant migrated from the treated to the untreated sample.
The next step is to reproduced these observations with replicate samples before spinning any yarns about how permanent the Vibrant effect is, the Vibrant dose and exposure time that is lethal to Chaetomorpha, and whether Vibrant can desorb from Chaetomorpha.
Questions and suggestions welcome.
Dan
I conducted an exploratory experiment, exposing two samples of Chaetomorpha to the recommended dose of Vibrant in aquarium water (6 ppm NO3; 0.4 ppm PO4) for three days. Two other samples were grown in just aquarium water as controls. Medium was replaced daily. At the end of this time, one control sample and one Vibrant treated sample were placed in the same container, separated by a plastic mesh divider. The other control and treated samples were kept in separate containers. All samples were grown in just aquarium water. The plot below is the trend in Chaetomorpha relative mass (mass/initial mass) for duration of the experiment.
The effect of Vibrant on alga growth is apparent after the second day of treatment and growth suppression continued after the Vibrant treated alga samples were moved to aquarium water. The Vibrant treated samples also began to fragment between days 4 and 5. Interestingly, small patches of hair algae growing on the Chaetomorpha appeared to grow unabated during and after the Vibrant exposure. The mixed Chaetomorpha samples seemed to have an influence on each other. The simplest but unproven explanation is that the adsorbed Vibrant migrated from the treated to the untreated sample.
The next step is to reproduced these observations with replicate samples before spinning any yarns about how permanent the Vibrant effect is, the Vibrant dose and exposure time that is lethal to Chaetomorpha, and whether Vibrant can desorb from Chaetomorpha.
Questions and suggestions welcome.
Dan