Now this post is in all different fonts! Dee -------Original Message------- From: Wayne Fugitt Date: 15/07/2008 06:24:37 To: silver-list@eskimo.com Subject: CS>Algae and phytoplankton, How Dangerous is it ? Evening Kathryn,
Thanks for the lesson on Algae. It sounds scary and dangerous. However, in real life, it is not as bad as the facts make it sound. At 09:02 AM 7/14/2008, you wrote: There are major differences between salt water algae (kelp, etc) and fresh water algae, the first being that nearly all sea water kelp and other algae is safe to eat, and many different kinds are used as food all over the world Yes, the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, I suppose. Nearly all fresh water algae is poisonous. It is so toxic that one should not even get their feet wet in a green puddle of water. That is the statement, I wonder about. Lots of qualification needs to go with it. Now you tell me, after I have been wading in the stuff for many, many years. Of course not all is poison or in great concentrations. Some is beneficial and the right amount is required for healthy water and healthy fish. The microscopic algae (phytoplankton) produces oxygen in the water in the presence of sunlight. I have watched this, during sunlight and the increase is 1/2 ppm per hour, depending on temperature and water nutrients. Yes, some water will not grow algae or phytoplankton. I can usually tell by looking, no instruments required. And guess what ? NO FISH ! Darn ! At night and on very cloudy days, algae and submerged plants remove oxygen from the water for respiration. During daylight hours plants normally produce more oxygen than they consume, thus providing oxygen for the fish and other organisms in the pond. In many cases, oxygen is a straight line depletion from dark until sunrise. By plotting this on a graph, you can see if the fish will die, and what time A real World problem for commercial fish growers. I was studying all this many years ago. Some may know, that for a time MS was the Catfish Farming Capitol of the world. Nothing to play around with for sure. I think this is a great example whereas the scientific facts of a matter create fear and horror in the minds of the unknowing, no doubt. Who is going to carry around a microscope and identify all the algae? People swim in the stuff, cattle wade in it, dogs and other animals will encounter it for sure over time. Algae creates problems in plastic nutrient barrels. We paint them black, then white in an attempt to solve the problem. There is a maximum temperature for nutrients, and soil or growing media that real growers know all about. Fishermen do not like the stuff, but no matter, it is a necessary evil the world over. Like virtually everything else, .......... Proper Balance is the key to keep the world going around. So, don't declare WAR on Algae and Phytoplankton, ....... just yet. Don't curse it, instead bless it ! Tons more I could tell you, but that should be enough. Wayne ============================
