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Re: Does your approach to planted tanks match your investment philosophy?
> This list has "active" aquarists, testing all elements daily, adding
>this and that by the hour, and doing big water changes every couple days.
On
>the other hand, I'm sure many, if not most, follow a more "passive"
approach,
>as promoted in Diana Walstad's <A
HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967377307/102-2553175-0819320"
>Ecology of the Planted Aquarium : A Practical
>Manual and Scientific Treatise for the Home Aquarist</A> . Plant it, let
it be,
>enjoy what grows, and don't sweat it.
I have several tanks that get minimal attention. Some 10-30 gal filterless,
non CO2 injected tanks where the plants do their own thing. Some where the
water level continues to drop from evaporation,and because I may be too
lazy to refill.... I occasiionally see the smaller plants, including
crypts, start to grow emersed. This is how I got to see my first emersed
Cryptocoryne affinis. I even had one tank where it completely dried up
(but, this was NOT intentional). Then I have some larger slow grow tanks
where I only change water. Initially, they had a peat substrate which did
not require CO2, but this only lasted 5 years. For these, I dont move the
plants around, but watch them rearrange themselves "naturally". It is fun
to watch the aquascape change by itself. My largest 2 tanks get the most
attention, but I have to admit, I dont like the work involved. They contain
most of my stem plants -- what a pain to have to trim them every few weeks
to remove the excess growth.
>
> It occurs to me that this division is similar to that between two
>investment camps. Active investors work on their portfolios daily, trying
to
>beat the market. Passive investors believe that the market is not
>predictable, so the only way to beat the crowd is to not try so hard, and
>save the trading costs. (Plant it, let it be, enjoy what grows, and don't
>sweat it.)
>
> Are you the same in both areas, relatively active or passive?
My investment strategy is similar: some aggressive stuff, but overall, a
good diversified approach.
Neil