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Re: stocking levels and ammonia/urea

> I am particularly fascinated/confused by the Roger Miller and Tom Barr
> posts. 

So are we:-) Well I am "confused" but Roger straightens me out.

> My own aquariums more or less follow the 'Optimum Aquarium'
> concept(except with external canister filtration and minimal surface
> turbulence)with med/low fish stocks and only CO2, K, iron and trace
> fertilization.
> 
> My question (actually I have many, but this is the main one for now) is why
> maintain low stocking levels and light feeding while at the same time adding
> NO3 and PO4 fertilizers? Why not enjoy more fish in the aquarium and add
> these Macros in the form of food?

Simple, Urea and NH4 waste. Plant tanks can handle only so much with out
setting off algae hell. We are specifically NO3, not NH4. I mean algae hell.
I recently added a ton of fish into a twenty gallon to try this out. Every
thing I did could not prevent algae(a number of types appeared).
Herbivores,water changes you name it. Had to remove the fish.
> 
> Sorry if this is a dumb question, or has been answered many times before,
> but I have to start somewhere.

Not one bit dumb. It's asked often enough and is valid. No dumb questions
really. I got plenty of dumb answers waiting though:)
Regards, 
Tom Barr