The Story of Reverse Respiration

Introduction

In January 2020, during the pandemic, I had only recently revived my old childhood hobby of fishkeeping. I had limited experience with fish tanks back when I was about 12 years old, so I decided to join an online fishkeeping forum to find out more about the state of the art in the 21st century!

There was a lot to learn about filtration and tank maintenance, but that was just the beginning.

One day, a member posted a story on the forum about how he wiped out the fish population in his planted aquarium by failing to completely rinse out the bleach he used to clean his plants. It soon occurred to me that the planted tank might not need to be exposed to toxins to be cleared of germs and other pests.

Shortly thereafter, my online partners and I began an experiment to design and extensively test a new, chemical-free, aquatic plant cleaning method.

Originally, we conducted experiments using three unrelated technologies, two energy-based (electrolysis and ultrasonic cavitation) and one gaseous-based.

Eventually, we distilled our process down to the gaseous-based technology nominee we called Reverse Respiration.

Ultimately, the other two methods enjoyed partial success but suffered insufficient results, eliminating some pests but damaging the plants.

Alex, a biologist with a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and founder of a hydroponics company, initiated the research. He encouraged and vigorously supported designing the experiment. He was kind enough to review and advise us on everything. He recognized the potential of our experiment, as I was unaware of the current plant cleaning methods and their limitations.

To Alex, the potential was great enough to warrant the research.

The Reverse Respiration Method

When working on Reverse Respiration, we fully developed proofs for each proposal and concept, all of which are available on our website to anyone for download and review.

As an expert in plant physiology, Alex analyzed our microscope images and videos and helped us identify and verify what we had recorded. His input, data, advice, and continuous encouragement helped make this whole thing possible.

Sharon, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and an authority in multiple related fields, reviewed and edited our documents and was also a consultant for us. She graciously offered and examined our many microscope images and videos. Her observations encouraged us to redirect our efforts to a pH theory.

There were microscopic images of diatoms turning green as a result of being denatured. The seltzer dissolved all the brown diatoms but left the green parts.

It occurred to me that the seltzer dissolved everything but the chlorophyll. I looked up the enzymes in algae and all would dissolve in the seltzer except for the chlorophyll. Since the brown dissolved, I concluded that it must be due to the chlorophyll tolerating a lower pH, whereas the rest did not.

That eventually led to proofs for the entirety of the process. Reverse Respiration might not have been fully understood without her help.

Just one month into the experiment, a surprise came to our attention. Reverse Respiration’s reach went beyond mere plant disinfection when an unusual post-cleaning growth acceleration was noted.

A non-chemical algicide and potentially, a plant growth stimulant.

Although the initial intent was only for plant disinfection, Kerry, an award-winning aquatics breeder and ultimately a co-author of Reverse Respiration, was the first to observe that Reverse Respiration behaved as both an algicide and potentially, a growth stimulant!

Types of algae used are shown below:

Kerry’s input became ever more invaluable and frequent, identifying growth patterns, their indications, species-specific conditions, and behavior, as well as identifying pests.

By then, the experiment expanded to two locations and 14 tanks. We elected to make this experiment a collaboration.

The idea behind the Reverse Respiration method

The idea behind Reverse Respiration is simple.

It exploits the difference in how parasites and plants respire.

A newly opened bottle of plain seltzer is infused with CO2 and plants submerged, so it asphyxiates all pathogens.

The CO2 boosts the plants’ growth while the pathogens – germs, eggs, and parasites, all oxygen-dependent – expire.

After a 12-hour soak in the seltzer, the plants are clean and very green with a photosynthetic boost from the intense CO2.

The only residue is water.

Some microscopic images comparing the results from Reverse Respiration with common plant-cleaning chemicals are shown below:

Reverse Respiration kills most forms of Algae but also parasites and bacteria.

In addition, Reverse Respiration kills most forms of algae, also without any chemicals. It performs this by denaturing the enzymes in the algae in an amount of time that transpiration (plants drawing fluid into the cell) is too slow to react, protecting the plants.

After 12 hours, there are no parasites or bacteria, and most algae forms are dead.

Usually, algae turn red, as seen in the image below:

Snail Eggs Before and After Reverse Respiration

How to clean Plants with Reverse Respiration – Step by Step

To clean aquatic plants with Reverse Respiration, follow the steps here.

A Step by Step video is also available.

This method disinfects aquatic plants without chemicals and is easily performed by anyone without special equipment by simply alternating the lighting and the CO2 levels in the water in cycles that favors plants and eliminates pests. 

Reverse Respiration costs less than $1.00 US to implement,

Conclusion

To date, Reverse Respiration has seen about 60,000 tests and has a 100% efficacy in pest removal and a 98% efficacy as an algicide without any chemicals or residue left over.

In closing, the team at Reverse Respiration would like to thank Cheap Planted Aquarium and your readers for your interest in our ideas.

We have been inspired by this journey from an experiment in eliminating the use of toxins in plant cleaning to building a growing commitment to nurture new, sustainable, out-of-the-box ideas to solve old fishkeeping problems.

Our planted tanks, although unconventional, have garnered plenty of positive responses from the online aquarist community, for which we are grateful.

We hope to be able to share more of our ideas with your readers in the coming months and years.

We hope to be able to share more of our ideas with your readers in the coming months and years.

Reverse Respiration has a website: REVERSE RESPIRATION.

On our Home page, you can scroll down to see our

animated video, “Cleaning Aquatic Plants with Reverse Respiration,”

also viewable on YouTube:

Cleaning Aquatic Plants with Reverse Respiration Video.

Below the video, we have posted free articles on our site on various aquarium-related topics.

As Reverse Respiration was purely a scientific experiment that we chose to publish, it has no ads and is entirely free. You can get what you need at any supermarket and treat all your plants for less than $1.00.

The step-by-step written instructions are posted here:

CLEANING AQUATIC PLANTS WITH REVERSE RESPIRATION

The full Reverse Respiration experiment can be read at:

REVERSE RESPIRATION, EXPLAINED

There you will find the complete lists of dynamic and static entities used in the experiment, and under References, the university and laboratory studies and citations used during the experiment.

What is Next

I suggest you to have a look in my “Water Parameters” article to learn about pH, Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates and much more. Click here.

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