Re: PMDD

["Tom Wood" <tomwood2 at flash_net>]

"I feel bad
however, and do try and help these people, for reasons Tom Barr pointed
out earlier:  the only reason they need to go to PMDD is that they
bought 3-4W+/gal of PCF lighting based on this group's "high-light"
recommendations."

BZZZZZT! Wrong. Way, way wrong.

You don't understand the approach. Go to jail, do not pass go, do not
collect $200.

PMDD is the most simple approach to aquatic plants that has ever been
devised: Add more of N, K and Micro-nutrients so that most of the P will be
used up. Adding more CO2 and light will help use up P faster. Helping the
plants grow so that they use up P helps starve algae because algae have a
high nutrient turnover rate. Algae live and die quickly. If the plants grab
the P after the algae die, then there is that much less P for the next algae
life cycle.

"PMDD is a complicated, experimental, and
unsupported non-commercial method of maintaining a tank that does
require a reasonable amount of skill at basic chemistry... We can at
least be honest about this."

Bullsh*t.

Plants and algae have been on the planet for what, three billion years?
Their basics needs have not changed much during that entire time. What are
you, a salesman for some "supported" commercial method? There is no
chemistry involved. Add more of everything except P and you will do fine.
It's as easy as falling down. Use a few simple test kits and rules of thumb
to keep things within a reasonable (but very broad) range, and the tank will
do fine. Do regular water changes to correct your mistakes, and the tank
will do better.

I'm sorry, but this post is dead wrong. Dumping commercial products of
unknown makeup into your tank is stupid. Going back to the basics requires a
little thought, but at least you are trying to understand what you are
doing.

TW